When summer dressing starts to feel like a carousel of linen shirts, pastel co-ords and printed enthusiasm, the smallest styling switch can do the most damage. The baseball cap, long filed under gym runs, bad hair days and airport photos taken from unflattering angles, has become one of the easiest ways to change the temperature of an outfit.
For years, I treated my black baseball cap like a utility item. It sat on the back of a chair, brought out only for walks, errands or mornings when my hair was misbehaving. The mistake was assuming it belonged only to athleisure. Placed with a slip dress, an oversized shirt, a co-ord or a kaftan, it does something more interesting: it cuts through the sweetness, loosens the styling and makes the whole look feel less rehearsed.
The trick is not to save it for a specific category of outfit. Treat it in the way you would a bag or sunglasses—last, instinctively, without overthinking it.
Here are a few experimental ways to give the cap a shot.
Elevated basics
Photographed by Manav Manglani
