We have Spike Lee to blame for the cultural ubiquity of the Yankees hat. According to a new history of the cap in Esquire, Lee requested that New Era make a custom red-and-white hat for him in 1996, the same year a young shortstop named Derek Jeter led the Yankees to their first championship in 18 years. Lee’s request that New Era depart from the traditional navy-and-white color scheme inspired a massive shift in the baseball cap industry, as customization and unconventional colors became hugely popular. The beginning of a new Yankees dynasty in the late ‘90s didn’t hurt either. The classic Yankees cap is currently on display at MoMA’s “Items: Is Fashion Modern?” exhibit.
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