Throughout history, the use of hats and caps has acquired different meanings. Although their main use or function is to cover us from the sun, in order to protect our scalp and avoid possible heatstroke problems, many have chosen to use them for another purpose. In this article, we will explore what a psychologist has discovered about the use of caps among young people in recent years and why they use them on a daily basis. Many have decided to use them on a daily basis in closed environments where the sun is absent, establishing a pattern that marks a behaviour explained by psychology. Find out what it’s all about.
What does it mean to wear a cap every day?
The main reason for wearing a cap in the past was to protect us from the sun, but it has acquired cultural and identity overtones that mark a before and after in fashion. For this reason, in a book dedicated to studying the use of caps, hats and headwear, the psychologist Karen J. Pine has decided to delve deeper into the concept, defining what, for her, is a symptom of the times. Everything becomes clear in the book called “Mind what you wear: the psychology of Fashion”, where she explains that many young people have decided to wear a cap every day and use it to define part of their outfit. Whether it is to hide insecurity, to try to go unnoticed or, on the contrary, to individualize themselves from the rest by wearing this accessory.
The symbolism of wearing a cap is linked to a refuge for people who want to differentiate themselves from others, showing their identity through a sports team, a movement, a clothing brand or similar. In order to belong to a certain social group, many young people choose to wear these fashionable caps on a daily basis, which will bring them closer to other people and give a particular first impression of the rest of the people. By differentiating these types of uses of appearance rather than utility, we can take into account what it means for young people to have this fashion accessory and their ability to associate it with a particular urban group and a sense of seriousness or rebellion.
The details behind the use of the cap
In the book, Pine also describes the use of the cap with a marked approach to the hip hop world and the culture that surrounds it, since sports teams, musical groups or brands are also associated with these more urban social groups. To illustrate this, the case of New Era or Supreme is used, but it is also related to the use of the brands of the NBA teams, which can serve as a first impact on the outside eye, where one will be identified as part of a social group to which one wants to belong.
What is clear is that the usefulness of the cap as protection from the sun is completely relegated to the background for the new generations and is explained in detail by psychology, which sees it more in terms of identity and a marked connection with this special garment.
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