For some, it's a tradition - as summer begins to cool and training camps begin, fervent NFL fandom slowly begins to take over as the calender heads towards Week 1 Sunday. One of the great parts of this build-up to the NFL regular season is the release of fresh team designs and new gear - especially hats, one of the most common ways to express loyalty to one's favorite squad. But with so many new options for each team (at least 8 different hat designs, by my count), how is one person supposed to choose?
Before you head over to the NFL Shop to pick out a fresh lid (don't forget to use an NFL promo code from our exclusive page), take a look at my five favorite designs for the 2013 season.
1. New Era On-Field Performance 59FIFTY Fitted Hat
The NFL Shop gives this hat a long, long title - but it's really what most of us would refer to as the "classic" designs: solid-color panels highlighted by the team logo on the front. Simple, elegent, colorful (or sleek, if you choose the black alternates) - these hats are advertised as a 'performance hat', but they're perfect for any occassion (except one's wedding, of course). You simply can't go wrong with a proven classic - and under New Era, the designs are as sharp as ever.
2. New Era NFL Fitted 2013 Draft Hat (black editions)
Not to be confused with the 59FIFTY 2013 Draft hats (see below), these alternate designs are the most appealing designs from New Era's first year as official hat sponsor of the NFL (taking over for NFL Shop). The designs seen above employ the same large text that is the trademark of this year's designs; but instead of obscuring the text behind team logos as most other options do, the Black Draft Hat uses the logo as a silhouette, giving the design a layered feel. There's a certain feel of texture and depth to these hats that the others don't with the logos pushed into the background – and no better way to announce one's fandom in 2013.
3. New Era NFL Draft 59FIFTY Draft Fitted Hat
There is one thing this hat does well, and one not so well; while I quite enjoy the dual-colored text design (giving the type a dynamic look), the logos that obscure some of these letters are a bit of an eyesore, interrupting the beautiful, simplistic design behind it. Smartly, the text is set on a small curve, which keeps the intrusion of the logo on the text to a minimum. If you're looking for a hat to really stand out in a sea of lids, the 59FIFTY is a great option: it has some of the more colorful designs, without sacrificing the iconic designs of NFL jerseys.
4. New Era 39THIRTY Flex Hat
Flex options are a great option for people who don't like snapbacks, but can't quite find the right fitted hat size for them, a great choice for any guy or girl with long hair, or those who like a little breathing room around the brim. And while the 2013 designs are similar to years previous, it's still a classic paneled design, using the team colors to distinguish from the front and back panels. The logo and text are essentially the same as the 59FIFTY Draft Fitted, save for monotone color in the text design – but with the colorful backdrop most of these images lie on, give the pattern a certain vibrancy that's hard to ignore.
5. New Era Draft Day Replica 39THIRTY Flex Hat
Another Flex model, the Draft Day replica hats in the NFL Shop (many of which are currently on sale - great to pair with an NFL Shop coupon for big savings) are more casual designs that men or women can wear: set against gray backgrounds, small bursts of color appear in the team's logo and around the white lettering, a summer-friendly hat that will keep heads a bit cooler than the darker models found in the first three options. Light, unassuming, but with enough panache to still express fandom – in other words, a perfect choice for everyday wear.
