“We see caps everywhere these days,” says International Insignia’s Amar Sandhu. “Just as denim jeans have become universally important as a wardrobe item for all ages and both sexes, so the baseball cap is widely loved and accepted.”

The game of baseball began in the mid 1800s in American and it is still part of the American culture today. The cap was worn for functional reasons, to shield the eyes from the sun, and its popularity spread from the players to the supporters, and then to the public at large.

Although baseball is not as popular in the UK as its close relative cricket, the cap has been adopted as a firm favourite and a fashion accessory, says Sandhu. He attributes this to several factors. “Baseball style caps are comfortable and add a touch of style to any casual outfit,” he says. “They look cute on children and cool on teenagers. They are also highly functional in the same way as they have always been – to keep the sun from the eyes, or from the back of the neck when worn with the peak at the back. Although baseball is not a national sport in the UK, other sports certainly are and the baseball cap has been taken up by golfers in a big way. Our customers also find that the logistics industry has a very large requirement for decorated caps, as do the souvenir and leisure industries.”

Unlike other promotional clothing companies, International Insignia says it decided early in its development to focus on headwear, rather than offering the full range of promotional garments, although other garments can be supplied when required. This policy has served the Wolverhampton-based company well. “We invest heavily in the design of our ranges,” says Sandhu. “Caps have evolved and our customers are looking for the latest fabrics and features as well as for the classic styles for which we have always been known.

“Our Camouflage caps (MC17) have been hugely popular this year and we have these as stock blank caps in green, pink, and white. Our customers have come to realise that if they are looking for something a little out of the ordinary, we can usually help.”

International Insignia says it was one of the pioneers in the golf cap market and claims its magnetic Ball Marker cap (MC07m) was one of the first in the UK. “This cap lends itself very well to decoration on both the peak and the marker and it commands a premium price at retail owing to its popularity,” says Sandhu.

He adds: “Baseball-style caps seem set to remain part of our way of life in the UK, just as much as jeans, trainers and rugby shirts are. They are not just a useful “add-on” sale for those in the garment decoration business but an important promotional garment in their own right.”

For further information contact: Elaine Nester, The Alpha Design and Marketing Group

Tel: 01743 236631

Email: elainenester@adm-group.co.uk

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