Founded in 1918, American Needle began as a sewing needle importer. From its inception, this family initiative quickly expanded into the production of headwear. The sewing facility located in the northern part of Chicago employed skilled tailors, modelers, sewing machine operators, and seamstresses tasked with creating caps for sports enthusiasts.

In 1946, American Needle collaborated with the Chicago Cubs team and introduced the idea of selling fans “Cubbies” caps identical to those worn by the players on the field. Although the idea was met with skepticism by the club’s owners – who didn’t understand why anyone would want to wear such a cap every day – they agreed to the proposal. The experiment was a hit. The first series of Cubs caps sold out on the opening day of sales. Thanks to this success, American Needle soon began supplying caps to all major sports teams across the country.

Today, four generations after its founding, American Needle remains one of the most recognizable headwear brands in the world. Keeping up with the times, it has significantly expanded its range and embarked on another successful experiment. Their caps now feature not only sports team logos but also licensed graphics of music icons, classic automobiles, American national parks, and market giants such as Coca-Cola, NASA, and Miller.