Find Your Richardson Shape

Richardson recently put out a guide to their cap shapes, and it's a good reminder that "a Richardson hat" isn't one thing. They make ten distinct shapes, and the one you pick changes how the hat sits on your head, how it looks from across the room, and how your logo lands on the front.

Here's how they break down, in plain terms.

Low and relaxed

Relaxed. The classic dad hat. Six panels, no structure, sits low and follows the shape of your head. Pre-curved bill. If you want broken-in from day one, start here.

Camper. Five panels with a flat bill and a low profile. The front is one wide panel, and there's an eyelet on each side instead of the usual spread across the crown. Outdoorsy, a little retro.

Low Pro. A six-panel with a shallower crown than a standard ball cap and a regular pre-curved bill. Good pick for anyone who feels like most hats sit too high on them.

Right in the middle

Mid Pro. Structured front with a slight roundness to it. Not tall, not short. Comes in both six-panel and five-panel versions. If you're not sure where to start, this is the safe bet.

Full Pro. Six panels with a wider front and deeper back panels, so it covers more of your head. The top is flatter and the front has a sharper line than the Mid Pro.

Full Pro2. Same wide front and deep back as the Full Pro, but with a U-Form bill that has a more pronounced curve.

Taller and structured

High Pro. Six panels with a tall front, back panels that slope down, and a flat bill. The classic snapback look.

Champ. A tall in front only, structured five-panel with a pinched front. Flat across the top, sloped in the back, with a standard pre-curved bill. It has presence, and it sits higher on the head than most shapes on this list.

Gramps. A semi-structured five-panel with a pinched front, designed to look a little wrinkled and lived-in rather than crisp. Usually paired with a rope across the bill.

Smart 7. Seven panels, structured, with one full-width front panel and a curved seam across the top. Flat bill. Modern and clean.

What the shape means for your logo

This is the part the shape guides don't cover, and it's where we come in.

Five-panel and full-front hats (Camper, Champ, Gramps, Smart 7, and the five-panel Mid Pro) have no seam running down the center of the front. That gives a leather patch or emblem a clean, flat spot to sit, and it's usually our first recommendation for larger patches.

Six-panel hats (Relaxed, Low Pro, Full Pro, Full Pro2, High Pro) have a center seam. Patches still work great, we'll go right over the seam but size and placement matter more so the seam doesn't create a ridge under the design.

Unstructured hats like the Relaxed and Gramps flex more, so we keep patches a little smaller to match how the front moves.

Still not sure?

Fit is personal, and a shape that looks great in a photo can feel completely different on your head. If you're ordering for a team or a brand launch, grab a sample first, or just ask us. We work with these hats every day and can point you to the shape that fits the look you're going for.

Shape guides courtesy of Richardson.

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