Perfect cap embroidery

This month Danielle Park and Natalie Greetham of Madeira UK discuss the resurgence of headwear and how you can ensure that your headwear embroidery stands the test of time.

The resurgence of headwear in popularity over the last few years has transformed perceptions of baseball caps from being associated with street or leisurewear and is pushing it to the forefront of high fashion.

Baseball caps have been popping up on high fashion runways for a few seasons, Elie Saab even used graphic designs on caps to top off superluxe gowns, truly blurring the lines around caps as street wear items. They were also seen in ranges from Chanel, which has used sideways worn caps since spring 2017.

Gucci is pushing these boundaries further with its Autumn 2018 collection, releasing baseball caps which feature the Gucci logo in partnership with Major League Baseball. They have been pictured with more couture outfits in their pre-fall 2018 images.

Tyson Green, managing director of emerging fashion brand Good Side Bad Side Clothing commented that creating a capsule collection which easily integrates branded caps into his high end clothing designs has helped form perception of his style and brand identity in the industry, which he refers to as street smart. Good Side Bad Side Clothing is a lifestyle brand and Tyson’s rapid success has been built around two key elements; his logo and branding uses edgy garment embellishment which includes embroidery amongst several mediums and sheer quality and performance in fabric and production. Tyson commented that his army background had ‘made him a perfectionist and his aim is to work through a natural progression of textiles and mediums to keep his customers happily surprised with each purchase’. Tyson’s brand perfectly demonstrates the integration of headwear into designer clothing.

The widening in perceptions of where caps sit within the industry surely can only lead to an increase in production demand, and these demands look set to become more complicated as high fashion usage of these garments is becoming more prominent.

Perfect cap embroidery

To create the perfect cap embroidery during production, follow these simple rules.

• Digitising

Ensure your digitising file is created specifically for caps, and tell your digitiser if the cap to be used includes a front seam as this will change the way the design will be produced.

Wherever possible use the centre seam as the start and end point, a zig zag of underlay stitches down the seam will give support to top stitches and stop them sinking into the front seam.

• Tight to the frame

Ensure your cap is tight inside the frame to avoid puckering and use a heavy tear away backing that sits comfortably inside the cap. This can be secured using a light temporary adhesive spray.

• Thread breaks

Reduce the risk of thread breaks by using a high quality Rayon or Polyester thread and always use a sharp point needle. Titanium coated needles such as MXK5 SAN1 can be used to add strength to the needle and further reduce friction heat and resulting thread breaks.

• 3D foam

3D foam such as Bodybuilder can also be used to accentuate a logo or add further value to the embellishment; these foams are available in several colours and can also be used in creative ways to add to your design.