The Snap is Back: But Not for Everyone
What is a snapback? I’m willing to bet that almost any high school boy can answer that question. It’s a hat with the plastic button strap. But, no one really knows its roots. Originally, the snapback was worn as by professional baseball players in the 1950s. Then in the 80s and 90s, the hat began showing up on the heads of celebrity icons. Celebrities like Michael Jordan, Ice Cube, and Will Smith all rocked the snapback. Today these hats have re-gained their popularity. They have taken entire grades by storm with kids attempting to achieve this relaxed chill look inspired by today’s rap icons like Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller. High school boys like this look and the snapback completes it.
I despise the snapback. Not because I think they’re ugly, it’s because I look bad wearing one. Maybe a month ago, I bought a snapback. I was intrigued by the crisp brim and Phoenix Coyote logo on the front. I look awful in it, what a waste of twenty-five dollars. Occasionally, I wear it around my house. I pretend I look good in it, but the truth is that the hat will probably never leave the house on my head.
I found that Joel Barlow itself has been infected by the global pandemic that is the snapback. Some of my friends began selling them around school. In just a week, they sold out their stock of 30 hats and made 300 dollars. Now goofy looking kids in hats flood the halls. According to Dante Spinelli (Grade 11) he wears his because, “They’re the hottest trend.” I also noticed that the freshman in particular have taken to this new trend. Did you know that one in every four freshmen wears a snapback? And that two in eight look awful in one? AJ Camara of cashletes.com thinks that this trend is here to stay, “I’m forecasting longevity as more and more street-wear brands are beginning to feed the consumers demand for these classic hats.” It seems everyone is willing to sacrifice their looks for the sake of fitting in.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that not everyone can look good in a snapback. Some kids look like absolute goofs, yet they can be constantly seen with a hat atop their heads. Dante agrees he says that, “Not all kids look good wearing a snapback. Some just have big heads and others don’t have the right hair.” The problem is half the people who do wear one don’t even know they look bad in one.
Here is a list of requirements to be able to wear a snapback.
1.)You need to have some flow
2.)You need to play lacrosse or rap
3.)You can’t have a big head
4.)You need to be a boy
*you need to meet all of the requirements to wear one
For those who don’t meet these requirements I’d recommend never wearing a snapback. Think of something new. Maybe a belt buckle that buckles in the back. You’re probably thinking what? But hear me out, we’ll call it the “backsnap”….Now you’re hooked.
Works Cited:
Camara, AJ. "Snapback to the Future." Cashletes. Web. 8 Nov. 2011.
Harrison, Jennifer. "The Reason Why Snapback Hats Are Really Popular! - a Knol by Jennifer Harrison." Knol - a Unit of Knowledge: Share What You Know, Publish Your Expertise. Web. 08 Nov. 2011. <http://knol.google.com/k/jennifer-harrison/the-reason-why-snapback-hats-are-really/3r9wahrhmfrws/1>.
Spinelli, Dante. Interview by author. Redding, CT: November, 2012.
"The History of Snapback Hats." Snapback Hats. Web. 08 Nov. 2011. <http://www.snapbackhatsusa.com/the-history-of-snapback-hats/>.
