Dad Hats, despite their name, are great choices for dads and non-dads alike! With their flexible, supple feeling and easygoing nature, these hats are a popular choice for anyone wanting some relaxing headwear. Additionally, Custom Dad Hats feel good on your head and look good with your outfits, making them the perfect choice for Virginia Beach, VA headware. And there’s no better place to make your Custom Dad Hat than Hat.Co, with a wide range of options and support at your fingertips.
Whether you’re just getting started in the design process or you’re already ready to put your logo on fabric, we’ve got your back. You can get a free quote online or dive into the design studio today.
Here, we’ll outline what makes a dad hat a ‘dad hat’, what makes them a great option for custom hats, pro tips to keep in mind while custimizing a dad hat, and Virginia Beach, VA, questions on the topic. You can find a specific section using these links:
- What Makes a Hat a “Dad Hat”
- Who Wears Dad Hats
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Custom Dad Hats
- How To Customize a Dad Hat
- Pro Tips for Designing Your Dad Hat
- Dad Hat FAQs
- Start Designing Your Dad Hat
We’re here to help, whatever you need. Call us at (636) 926-2777 for help with anything custom dad hat related
What Are Dad Hats?
Dad hats are a popular style of hat in Virginia Beach, VA, because of their combination of comfort and pliability. Dad hats are a specific baseball hat style, with a loose, structureless crown, and ordinarily without much of a curve in the visor. Often times, they are made of softer fabrics, which is responsible for their trademark comfort.
Here’s the elements that you’ll see in most dad hats:
- Unstructured panels in the crown
- Softly curved visor
- Made with softer fabric
- Normally has a smaller, simpler logo
- Designs are sometimes intentionally faded or distressed
Who Wears Dad Hats (Besides Dads) in Virginia Beach, VA?
Dad hats have been around for decades, and had their first rise and fall of popularity in the 90s, and became popular again in the mid-2010s in part due to a a celebrity-led resurgence, which is still going on even today. Their name comes from that original 1990s burst of popularity, when people mostly saw their wearers as middle-aged men; however, they’re great fits for people of all ages and walks of life today:
- Families in Virginia Beach, VA, will wear custom dad hats for everyday use.
- Vacationers like custom dad hats to commemorate the event and enjoy their soft touch.
- Teens wear custom dad hats for both events and just casually.
- Barbecuers can make custom dad hats to wear while they’re out by the grill.
- Fishermen wear them when taking it easy and enjoying a peaceful day on the water.
- Golfers make great use of dad hats for casual weekends out on the green.
- Musicians have been seen with custom dad hats while out and about.
- Anyone can show off style every day with a custom dad hat.
If you’re managing a business or running a project, you can use a custom dad hat to promote your brand in a low-key way, in a way that will last for a long time.
The Pros and Cons of Custom Dad Hats
Dad hats can be an excellent choice for regular wearing year-round, and are easy to customize, too. But while they have an unparalleled style and comfort combination, that doesn’t mean they’re always the right choice for your custom hat style. If you’re undecided on whether you want to customize a dad hat or another style, think about these pros and cons below:
Custom Dad Hat Pros
- Unparalleled Comfort: Comfort is the primary goal of dad hats, and they deliver in spades.
- Transportability: Because they are more easily folded and bent without damaging them, they are easy to pack for travel.
- Lower Maintenance: The lack of structure in the crown makes dad hats simple to clean and maintain as well.
- Low-Key: They’re excellent for everyday use and chill hangouts.
Custom Dad Hat Cons
- Durability: Even though they transport easily, they tend to be a bit less durable.
- Logo Display: The lack of structure in the crown isn’t the best for logo display.
- Looser Fit: Activities with a lot of movement are not good fits for dad hats – the looser fit makes it easier for them to fall off.
How To Customize a Dad Hat
Not sure where to start to make the ultimate custom dad hat? We’re here to help. Just follow the steps below to get started:
- Decide Your Audience – If you start with the audience, anytime you’re making a decision you can ask yourself “what would the person wearing the hat like?”
- Figure Out When You Need Them – The sooner you need your hats, the less time you can spend on the logo and other customization options.
- Make Your Logo – Sometime’s it’s possible to work with an existing logo, if you already have one If not, for expert advice, think about consulting one of our professional designers.
- Pick a Logo Application Method – The main ways to add your logo onto your hat are screen printing, embroidery, DTF/heat transfer, and on patches.
- Pick Out Base Colors – There aren’t any hard and fast rules on colors, but if you want to compliment your logo, think about using a color wheel.
- Send In Your Order – at Hat.Co, you can send in your order online or you can get a quote before sending in your order.
You can also customize other hat styles in a similar way, but you should think about your event when deciding which style to customize.
Pro Tips for Virginia Beach, VA, Dad Hat Custom Design
Although the above steps on hat customization are a great starting point for all hats, the soft crown and looser fit can benefit from subtler decorations. We’ve put together some pro tips to help you find the best fit for your custom dad hat.
Pro Tip 1: Use a Small and Simple Logo
- These hats are meant to be casual – their emphasis on a soft feeling should also be seen in the logo.
- Smaller logos will have less of an effect on the pliability of the dad hat.
- Finely detailed logos can lose their intricacies when resized for a hat.
Pro Tip 2: Default to Embroidery
- Embroidery is probably the most popular way to apply logos to dad hats, because of the vintage look and feel.
- Embroidered logos also strike a great balance between flexibility and durability.
- A small patch might work as well, but limits the dad hat’s trademark elasticity.
Pro Tip 3: Expect A Looser Fit
- Don’t automatically order a size down; the looser fit is intentional.
- They’re designed this way so that they don’t squeeze the heads of Virginia Beach, VA, wearers.
- Typically, dad hats can still be tightened if you want them to be more snug.
Virginia Beach, VA, Custom Dad Hat Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve got questions, and Hat.Co has answers. Check out the top Virginia Beach, VA, custom dad hat FAQs now:
What’s the difference between a dad hat and a regular hat?
A regular baseball cap has more structure in the crown, versus the form-fitting nature of an unstructured dad hat. Also, dad hats’ bills normally are less curved (though not flat).
Are dad hats good for big heads?
Dad hats tend to be great fits for big heads, due to their looser nature. Dad hats avoid the headaches from other hat styles’ tightness, and often can have their size adjusted as well.
Do hats get looser over time?
The inverse, actually – as they are washed and go through the sun and rain of Virginia Beach, VA, hats normally tighten a bit over time. That said, the first time you wear them, they will probably loosen as you break them in.
How can I make a dad hat smaller?
Shrinking a dad hat requires two ingredients: heat and water. One method is to soak your cap in water, then let it dry somewhere warm. Another is to gently steam it.
What should I wear with my dad hat?
Dad hats are meant to be comfortable, so wear something comfortable to go with it. We recommend keeping it simple with a t-shirt and jeans. If you want to emphasize your logo, you can get a custom shirt to match.
Are dad hats still cool?
Yes they are! Being comfortable never goes out of style, and you can see this in how many people wear dad hats today. The casual nature fits all types of people and settings.
Have more questions? Check out our top 10 custom hat FAQs for more answers.
Start Customizing Your Virginia Beach, VA, Dad Hat
If you’ve read this far and are ready to create your new favorite Virginia Beach, VA, dad hat, Hat.Co has you covered. Or if you’ve read this far and think another style might be better, Hat.Co has plenty of other hat options available for you to choose from, too. Our custom hat services are industry-leading and at your fingertips.
We can help with all parts of creating your custom hat, and can gets started right away. Start designing your custom dad hat online, get in touch at (636) 926-2777, or get a quote now to get started.