The $275 Saint Laurent Dad Hats Must Be Studied
For as much coverage as luxury brands receive for every even slightly outré offering — anyone for a game of Miu Miu UNO? — it's surprising that Saint Laurent's longstanding New Era partnership remains mostly undersung, especially with the collaborative caps' appeal so obvious.
Saint Laurent's latest crop of New Era caps is a case study of what makes this team-up so good. The juxtaposition of the luxury with the ordinary is as good here as it is anywhere, sure, but also the gentle elevation of classic headwear as something sorta fancy just hits. If any luxury peer is building evidence for what makes a good crossover, look no further.
What began as a one-off, and perhaps even gauche, surprise drop back in 2020 has matured into something pleasantly satisfying. The rather blunt block-letter "YSL" hat has long since been replaced by a handful of quietly cool Saint Laurent New Eras, which have infrequently rolled out over the past few seasons in various stylings and consistent levels of stylishness.
Offered in smart corduroy, hardy canvas, and even plush fleece, Saint Laurent's New Era hats are made unassuming by curved brims sometimes even dotted with the sticker that real cap enjoyers never remove. Some models are more plainly branded with contrasting logos but the best ones go tonal, like a burgundy model embellished with the Saint Laurent script. The only other overt call-out is the engraved buckle on the rear strap.
Even the lack of any announcement around this partnership gives it that much more weight. Nothing's cooler than avoiding the spotlight. If you build it, they will come and all that.
Both the hats' presentation and lack thereof recalls the stealth flex of Loro Piana, reigning champ of fancy but ordinary headwear, though Saint Laurent's $275 New Era hats are at most just over half the cost of Loro Piana's high-end haberdashery.
You more commonly see this kind of high-low mix applied to accessories like belts or perhaps sneakers but it works that much better on an unassuming hat because there's hardly anything more normal than a hat, especially a New Era hat and except when it's a Saint Laurent New Era hat.
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