Hat or cap (is a cap too American??)

If you want to use a cap, use a cap.

Wear whatever you want. I see lots of baseball caps all around Europe. And if you listen to many of them speak, it's not English.

A) there are 44 different countries in Europe so really not a good idea to generalise but…

B) I’m a Brit and I’ve visited several European countries, and I have seen people wearing caps in every one of them. (And caps are for sale most places so if people aren’t wearing them, I’ve not sure what they’re doing with them.)

I've heard NEVER use a cap in Europe.

Just curious as to where you picked up that bizarre insight?

Where what you like . Nobody cares.

And Europeans wear caps. Google people playing cricket.

What’s a Sunday cap?

The most common cap in Europe right now seems to be NY Yankees cap. I mean common among Europeans.

Mister E, we were amazed by the number of Yankees caps we just saw on our recent trip.

Wear what you want.

Ages ago you’d get advice “ no one wears jeans in Europe.”

Laughable but true.

Any hat will work. I usually wear a Nike Dri-Fit cap.

Pat, I get asked to bring them by friends over there. I feel like I am in the Yankee smuggling business. Tomorrow's trip I am bringing Aggie caps, I am tryting to start a new trend in Europe. Second most popular seems to be t.u. caps but I suspect that is because they are cheap and common

So many people in Switzerland and the UK this spring we’re wearing baseball-type caps! (One Brit hiking guide I met called them peaked caps.) Flat caps are popular, too, mostly with slightly older gents.

Even a clown hat is better than skin cancer.

Not really generalizing since I said alpine (but 5 countries). Thanks, maybe some dated advise I have seen. Sunday cap (it's a brand name), they are coated for rain and SPF. The one I have worn has a flat top and about 2 1/2 inch brim but they make a nice ball cap (same protections). But what I wear so I'll wear it. Everything I own has REI plastered on it, so don't think it's a thing in any of Europe or UK. But price is right.

--Jay

This might help answer the question? 🧢 🙂

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/italian-baseball-cap.html?sortBy=relevant

I see Europeans non English speaking wearing the Chicago Bulls, White Sox, and New York Yankees hats as a hip hop American urban fashion statement all the time. I was in Mechelen, Belgium of all places last week and saw a man wearing a Chicago Bears ball cap. I have bought ball caps in Europe as souvenirs of festivals I attended.

I did a "fashion" report from Portugal (May 2023). Not because I'm into fashion, I'm not, but I actually noticed what people are wearing because it was so counter to what I've heard people say over the years. People were wearing hats, the Colombia camping type, straw, baseball caps. Everyone that wasn't wearing flat sandals or athletic type sandals (like Merrill or Chaco or Teva) were wearing sneakers (often Converse or Supergas or running shoe). Clothes were often bright, sometimes patterned, not black and men and women wore shorts (few capris).I always wear what I want, and I was either wearing a straw hat or my Adidas black visor.

I always travel with a baseball cap, good for daytime vision and face shading, light and portable, worn by many others wherever I've been. In rain it keeps the parka hood off my face. If I don't want it I can stick it in my hip pocket or elsewhere. If I lose it I can easily replace it anywhere. Only thing to avoid would be a logo that might offend people or make you look stupid.

Yes, people will know you're American, from the way you walk, talk, smile all the time, and many other clues. Nothing wrong with that.

My husband always wears caps. His favorites are the ones he buys in Europe; as Golden Girl mentioned, they're sold over there. The ones Stan prefers have a flatter top; more a railroad cap than a ball cap.

It all comes down to your particular choice, if you choose to wear any headgear, cap or hat. a personal matter regardless.

I never wear a cap or hat in Europe, regardless, not at home either.

I wasn't aware that 'cap' and 'hat' were different things...... today's learning experience

https://www.garmentprinting.co.uk/blog/caps-vs-hats-whats-the-difference-and-which-is-best-to-personalise/

Don’t understand all the hoopla about trying to disguise yourself from being an American tourist. As soon as you speak, people know where you’re from. Wear what you want as long as it’s not offensive to anyone or anyone’s culture.

And when my husband lost his baseball cap in Vietnam, he bought one of theirs.

Suki, my guy left one of his new French caps on the plane going home; he's still ticked off about that!

My University of Texas Longhorns baseball cap turned out to be something of an ice breaker/scene stealer on our April 2022 trip to Italy. On 3 separate occasions (Positano, Salerno, and Paestum), Italians and/or Europeans - I didn't check their passports - made a point of saying "Go Longhorns!" when they noticed my hat.

With the exception of U of Texas baseball caps, nobody in Europe cares what you are wearing.

My husband recently wore ball caps throughout our 23-day trip to England, Scotland, Ireland (Republic of) and Northern Ireland. The only comments were people constantly asking him where he got them. If you enjoy a cap - wear it! It can be a great ice breaker.

Makes me think I should bring that Appalachian trail cap. It has a story. (Didn't thru hike but day hiked in all 14 states--it was it's own sort of adventure). Little scared of losing though.

Almost everywhere is Americanized nowadays, from clothing to American-style baseball caps to entertainment. Long gone are the days where it was common to see people in traditional attire. Wear a cap and shorts.

Aggies and Longhorns! Heaven help us!

Estimated Prophet, yup, a t.u. cap would be a good 4th choice.

But you bring up a more important point about looking like what you are. My cap and the Lucchese's have done more to start conversations with people around the world than any other thing I have done. I go for the people, so why would I want to blend in? I save the bever stetson for fancy nights out.

BMWBGV, but the Eurooeans manage to mess up good American fashion. I bought some 501 jeans in Budapest a few months ago, and they .... better sit down for this .... they have 15% some sort of stretchy material in the fabric! What the HE......!! And its a NATO country!!!

This topic---Taking on a life of it's own. With all the TU stuff thinking of taking a Zia sun cap (New Mexico flag symbol from the Zia pueblo).

pleiades3, the proper way to write it is. t.u. so that the diminutive nature is properly expressed.

“NEVER use a cap in Europe”.

Well, in that case even as a European/Brit, I’ve being doing it wrong for a VERY long time!

My husband keeps the sun off his scalp and out of his eyes with a Indiana University baseball cap. Being French living in France, no locals bat an eye but people with connections to the Hoosiers stop us to say hi. In fact a couple in Italy saw the cap first, stopped us, then realized they knew us.

I wear a baseball cap on my morning walk but it's a hairdo killer. The sun reflects off plazas, so the visor is needed in addition to sunglasses.

Anyway, the old dress “rules” about no caps or white sports shoes or bermudas are outdated.

I always have a hat on when walking or working outdoors.

Sometimes a straw hat - bought it in Switzerland.

Sometimes a brimmed hat - bought in Lombardy Italy.

Sometimes a waterproof rain hat with wide brim, bought at an English Garden Centre many many years ago.

Sometimes a brimmed white hat such as in Cricket. Bought here, natch.

Often an unbranded stiff cap much like a baseball cap, beige in colour bought here at a Tesco. Its predecessor was all black for railway work in the rain, £3 at Tesco. This current one £2 at Tesco.

"Never wear a cap in Europe" would be wasted on me and many millions of Europeans. Probably the same folks who say not to wear white footwear in Europe. Tell that to all the folks on TV. And me with my white Nike trainers with the gold swoosh. It is most definitely in vogue. Male and female. Young and old.

I bought some 501 jeans in Budapest a few months ago, and they .... better sit down for this .... they have 15% some sort of stretchy material in the fabric!

comes in handy for some. I know you with your boyish figure won't need it - but some find it helpful. Maybe all the Hungarians aren't so svelte?

Aggies and Longhorns! Heaven help us!

You said it, Ed

Longhorns....

In 1956, J.R. *[Ewing] enrolled at the University of Texas and went off to Austin for four years. He was an excellent student, extremely popular fraternity brother, and a party goer and thrower extraordinaire. He had an enormous capacity for women, of course, and food and drink, Texas style. His drink of choice, bourbon and branch, became the illicit rage on campus.*

Aggies...

Rick Perry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr4dVLDMFVM

The most common cap in Europe right now seems to be NY Yankees cap. I
mean common among Europeans.

I was about to write the same thing... you know it's probably not a tourist if he/ she is wearing a Yankees cap. I wore my Blue Jays cap everywhere. I wasn't fooling anyone with or without it.