The Hat Collection

Updated 10-15-2025

Hover over a hat to see what it is and a bit about it! This article may not be formatted very well on mobile devices.

Wildwood, NJ Hat - Black
I don't remember how long I've had this hat, but there's photos of me in it going back to 2017. This is likely from the boardwalk or a beach storefront of Wildwood, New Jersey. This is one of my very first hats and one that I used to wear very often.

1504 D Wing Snapback
A piece of merchandise from the dorm that my friends lived in during my junior year of high school. By all metrics except officially, I lived there as well. Pr04ever.

DAMN. Hat
My favorite hat for a very long time, and the only hat to date that I've actually broken due to overuse (the clasp fell off the back). I got this during the Chicago show of Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. Tour in August of 2017, and since have been greeted by people turning their head sideways to read the hat.

Chance 3 Hat - Black
A fake Chance hat that a naive, 17-year old me thought was real in September of 2017. It still is a decent quality hat that has gotten a lot of wear, and Chance is still one of my favorite artists to date. I still like it quite a bit.

Mega Man Snapback
A hat that I stole from a dormmate in October of 2017. It has the pixel art for the protagonist of Mega Man, one of my favorite series, across the front. Tony, if you're reading this and want the hat back, let me know and I can make it happen.

Cheeky Chic Lady
Received as a gift for "Octmas", a secret Santa organized by my friends in high school, in January of 2018. It has a neat texture and shine, and is one that has outfit-tying potential. I need to wear this more often, I think.

Bon Appetit Hat
A part of a uniform from my days as working at the dining halls at Carleton College, starting in September of 2018. Also a part of many Halloween costumes on campus ("I'm going as a dining hall manager!"). I don't wear this one too often anymore, but it's a fun memory to keep.

Carleton College Hat
My alma mater! This hat came into my possession in September 2018, when I first moved in. I actually used the school's official colors to make the art for this one. Hail the Maize and Blue. Not that Maize and Blue, though, the fun Division III one instead.

KRLX Beanie
Bought from a fundraiser for my college's radio station, KRLX. Over the course of my four years at Carleton, I had seven radio shows late at night and would love biking across campus to the station. This is my most-worn beanie by a mile.
"This is Ebb and Flow, and you're listing to KRLX 88.1 FM..."

Axiom Construction Trucker
I 'stole' this hat from a merchandise stash of a friend's parent's construction company while I was visiting her in Seattle in January of 2020. I have a bunch of merchandise from them, including a hoodie that was purposefully put next to a campfire to let the smell seep into the fabric. Said hoodie is also two sizes too big on me, and is one of the comfier items of clothing I own.

Frogë Hat
This may be the best hat I own, I think. Made by a close friend's brother in December 2020, this goofy looking frog hat did good numbers at my equally goofy liberal arts college.

Brown Beanie
I have no idea when this beanie came into my possession, but I remember wearing it during my junior year of college. It's a brown beanie with a warm layer on the inside. Not much else to it, but it is functional and matches well with a green coat I have.

Intern Hat - Green Tie Dye
By far my most worn hat, I got this from a mystery box of merchandise from Khary, my favorite artist. I love the dye pattern, and me in this hat became a pretty common sight across both my college campus and after graduation since I got it in March of 2021. This hat is one of my personal favorites.

Twins Cap
Bought from a Target (on brand) before heading to my first Twins game in July of 2021 and unknowingly kicking off my journey to visit all 30 stadiums. I went with my housemates (Porch House!) and had a blast.

Vikings '47 Hat
Bought before I attended my first Vikings game in October of 2021. US Bank is an absolutely electric environment, and even though the Vikes lost I still had a blast. This is also the only purple hat I have, so it's gotten a lot of wear with purple clothes.

Frog '47 Hat
My second frog hat, spurred on by a phase where I was heavily interested in frogs in college. This hat was a gift from a friend in Atlanta in December of 2021, after a giant flying cockroach apparently landed on the brim. I took the hat away from the devil spawn, washed it, and have worn it a bunch since.

Canada Hat
A gift given by a friend during my senior year of college in January of 2022. At this point, my collection was building, and she made note of it when choosing a gift. This hat came into use when I visited the Rogers Centre and ventured into Canada for the first time.

Red & Black Beanie
I snagged this beanie from a thrift store during a date in January of 2022. The most memorable part of this date is that we went to a record store and I didn't buy some rare vinyl that I should have. Alas, instead I just have this beanie to remind me.

Diet Pepsi Hat
Bought from a store in New Bern, North Carolina -- the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola. This hat has become my "beach hat" that I wear whenever I hit the beach. As a result, it's a bit battered but still a comfy fit. I also like the two-tone brim.

South Carolina Hat
I bought this hat from the main marketplace in Charleston, South Carolina, in June of 2022. This hat is unique amongst my collection in that it has a thicker brim that has "South Carolina" and "Palmetto State" in alternating black/white backgrounds across it, which ultimately made the hat stick out enough for me to buy it.

HiKESHi SPiRiT Salamander Hat
A gift from a friend in July of 2022, this hat came with an accompanying Salamander T-shirt which was pretty neat. I like the design, and the yellow helps match it up with a few pieces of clothing I have. It looks much cooler than I actually am, though. Shoutout Salamanders.

DRX Hat
Shipped to me from Korea by a friend studying abroad, this hat has the emblem of my favorite professional League of Legends team: DragonX (specifically their 2021 iteration). A few months later, they would go on a miraculous underdog run to win the World Championship. I hosted a watch party for the finals and screamed my head off. This hat is often worn by me with a matching DRX jacket.

Corona Extra Hat
This hat was inherited from my Dad in September of 2022. It has a yellow underbrim that I like a lot. The irony of me, a non-drinker, owning this hat is not lost on me.

The Offspring Hat
This hat was inherited from my Dad in September of 2022. The Offspring was one of his favorite bands. I should probably listen to some more of their music before I wear this hat.

Bulls '47 Hat
This hat was inherited from my Dad in September of 2022. I can only imagine what it was like to be a Bulls fan in the 90s. Even though I'm a fan of the Orlando Magic, it's hard to not get pulled in to the aura surrounding the Bulls when the season is in full swing.

Blue Beanie
I have no idea when this beanie came into my possession, but I remember having it when moving to my first apartment in October of 2022. It's a blue beanie -- not much else to it. This is probably the most plain hat that I own.

Vikings Beanie
A Christmas gift from my Mom in 2022. This came alongside tickets to the Week 17 Vikings @ Bears game, where I got to witness the excellent quarterback matchup of Nathan Peterman versus Nick Mullens. My sister and I went to this game with our partners at the time, both of which wound up being pretty poor people -- kind of like the meaningless Week 17 game ending 29-13! I still had fun, though.

UIUC Snapback
A hat snagged from the bookstore during a visit to UIUC, a college that I visited quite often during my time as an undergraduate and I consider my "second school", in February of 2023. A good wear for when I decide to masquerade as a U of I student.

Houston Zoo Hat
Bought at the Houston Zoo during my first visit to the city within a span of three months during February of 2023. A trip to forget (although it inspired my stadium chase), but I did like the animals. It's also my only pink hat.

NASA Hat
Another hat bought during my couple's trip with an ex to what is now my least favorite city in the United States in February of 2023: Houston. The striking yellow/black combination is great, though, and matches with a bunch of my clothes.

White Sox New Era Cap
Probably my most-worn baseball cap to date.This is one of my personal favorites -- endlessly adaptable black and white and has the iconic logo of my miserable American League franchise. I believe I got this hat in April of 2023, during my first visit as an adult.

Brewers New Era Cap
This hat called out to me during my first visit to American Family Field in April of 2023. I love the floral design, and I wear it every time I find myself wanting to drive up to Milwaukee. My only complaint is that the Brewers logo is invisible from far away.

LeHigh Valley Hoagies Cap
The only piece of Minor League Baseball merchandise that I own (for now), I snap-bought this hat when the LeHigh Valley Iron Pigs announced their metamorphosis into the LeHigh Valley Hoagies in April of 2023. Delicious!

Dodgers '47 Cap
Obtained during my May 2023 trip to California, where I dragged my friend Lucas to three baseball games. An iconic logo -- I didn't want to get Dodger Blue since I already have a fair amount of blue hats, so I went with a more subdued grey.

Padres New Era Cap
I got this hat during my May 2023 trip to California, where I dragged my friend Lucas to three baseball games. I love the color on both the base hat itself and the striking pink logo, and have no hat quite like it. I have a pair of pants that are close to the color of the hat, creating a very nice match for a summery outfit.

Angels Trucker
Part of a promotion when I visited Angel Stadium with my buddy Lucas in May 2023. Angel Stadium is one of my least favorite parks, but not because it's bad -- just a bit forgettable. From one poverty AL franchise to another, I do like when the Angels come into town.

Mets New Era Cap
This hat was bought at Citi Field during my baseball odyssey in June of 2023. This hat has seen a lot of use -- the Mets are a more morally just team to root for than the other blue teams in the NL (Cubs, Dodgers) and the orange pops well.

Yankees Cap
Obtained from a vendor outside of Yankee Stadium during my baseball odyssey in June of 2023. It doesn't get much more iconic than this. I've worn this hat a bunch, and the logo is navy and not black which paired it well with a pair of navy khakis I used to have.

Orioles '47 Cap
Obtained from a vendor outside of Camden Yards during my baseball odyssey in June of 2023. Still has the '47 sticker on it! Oriole Park at Camden Yards is, to this day, my favorite stadium in all of baseball.

Nationals New Era Cap
The Nationals have some of the most beautiful merchandise I've seen for their city connects, in part due to the cherry blossoms that DC is famous for. Thus, when I visited during my baseball odyssey, I wanted to buy a hat from this line. This hat is a reddish-grey, which fits with a fair amount of my clothing. The snapback version of this has a tree on the side that was also beautiful, and I almost broke my cap-only convention and bought it instead.

Reds '47 Cap
Bought at the final stop on my baseball odysseyin June of 2023. I like the frayed look of the Reds logo and the color of this hat a lot -- it popped out to me immediately when I was looking for a souvenir.

Baseball Hall of Fame '47 Trucker
Obtained from the Baseball Hall of Fame during my baseball odyssey in June of 2023. I wasn't even supposed to go here, but wound up making a pit stop. It's a humbling and hallowed place.

Cardinals '47 Cap
I actually bought this one from the Baseball Hall of Fame during my baseball odyssey in June of 2023, not during my visit to Busch Stadium. The Cardinals are my National League team and one of my first baseball loves, so I was happy to add this cap to my collection.

Seattle Mariners Trucker
I have no idea where or when this hat comes from, but I'm putting it next to the other Seattle hat I own. At the time of writing this, I still haven't been to T-Mobile Park, but do plan to wear this hat in as I strike out my 30th stadium.

Seattle Kraken Hat
A gift from my girlfriend as she went on a trip to Seattle in June of 2023. A sick design for a cool team, the tentacle wraps around like an 'S' around the space needle.

New Jersey Hat
Bought within Wildwood, New Jersey some time in July of 2023. This was my first cream-colored hat, and while I typically prefer the Colorado Rockies hat nowadays, I wear this if I want to wear a cream hat without any purple.

Born To Fish, Forced To Work Trucker
One of the funnier hats I own, as I have fished exactly once in my life. However, I still relate to the sentiment, and have in fact worn this into my office before. I got this right as I moved out of my first apartment in August of 2023.

Acid Rap Hat
I bought this hat at Chance the Rapper's 10th Anniversary show for his Acid Rap EP in August of 2023. This was an incredible concert, and even though I was in nosebleeds at the United Center it still ranks amongst my favorite shows I've ever been to. The tie dye on the hat goes well with neutrals and I wear it interchangeably with my tie dye Intern hat these days.

Intern Beanie
A part of a Khary Mystery Box that I bought in October of 2023. A matching beanie for my tie dye Intern hat, the swap to this beanie signals that weather in Chicago has officially hit.

Last Dive Bar Trucker
I bought this from Last Dive Bar, an Oakland Coliseum-themed merchandise seller, in April 2024 ahead of my trip to Oakland. Under no circumstance did I want to support the Oakland Athletics organization and contribute to the John Fisher money pile.

Giants Cap
Part of a promotion when I visited Oracle Park in San Francisco in May of 2024. It also doubles as a hat I can wear during St. Patrick's Day or when I'm feeling particularly Irish, which makes sense given it was Irish Heritage Night at the park. It's my only courdroy hat.

San Jose Sharks Hat
I am on record saying that the San Jose Sharks have one of the best logos and color schemes in all of American sports. Thus, when I saw this hat in the store while shopping for sunscreen in May of 2024, this was a no-brainer buy. I love the blueish underbrim, and I have a shirt of the same color I love to match this hat with.

Colorado Rockies Cream Cap
Sometimes when walking into a New Era or Lids, a cap simply just calls to me. If the price is right, I pull the trigger -- this was one of those hats. I have a black and purple shirt that I love wearing with this. Obtained at Coors Field in May 2024.

Royals New Era Cap
A souvenir from my visit to Kauffman Stadium in August of 2024. The Royals have, in my opinion, one of the cleanest City Connect uniforms in MLB, and thus the hat called out to me.

Texas Rangers '47 Cap
Bought at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, in August of 2024. I was wearing this hat as I watched, in horror, as I was one strike away from witnessing a no-hitter.

Vanderbilt Residential College Hat
A hat given to me in November of 2024 from a friend who works at Vanderbilt University. My girlfriend says that it's stolen valor when I say I'm an "alma mater" of Vanderbilt, but to that I say: who has the t-shirt that says "Vanderbilt Class of 2022"?

Santa Baseball Hat
My most festive hat by a mile. This was a Christmas gift in 2024, and is one that I wear while setting up my Christmas tree every year and during the holidays. They're on Etsy, which I'm sure is where my Mom found it.

Intern Hat - Black
My second Intern hat, I believe I got this from selling merch at a Khary show in Chicago in May of 2025. The details, however, are a bit fuzzy around this one. I wear the tie dye version more often, but still bring this one out for black outfits sometimes.

Eye'm A Weirdo Hat
Another piece of Khary merchandise that I picked up in May of 2025. I love this hat, and like pairing it with both red and black shirts alike. The design is striking and very well done, my only 'complaint' is that it's a snapback that I had to bend the brim of, which is perhaps the fakest complaint ever.

Kone Ranger Beanie
Kone Ranger is clothing store in Chicago that designed a pair of overalls Khary wears in concert amongst a bunch of other very cool pieces of clothing. I picked up this hat in May of 2025, but I don't think I have the fashion sense or 'cool' factor to pull off a lot of the pieces. However, I find them impressive regardless.

The Red Balloon Project 10th Anniversary Show Hat
This is from the 10th anniversary show for rapper Skizzy Mars' EP, The Red Balloon Project, in June of 2025. I listened to this a ton in high school and the show was one of the best I've ever been to.

Guardians Cap
I got this hat during a trip to Progressive Field in July of 2025. This is one of my favorite stadiums, but the first time I visited I didn't grab a hat -- a great excuse to revisit! I don't usually like denim, but the hat fits very comfortably and I love this version of the Guardians' logo.

Diamondbacks New Era Cap
This cap called out to me while I was traversing the concourse of Chase Field in Phoenix when I dropped by in August of 2025. This hat has something that only a few of my other hats have: a high crown, which allows the snake to display fuller and makes the hat look far bigger on my head. I absolutely adore the color combination on this hat and it is one of my personal favorites.

2015 All-Star Game New Era Cap
Thrifted from a local thrift store in August of 2025. A cool find! Hopefully I get to add to it when the All-Star Game comes near again.

White Sox + Misericordia Cap
Thrifted from a local thrift store in August of 2025. This had to have been a former promotional item from a White Sox game, which I was happy to snag. I do wonder if the person that sold it to the thrift store turned a profit from a cheap Sox ticket.

Wildwood, NJ Hat - Red
I found this hat in my childhood bedroom when I visited my Mom in September of 2025. I have no idea how long I've had it, but like the washed out red.

New Orleans Hat
I found this hat in my childhood bedroom when I visited my Mom in September of 2025. I have no idea how long I've had it, especially since I never went to New Orleans as a kid. I have a vague memory of my parents having gone for a birthday or an anniversary.

Llama Hat
I just kinda happened into this hat -- it was left at a friend's apartment, and they asked if I wanted it in September of 2025. Not having a hat in this color and liking the embroidered llama, I decided to swipe it. It has an interesting greenish tone that makes me want to buy pants to properly pair with it plus a few others in my collection.

Chance 3 Hat - Aqua Blue
My second Chance hat, this came from the Chicago stop of the And We Back tour for his Star Line album in October 2025. I loved this show and love the album, and wanted to pick a chance 3 that was 1: official, and 2: blue.

I've been collecting hats since around 2020, when I was in college and the collection was modest. Now, I'm pretty much always wearing them and own an amount that is probably multiple standard deviations away from the average. The hat has become one of my more recognizable traits, and the collection itself has even been featured in a friend's fashion magazine, Queer Dear (not a joke, still very honored to be in there). I find that they're a great way for me, someone pretty fashionably illiterate, to vary outfits and make colors pop. If you know me, you know about this collection and have probably seen a decent percentage of them in person. This is a project that I've been wanting to make for some time now, and plan to update occasionally as new hats come into my possession. To paraphrase myself from Queer Dear:

My hat collection represents a gallery of moments that I can not only look back on, but also wear and add to outfits. I consider myself somewhat unfashionable and only learned about color matching during college--the eureka moment of "I can wear a purple hat with a purple shirt and it will look better" is something I distinctly remember happening in my junior year dorm room. My collection ranges from gimmicky like my santa baseball cap, to representative of my travels and my goal to visit every baseball stadium, to gifts from friends and family, to pieces of memorabilia representative of experiences, places, and people dear to me.

By The Numbers

What would a blog post by me be like without a bit of light analysis? My collection is mostly baseball caps, but I do have a few snapbacks, beanies, and non-baseball caps to supplement it. I may eventually put this into a database and have more interactive analysis available, but for now I think it works fine enough by manually updating it. Here are the hats I have by type:

Hats by Type
Hat Type	Count	% (of 69)
Cap / Hat	58	84.06%
Beanie	7	10.14%
Snapback (Straight Brim)	4	5.80%

We can go a bit deeper than this, though -- we can break down the caps by general color and by what they represent, as well. I've broken them down into categories that I think make sense. Hats can only have one category, and by color I've decided to go with either the primary color of the hat or the color of the main part of the hat if the hat was black:

Hats by Category
Hat Category	Count	% (of 69)
Baseball	24	34.78%
Cities / Schools	9	13.04%
Non-Khary Music-Related	7	10.14%
Animals	6	8.70%
Khary Merchandise	5	7.25%
Other Sports-Related	4	5.80%
Other	14	20.29%

Hats by color. Click the image to open it and make it bigger.

While many people in my life would say I have too many hats, doing the color analysis and this entire article made me realize something. Do I have too many red and blue hats? I think this means that I should find more hats to fill the spectrum on the color wheel. A lime greenish yellow and a deep blue/purple are hats that I'm definitely missing, and it could be argued that darker yellow-orange also appears to be a gap in the wheel. I don't have too many hats though -- that's something I'm certain of.