Anatomy of a Cap – The 10 Parts of a Cap with Pictures

1. Crown

The crown of a cap refers to the dome-shaped part of the cap which covers your head and holds its shape with panels. Panels are nothing but the smaller triangular fabrics which are stitched together to form the crown. A crown is usually built with 3, 5, 6, and 7 panels. They are designed in both structured and unstructured shapes.

2. Profiles

The cap profile refers to the height of the crown and describes how high or low it is. There are three types of profile, low, medium, and high.

• Low Profile Caps: A low-profile cap usually is designed with a crown that is 2-3 inches tall and fits closer to the head. They are mostly designed with unstructured, lighter crowns and are a great option for people with small heads, women, and kids. When pulled down tight, the brim rests on your forehead and gives a sharper look.

• Mid Profile Caps: A mid-profile cap is designed with a crown that is 3-4 inches tall and comparably has a higher crown height than lower profile caps. They are designed with both structured and unstructured crowns. When pulled down tight, the brim rest approximately on the top of your brows.

• High Profile Caps: High-profile caps are the best option for people who have voluminous hair and bigger heads. The height of the crown is usually more than 4 inches tall and offers more space to the head.

High-profile caps makes a bolder statement and make you look more obvious. When pulled down tight, the brim rests nearly to your eyes; however, people love wearing their flat brims facing upwards.

Check out to learn more differences between high, medium, and low profile caps!

3. Panels (Front, Side, and Back)

• 3 Panel Cap: 3-panel caps, also recognized as cyclist caps, are designed with only three panels to form the crowns. As mentioned earlier, panels are the smaller fabrics that are stitched together to form the crown.The crown is stitched with three panels running from front to back,  offer a more tailored fit and adequate space for the head size.

• 5 Panel: 5-panel caps refer to the caps, which are designed with 5 panels to form the crown. They were widely popular in the early 20s’ for wearing sidewards and backward. With two rectangular-shaped panels running from center to back,  two semicircular, larger panels on each side, and one panel in the front, 5-panel caps offer a snug fit.

• 6 Panel: The distinctive feature of a six-panel cap is its crown which is stitched with six panels and resembles an umbrella when seen from the top. The seam which is running from the middle to the bottom of the crown is another telltale sign to find a six-panel cap quickly. The more panels it has, the more extra room it provides for the wearer’s head. 

• 7 Panel: To be clear, the 7 panel is a combined style variant of the 5 and 6-panel caps. A 7-panel cap looks like a 5-panel cap from the front and a 6-panel cap from the behind. These 7-panel caps are hugely popular among the family of baseball caps since they offer a more roomy fit to the wearer’s head. Additionally, they are designed with flat brims, making the embroidery design on the front of the crown more obvious.

• Mesh Panels: Mesh panels refer to the ball caps, designed with mesh in the back to provide mind-blowing breathability and keep the wearer’s head sweat-free. Caps with mesh panels are an essential summer staple for the wardrobe. Trucker caps are usually designed with mesh back and flat brims.

4. Closure

Closure refers to the closure type of a cap, which determines the overall fit of the cap to the wearer’s head. They are two types, adjustable types, and non-adjustable types.

• Snapback: Snapback straps are plastic snapping straps that are designed at the back of both hat linings. Snapping straps consist of a male part and a female part which can be interlocked together when snapped and enables one size fits all style. Snapback strips are fun to handle, easy to wear, resistant to wear and tear, and mostly found in trucker hats.  They are also called dome fastener,  press stud, popper, snap, and tich.

• Strapback: A strap back closure solely mentions a closure with straps mostly made up of leather, fake leather, nylon, and other materials. They are fastened with the help of a metallic or a brass buckle. With strapback hats, you don’t need to worry about the size since they are always found in one size fits all style caps and can be adjustable to any wearer.

• Velcro (Hook and Loop Closure): Velcro straps, also called hook and loop fasteners, are durable, mostly made up of nylon and polyester. The hook side is rougher with pointy hooks, while the loop side is softer with hairy loops. When these components are snapped together, they provide a comfortable and snug fit to the wearer. It is very easy to wear by sealing and ripping quickly, and is mostly a great option for children.

Check out to learn more about hat closures.

5. Visor/Bill (also known as Peak)

The visor is a projecting part in the front of the cap and is also called a bill or a peak. The main purpose of the visor is to protect the eyes from UV rays and prevent sunburn.

In the earlier days, bills were made up of cardboard and didn’t adapt to washing. But today, the visor is made up of plastic and sewn with the fabric to hold the shape for a long time.

Bills come in a variety of styles, such as

• Long bill
• Short bill,
• Snapping bill,
• Flat bill,
• Curved bill
• Structured bill
• Distressed bill
• Sandwich bill
• Piping bill

Isn’t that mind-blowing? Check out to know more types of bills.

6. Underbill

The underbill of a cap is defined as the underside of the bill, which mostly comes with darker colors like black, brown, and green. The main purpose of including a dark-colored underbill is to reduce the sun glare and improve the vision to see the sky or a ball’s flight.

7. Eyelets

Eyelets are embroidered holes designed on each panel of the cap to enhance breathability, provide more ventilation and prevent a sweaty scalp. Eyelets are sewn with a bordered edge or can be punched with metal rivets.

8. Sweatband

Sweatband might be the most favorite part of the cap of many people. The sweatband is a band lined to the inner edge of the cap and prevents sweat damage. It is usually made up of fabrics like leather or any other moisture-wicking fabric.

They draw away sweat and prevents it from dripping to your brows while you’re at the gym or doing any other activity. Modern sweatbands are also designed with increased elasticity and provide a comfortable fit.

9. Top Button / Squatchee

The button at the center of the top crown of the cap is called a squatchee. It is also called the squatcho. In earlier days, the purpose of the button is to hold the panels together at the top and cover up the seam. Today, it is often used as a decorative element on the top of the cap.

They are mostly made up of metal which is covered by the matching fabric of the cap. Some brands even print their logos on squatchee for advertising purposes.

Is the button hurting you whenever you want to put on your headphones? Check out how to remove the button on the baseball cap, along with its interesting history!

10. Buckram

The buckram is the stiff inner lining of the cap, which is inserted into the front panels of the cap. The main purpose of the buckram is to provide a structured fit to the crown and provide the right profile and fit. Buckrams of caps are mostly made up of stiff cotton, linen or horsehair, to provide shape.