Meet JaeTips, a Member of Lids’ Fitted Class

What are you known for in the fitted hat community? A pioneer. A lot of my big ideas led to a lot of what people see now. I think bright colors and two-tone. Just stepping out on faith and, I think, non-traditional. When the hat community started to really blow up for like under visors colors and different stuff, I was a person that the first time I got an opportunity, I was like, let me try to just make the whole hat perfect, the whole hat lavender, the whole hat just a bright color. That transitioned to bigger opportunities and bigger projects and more.

How did you get into fitted hats? My dad would reward me if I had good grades. We would go and get a new Yankee hat. That’s just been my whole life. I’m also a musician, so my first love was music, and just I wanted to be on stages. I felt like if people were gonna see me from different angles and stuff, I wanted to have my logos on the hat.

So, I actually stepped into a Lids, and I asked them how much it cost to put my logo on the Yankee hat. From that point, people wanted to buy them. So, I would just sell these hats, and they would sell out each time.

What makes a great fitted hat? The material. I think that there’s a lot of unwritten rules that you should step in a hat store and you should already know. You should always have the poly material. When we’re talking about clothes, you know, we love cotton, we love different cuts, but when it’s a hat, it should always be a polyester hat.

What’s the most valuable hat you have? I would say my first hat collab, the Sparkling Grape Purple. It was just something that wasn’t really in the marketplace at all. It’s something that has created community in not just the hat game, but in fashion in general, where someone will see the hat, and they’ll be like, “Is that a JaeTips hat?”

Why are fitted hats important to fashion and personal style? It’s an accessory. I think the same way you want a good watch, a good necklace or just a good timeless piece. I think a Yankee hat or just a good hat pulls your whole outfit together. Even when you can’t complete what else you want, when you put that on, you know you’re gonna be good to go.

How have fitteds played a role in hip-hop culture? I think it's important because it’s a staple. Being from New York, just in hip-hop in general, it’s certain things that make you feel like you accepted at the party. If you walk into a restaurant or you walk into the game or a club or something with a Yankee hat, I just think it’s like, “Aight, it’s good people’s over there.” I think Timbs and Yankee hats should be next to each other in the Hall of Fame.