Meet Jon Stan, a Member of Lids’ Fitted Class

What are you known for in the fitted hat community? I’m known for my signature hat with the angels on the side.

How did you get into fitted hats? It was something that I just tried out. I usually do cut and sew clothes. I’m known for that. And then I just ended up doing a hat and doing a pre-order. We ended up doing a thousand hats in 30 minutes, selling out, and I’m like, I have something.

All the celebrities started wearing it. Young Thug was the first celebrity to wear it [then] Migos, Chief Keef, a bunch of different athletes, Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Zion [Williamson], Jayson Tatum. It just kept going, and it kind of got mainstream.

What makes a great fitted hat? I feel like [it’s] something that you could wear dressed up and dressed down. Something that could stand out, but still look calm at the same time.

What’s the most valuable hat you have? My favorite is my signature hat because that hat broke through doors. It opened a way for people to want to know who I am, and it opened the door to so much opportunities in my life. But another hat that hit home for me is I did a collab for All-Star Weekend, and I did the hat for Utah, and it was the No. 1 selling hat for Utah. And that was so big for me because Utah is my second home. When I went to Japan, people asked me to sign a Utah hat.

Why are fitted hats important to fashion and personal style? It can show that you represent where you’re from. When you’re proud of where you from, and you represent it, you can wear it on your hat, right? For me, I feel like that, and then I feel like it plays a big part in fashion because as fashion continues to grow, you’re going to always catch a favorite fitted on anybody that’s in the fashion industry. [They] all want to put that piece together.

How have fitteds played a role in hip-hop culture? Hip-hop is all around the world. The iconic Yankee hat is always in all the hip-hop songs. You going to always hear that.