This is a TCB baseball cap I got eight or ten years ago as a bonus for buying a one-year subscription to Rolling Stone magazine. I’ve worn it practically every day since, and it has held up well However, it’s looking old and dirty. Compare it to what it looked like when I bought it.
I loved the embroidered gold TCB lightning bolt on the black fabric. The underside of the bill is also gold. Viewed straight on, the double-colored front lip of the bill is very cool. And, on the back, in gold embroidery, is Taking Care of Business.
I always like it when someone sees the lightning bolt and says to me: “Elvis fan, right?” Then a little Elvis conversation happens between us. I wish it would happen more often.
So, I decided I needed a new Elvis baseball cap, and I went on line to the Graceland Official Store. As I studied the choices and considered the plusses and minuses of each one, I realized I needed to do a blog about Elvis baseball caps. I’ve done a bunch of T-shirt reviews, but for some reason I never thought about reviewing baseball caps before.
TCB BLACK LOGO CAP:
This is the first TCB lightning bolt cap I came to. The tag under it said, “Throw this hat on and Take Care of Business ,Elvis style.” That’s a pretty good pitch. The cap is distressed washed, which gives it a look I like. If you study the circle logo, ELVIS appears sideways twice. But the intriguing thing is the embroidered EP that continues from the crown down onto the bill. I didn’t like that at first, but it’s growing on me. The cap has Graceland embroidered on the back strap. $17.99
TCB SCATTER CAP:
When I saw this one, I knew the search was over. This is a worthy replacement for my old one. The word Scatter in the title refers to the repetitive TCB design on the front of the cap. The gold TCB thunderbolt is embroidered, as is the Elvis Presley signature. When I looked for the price, I was so disappointed. It said “Sold Out.” I had to keep looking.
ELVIS PRESLEY SIGNATURE SEQUIN CAP:
At first, I got a chuckle out of this one, but now I think it would look outstanding on a girl Elvis fan. It just radiates Party Time. Having it completely covered in pink sequins is such a great idea. The tag under the picture calls it both a glam cap and a sparkle hat. It also says, “You will LOVE this cap!” I believe they are right. $19.99
THE KING GUITAR WINGS CAP:
If it wasn’t for the pink bill I would definitely get this one. On first glance, it looks like a weird guitar with wings, and that’s just fine. You really have to study that detailed embroidered design to catch everything in it. There is Graceland at the bottom. Then, the letters in ELVIS make the body of the guitar, and PRESLEY makes the guitar neck. There are two little crowned-things the tag calls ‘Griffins’. I particularly like the way the logo embroidery starts on the bill and goes straight up into the crown. I’m getting to like this new wrinkle in baseball cap design. If they’d make the bill completely black, I think sales would really jump. $19.99
EP GRACELAND BLACK CAP:
No thanks. Not for me. I like the little 50s Elvis silhouettes on the sides, but the embroidered crown patch is just dull (even if it’s done with special metallic satin thread). $17.99
GRACELAND ATHLETIC GRAY CAP:
This hat appeals to me. The extra stitching lines are a nice touch. The logo design is not bad, although I would prefer ELVIS to be bigger and Graceland smaller. Back years ago, the baseball caps never mentioned Graceland, but now some don’t mention Elvis. $19.99
ELVIS PRESLEY’S GRACELAND CAP
This cap is promoted as having a broken-in vintage feel because of the distressed Elvis Presley’s Graceland imprint. That’s fine, but the fuzzy edges on the big EP embroidery kill it for me. This would be a better cap without it. $17.99
The Graceland Air Logo Cap:
Here’s one of those caps that feature Graceland but have no mention of Elvis. That drops it way down on my review.
The embroidered Lisa Marie signatures on the sides are supposed to be a plus, but Elvis Presley would be so much better. $19.99
ELVIS KHAKI MILITARY CAP:
This doesn’t work for me at all. The title name calls it a military cap, but to me it looks like something for a woodland troll. I don’t like white baseball caps, and I hate the font for the green scroll work. And why is the ELVIS not centered on the crown? This thing just looks stupid. $19.99
Elvis the King Silhouette Cap:
I do like this white contrast stitching, especially on the bill. And the blue and white sandwich lip on the bill is great. The logo design is fine, but I’m not fond of the frayed edge patch technique. It is riveted on, which is interesting. Not bad, but I’m not getting it. $19.99
PINK CLASSIC CAR CAP:
Okay, here’s one that has Elvis Presley on it and no Graceland. It’s a good hat for the female Elvis fan. I guess the fuzzy edges around the patches is something in favor these days, but I’m not a fan. $19.99
ELVIS PRESLEY SIGNATURE BLACK CAP WITH RED BILL:
Elvis baseball caps don’t get any more throwback than this. The color of the bill matches the embroidered red signature. It has an adjustable back strap with antiqued gold buckle, while all the other caps have Velcro straps. $15.99
So, what hat did I pick to replace my old worn-out one? Because my favorite choice was sold out, the nod has to go to the first one in this review:
However, I’m going to wait a little while to see if this sold out winner comes back in stock.
Next weekend we’ll look at some of the hats Elvis actually wore. Do you think he wore many baseball caps? We’ll see.
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