New Era

New Era

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of New Era? CAPS! Baseball caps that is. Indispensable on the field , but also as part of the contemporary street scene. Often with the famous NY on the front. The brand, which started small with Gatsby caps, will celebrate its centenary in 2020. That means: a rich history, beautiful philosophy and a development in the world of sporting headgear. A century of hats; what an era !

New Era founder Ehrhardt Koch comes to the United States as a German immigrant with his parents. He grew up in Buffalo, New York at the end of the nineteenth century. He worked for a cap company for years, until he started his own company in 1920. He borrows money from his sister and success soon comes: more than 60,000 caps are made in the first year. Gatsby caps; undeniably popular at the time. Just think of the film The Great Gatsby (2013) and you will understand which model it is. Sporty? No. Fashion? Of course. And let's face it, a 'Gatsby cap' sounds a bit more exciting than the Dutch 'valve hat'. In 1922, Koch decided to rename the company 'New Era Cap Co'.

Baseball

It quickly became clear in the 1930s that the company already knew how to respond to trends. Koch's son notices that the Gatsby hat is losing popularity. Baseball, a true American sport, is on the rise. Some baseball players even make a career out of it and can make a living from the sport. New Era's first baseball cap is specially made for the Cleveland Indians uniform . The first step towards an eternal collaboration with the sports world has been taken.

One of the most popular models still for sale, the 59FIFTY, first came onto the market in 1954. It is almost impossible to imagine how timeless and therefore stylish this cap has been for almost seventy years. What makes him so special? The on field caps were not available to the general public until 1978. Not available means highly sought after. However, at that time the caps were only made for the players of different baseball teams. Koch also thinks carefully about the design. The look of the cap radiates more uniformity. When the players are lined up, it is reminiscent of soldiers in ranks. An equal appearance, just like with the uniforms.

In the 1960s, New Era hit a gigantic home run. The brand now supplies directly to all teams that play in Major League Baseball. This is a decisive step in the future exclusivity that the brand will claim in the league . In the following years, steps were taken within the company. Koch's son will become the new director of New Era and later his grandson will also work for the ever-growing cap brand. 1969 is the year in which the first man ever set foot on the moon. A historical event of which New Era is a part. The world-famous statement "One small step for a man. One giant leap for mankind" applies not only to Neil Armstrong, but certainly also to New Era . The company makes unique custom-made hats for the crew of Apollo 11. In the space missions that follow, they remain involved in the production of special headgear.

College sports

In the Netherlands it is an unknown phenomenon: college sports . In the United States it sometimes means an opportunity to break through as a professional athlete. The real sports talents can be awarded a scholarship at the colleges that leads to playing at a major club or university. Countless many famous sports legends have made their breakthrough in this way. It is not a new phenomenon, because in the 1980s New Era saw the opportunity to also make caps for college sports . In addition, the International Baseball Leagues and the National Football League ( NFL ) are also on board.

Another change takes place inside the cap. Until then, the inside of the cap always has a green color. It would help against the reflection of the sun on the field and thus protect the players' eyes. Yet Florida State University indicates that they think gray is a better option and that is what they get. However, the option for a different color was not used by other teams until 1990. That year, the Cincinnati Reds indicate that they are also going for gray on the inside. If they then win the World Series, suddenly more teams are eager for a color change. Since 1993, New Era has been the exclusive supplier of caps throughout Major League Football.

New Era's biggest success is making caps for sports fans. Now finally everyone can wear a cap from the brand. And if everyone wants that! It doesn't take long before the brand realizes that there is also a market for custom caps ; a first foray into the fashion world for the sports brand. Wearing New Era Wear is a big trend. And all of this is driven by film director Spike Lee.

In 1996 he called New Era with a special request. He would like the official New York Yankees baseball cap in the right color: red. This is not available for 'ordinary consumers' in the color that the players wear on the field. Only the blue variant is for sale at that time. New Era is not the most difficult and contacts the owner of the Yankees , who agrees. During the World Series that same year, Spike Lee wears his customized cap. The images travel around the world; that's what you get as a celebrity at such a big event. It turns out to be an unplanned, but very successful advertising stunt for New Era. An unforeseen success that also means that various clubs indicate that they want different colours.

A few years later there is another star, this time from the music world, who puts the hat even more firmly on the map. Fred Durst, the frontman of Limp Bizkit. He wears the red Yankees cap backwards; on stage, in his clips, everywhere he goes. In addition, there is hip-hop giant Jay-Z who has been a fanatic supporter of the New York Yankees since time immemorial . That is why he can regularly be seen wearing a NY cap. It is no understatement that these celebrities contribute to New Era's success. It even ensures that the 'sports brand' is in the spotlight as a custom lifestyle brand. It promises a future full of great collaborations.

A new century

In the early 2000s it was time for New Era to broaden its horizons. The focus is no longer just on the United States, so expansion across the world will follow. To remain close to the core, the headquarters will be located in Buffalo, New York. Where it all started in 1920. An emerging phenomenon in the (sports) fashion world are flagship stores . A store where only products from a certain brand are sold. In 2006, New Era opened its first flagship store in New York's SoHo district. Overseas expansion soon takes place, as London follows a year later.

In 2007 there was a small blemish on the cap brand's previously clean reputation. A number of caps have come into disrepute due to their association with three infamous gangs ; the Bloods, Crips and Latin Kings. The white Yankee caps with red and blue bandanas are linked to the Bloods and Crips and the black cap with a crown as a symbol is seen as the gang flag of the Latin Kings. New Era distances itself from these agreements and states that it has nothing to do with them.

In the same year, the 59FIFTY model was renewed. The first big change in twenty years. Although this model has easily stood the test of time, it is time for an intervention in the material. In earlier times, sportsmen stood on the field wearing caps made of wool and leather. While the leather for the sweatband was replaced in the 1980s, the wool on the inside remains. The idea is that wool absorbs moisture. Everything to stimulate the best performance of the players. Right in the sun with a sweat cover on your head. You can't imagine that anymore. Once polyester comes onto the market, it is logical that the brand will choose it. A moisture-absorbing variant and protective against UV radiation. Again, everything for the best performance on the field. That is why the color is adjusted again. The inside of the cap and the sweatbands are now colored black to prevent reflection of (sun)light on the field.

In 2016, New Era takes another special step. The stadium of the Buffalo Bills (NFL) is now called New Era Field. Considering the location of the club and the brand, it couldn't have been a better coincidence. In the meantime, New Era's expansion continues, also in other areas. Exclusivity is being worked on in the largest national sports leagues. For example, in 2012 there was a deal with the National Football League ( NFL ) and four years later the National Basketball Association (NBA) followed . From then on, New Era is the official on court cap supplier of all major basketball players .

N.F.L 

After years of successful collaboration with the baseball world, other sports can no longer ignore New Era. The arrival of the New Era Field at the Buffalo Bills is of course the deciding factor. The organization of the sport of football (American Football, as we call it), the NFL, so popular in the United States, also recognizes this. The deal will allow NFL fans to purchase a team cap from a brand other than Reebok for the first time in a decade . That this is a good move is immediately clear from the unprecedented sales figures. In its first year, the best-selling team is the Dallas Cowboys . The NFL has several major events, such as the NFL Draft Day and of course the Super Bowl, which is even well watched worldwide (and therefore also in the Netherlands). Separate caps are made for these special editions. In line with headwear , clothing is an area that New Era focuses on. T-shirts from NFL teams with the logo on the front are highly sought after.

N.B.A

Wearing a cap on an outdoor court is useful against the sun, but basketball is mainly played indoors. Why is the cap so popular among basketball players and their fans? That has everything to do with style and supporting your team. New Era supplies special editions for various series. For example, you can think of Draft Series, Tip Off Series, Back Half Series and a special NBA Finals cap. Fans can indulge themselves with the endless choices. Different models and designs are made for each team, color combinations and separate caps for children . The 9FORTY is a popular model, because this cap is not fitted , but adjustable . So you can adjust the width to your own size with the adjustable strap on the back. It is a sporty model with a curved peak; a typical New Era look that is both functional and stylish.

New Era is still closely associated with the largest sports leagues in the United States. Yet the brand is much more than that. Nowadays, the lifestyle items are just as much part of the collection and have become an indispensable part of the street scene. Of course the caps predominate, but T-shirts from, for example, the Seattle Seahawks ( NFL ), Miami Heat (NBA) and Arizona Cardinals ( NFL ) are also popular.

Future

New Era will celebrate its centenary in 2020. The brand is still a family business, with the fourth generation now at the helm. According to current CEO Chris Koch, there are great plans for the near future. Collaborations in particular will give the company a new impetus in the short term. And that's not just about names. It is already certain that New Era will work with legendary fashion brands such as Yohji Yamamoto, Levi's and Havaianas. But the collection is not only expanding in the fashion field. We also work with furniture brand Modernica and watch legend Casio G-Shock.

It's clear that New Era is one of the biggest players in the sports world. Their exclusive deals with the Major Baseball League ( MBL ), the National Football League ( NFL ) and the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) set them apart from other brands.

New Era at Burned Sports

Burned Sports has an extensive collection of New Era, which consists of caps and T-shirts . It goes without saying that the range represents different teams. Hats from teams from both the Major Baseball League ( MBL ), the National Football League ( NFL ) and the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) are available at Burned Sports. You can also find T-shirts from, for example, the Seattle Seahawks , Miami Dolphins , New England Patriots , Atlanta Falcons (NFL) and Miami Heat (NBA) in the webshop or in the store.