Newsboy Cap History

The newsboy cap, also called newsie, cabbie, paddy or baker boy cap, evolved from the combination of the Irish flat cap worn by the lower social classes of 14th century Ireland and the Italian/Scottish style of the 14th century, is a derivation of the flat cap. It has a rounded shape, similar to a flat cap but consisting of eight panels with a button at the top and a rigid visor.

This tipe of cap was a very popular style of cap in the early 20th century, especially in Europe and North America, the mass emigration of Irish and Italians to North America inevitably had a strong influence on American fashion in the 19th and 20th centuries.

As you can tell from its name, this cap was associated with boys who delivered newspapers. But it was not a style limited to boys, it was also very popular for adult men of all social classes, as we can see in numerous photos, films and novels of the time.

This style of cap is usually made of wool, cotton or linen. Depending on the material it is made of, it will be more suitable for one time of the year or another. Winter newsboy caps are usually made of wool, while cotton or linen caps are more suitable for summer.

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