How a 59FIFTY Should Fit

A 59FIFTY has no strap, no snap and no adjuster. You pick a number and live with it, which makes fitted caps the one piece of headwear people routinely buy wrong. Here is how to get it right.

Measure first, guess second

Run a soft tape around your head about a finger's width above the ears and across the mid-forehead — where the cap will actually sit, not up on the crown. Keep it level and keep it snug without pulling. That measurement maps straight onto the fitted scale: 22 1/8" is a 7, 22 1/2" is a 7 1/8, 23" is a 7 1/4, and so on up in eighths.

Our fitted run goes 6 7/8 through 8 1/8, which covers almost everyone. If you land between two sizes, take the larger one — a cap gives slightly as the sweatband softens, and a cap that is too tight will tell you within an hour.

What a correct fit looks like

The brim should sit level with the ground and the crown should stand up on its own. You want no gap at the back, no red line across your forehead when you take it off, and no movement when you look down. If the cap rides up as you walk, it is too small; if it spins, it is too big.

Two-tone caps are worth a mention here because the colour break makes fit obvious from the side. On the Knicks the orange brim reads as a hard horizontal line — if that line tilts, the cap is not sitting properly.

Flat brim or curved

Both are correct and it is entirely taste. A flat brim keeps the cap reading as new and structured; a curve softens the whole silhouette and tends to suit rounder faces. Curve it slowly with your hands over a few wears rather than forcing it in one go — and never bend it over a mug overnight unless you want a permanent kink.

The back tells you what you are buying

On-field caps carry the league mark on the rear panel — the MLB batterman, the NBA logoman — and team caps often carry a wordmark instead. It is a small detail that separates an authentic on-field cap from a fashion copy, and it is the first thing worth checking.

Living with it

Spot-clean the sweatband rather than putting the cap through a wash; wool and structured crowns do not survive a machine. Store it upright or on a shelf, not squashed under something. A fitted that has been looked after holds its shape for years, which is most of the argument for buying one over an adjustable.

Browse the fitted caps at ExclusiveClothing.shop — free US shipping over $150.