From Runway to Sidewalk: Celebrities Turn Baseball Caps into Statements of Identity and Allegiance

From Runway to Sidewalk: Celebrities Turn Baseball Caps into Statements of Identity and Allegiance

Celebrities Turn Baseball Caps into Statements of Identity and Allegiance

What once served as a simple shield from the sun has evolved into a personal billboard. In the world of celebrities, the baseball cap has become a quiet but powerful tool of expression—equal parts fashion accessory and cultural signal. For the average person, it’s about taste. For celebrities, it can verge on endorsement.

Kaia Gerber following a performance of Evanston Salt Costs Climbing

While some stars stick to the understated—often defaulting to the timeless New York Yankees cap, a staple spotted on the likes of Kendall Jenner, Bad Bunny, and Rihanna—others use their headwear to offer a more nuanced peek into their personalities and passions.

Lawrence in a Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn

Take Jennifer Lawrence, for instance. A noted collector of novelty baseball caps, Lawrence rotates a wardrobe of hats that speak to both high culture and pop nostalgia. Among her favorites: a black cap embroidered with “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1” in vivid red. She’s also been seen donning a navy hat celebrating Shania Twain, and a pink cap that nods to Wong Kar-wai’s cinematic masterpiece, In the Mood for Love. Each hat is a wink—a quiet nod to the things she loves that don’t always make it into interviews or red carpet appearances.

Lawrence wearing an In the Mood for Love hat

She’s not alone in this expressive habit. Kaia Gerber, after a March performance of Evanston Salt Costs Climbing, was seen wearing a cap reading “A New Play by Cole Escola,” supporting a fellow creative. Meanwhile, George Clooney, fresh off a stage door meet-and-greet for his role in Good Night, and Good Luck, sported a nostalgic white Bronx Zoo cap. (Dinosaurs may or may not have been on his mind.)

Jennifer Lawrence in a Shania Twain baseball cap

A new, unlikely player in the cap game is the New York City Ballet, whose monochrome logo cap has caught the attention of stars like Timothée Chalamet, Dakota Johnson, and Greta Lee. Johnson’s choice resonates with her past work in Suspiria, a dance-infused horror film by Luca Guadagnino. Chalamet, who paired his ballet hat with a vintage NFL jacket, has long championed the arts—making his fashion choices align not just with style, but substance.

Greta Lee

In a culture where branding is everything, the baseball cap has emerged as a subtle yet potent medium—an endorsement, a personal ad, and a cultural cue, all sitting just above the brow.