Snapbacks

The clock strikes 2:03 at Dartmouth High School and the students anticipate leaving the building and heading home. This time is significant to others as well as the majority; it’s the time when students may put on their hats inside the building as they head outside to catch their bus or their ride home. If one looks around at the students who are wearing hats, they may notice that many students are wearing the same style of hat, the snapback which has become the latest vintage style to come back into fashion and gain stunning popularity.

Snapbacks are adjustable hats that are made out of cotton for a more comfortable fit than its fitted counterpart. The underbrim of the hat is usually a bright and distinct color, and the snapback mechanism on the back gives the hat its signature style. The average cost of a snapback is 22 dollars, but a rare vintage one can sometimes reach over 100 dollars.

Freshman Paul Melo, while wearing a white Red Wings snapback on his belt loop, said, “I don’t know why they’re back in style, I just like to wear them. I like the style and the team on the hat.”

“I wear it on my belt so it doesn’t get crushed in my bag or in my locker,” Melo commented, “One time when I was late, I shoved it in my locker and the hat got crushed; I need to make sure the hat keeps its shape.”

Junior Jeff Smead said, “Everything is terrible right now. Snapbacks are in style because they’ve run out of ideas.” Smead said that he liked the style and that he doesn’t own a snapback at the moment, but is looking to purchase one in the near future. 

“I wore this hat before everyone else started wearing snapbacks because I’m gangsta,” said junior Dylan Miranda while wearing a worn-out, black Red Sox snapback. He then said that he didn’t have an answer for why they’re as popular as they are, but then criticized the people who have jumped on the snapback bandwagon.

As with every fashion trend, there are critics of the snapbacks fad, such as junior Katherine Bethoney, who said, “They’re stupid. They are not cool. You like you’re five when you wear that.”

Senior Ethan Fernandes said, “They just look stupid. What’s with wearing a hat on your belt? Why are they trying to copy truckers? Now they’re the ones who started it.”

Snapback hats just recently came into style again; they were first introduced in the 1980’s and peaked in popularity in the ‘90s. Back then, members of N.W.A. (Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy E) and Tupac Shakur were most famous for wearing them, but also some professional basketball players wore them, such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant which contributed to their popularity over 20 years ago.

Most snapbacks feature a sports team, but ever since their recent popularity, snapbacks with classic superheroes such as Batman, Superman, and the Green Lantern, hats that feature popular musicians such as Lil’ Wayne, Eminem, and Blink-182, and hats with popular cartoon characters from shows such as, Phineas and Ferb, Yo Gabba Gabba, and Adventure Time with Finn & Jake are now on sale at stores such as F.Y.E. and Newbury Comics. Some popular rappers today have even written songs about their snapbacks such as Mac Miller and Tyga.