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Varsity Headwear came onto my radar while looking for a higher quality/label-less baseball-style cap I could wear on more casual days. At the time, the only options were the Ralph Lauren or Lacoste “dad” caps that never seemed to have a good fit, or very large brimmed actual baseball hats. None of these options came logo-less either. Additionally, I was always annoyed no one was making wool or cashmere hats for the Winter. Varsity Headwear solved all my problems by offering a well proportioned cap, in a variety of materials, with no obvious logos on the front. As a current owner of their wool, linen, and technical hats, they make the perfect hat for a variety of seasons/situations.
History
Varsity Headwear was founded by brothers Alex and Seb in Norway. From the beginning their mission was focusing on perfecting the fit, feel and fabrics for a premium hat. They have grown from a single store in Norway in 2013, to being sold in multiple large American department stores including Saks, Nordstrom, and Bergdorf Goodman.
Notes
I haven’t been able to find a company yet that can offer the level of materials, shape and pricing of Varsity Headwear. These hats are much more expensive than a normal hat, but with how often I wear mine, I
consider them a good investment. I’ve worn each of them over 100 times and none of them are showing any signs of wear. A much better “price to # of wears” ratio than a $100 sweater you might wear 5 times a year.
What to Buy
A linen hat during the Spring / Summer and a Wool hat for Fall / Winter is the ideal situation. You can also purchase one of their technical hats for any situation that involves sweat such as working out, yard work, hiking etc.
Linen Series – $95
For Spring/Summer the linen hat is the go-to pick. Linen fibers are hollow and naturally move air and moisture, making it a perfect fabric for warmer climates. The linen is sourced from the Piemonte region of northern Italy and woven into a basket-weave composition which results in a beautiful color and shine.
Wool Series – $95
For Fall/Winter the wool hat provides a great texture and added warmth. Wool’s natural water-repellency and ability to insulate in both cold climates makes it a perfect Fall/Winter fabric choice. Varsity Headwear’s flannelling technique allows the virgin wool to retain its shape while remaining extra soft.
Athletic Sport Series – $80
This is a great alternative to the standard gym/hiking/outdoors hat. Low key and made of a durable synthetic material, I’ve worn the Dark Grey version 4-5 days a week to the gym for +2 years without any long-term damage, and I expect it to last another 2 years at least. $80 is a lot of invest in a “workout” hat, but I’ve already worn mine over 400 times, and expect at least 800 – 1,000 wears eventually, and you can’t get much better cost per wear than that.
Overall I think Varsity Headwear is the only company who has filled the niche of a premium hat/cap with no ostentatious logos, quality materials, a great design and a reasonable price. You can buy a Varsity Headwear hat directly from Norway on their website or any of the department stores below:
Let us know if you have any thoughts, questions or comments below!