While we’ve made quite a few knit hats, the skill set for making a baseball cap is entirely different. We worked with a storied American vendor to find this facility outside of Ho Chi Minh City. They’re far from a small factory, but Yupoong uses its size and experience to ensure top quality in its products and the lives of its employees.

The Factory

There are almost 1,500 people working in the production area at Yupoong Vietnam Co., and a high level of coordination was evident. Signage was clear, and there were lines taped on the floor to delineate where things should or should not go. The production areas are bright, clean, and operate super smoothly, and each employee looked comfortable in their workspace. Nobody appeared rushed, which is critical for the safest operation of manufacturing machinery.

Away from the main production areas, you’ll find covered parking for the legion of motor scooters that the workers use for their daily commute, and open-air, communal dining spaces for the employees to eat their lunches with co-workers. Also popular at lunchtime: xiangqi (cờ tướng) games, complete with spectators waiting for their matchup.


The Product

We were delighted with the finished baseball caps. We were able to make a refined, minimal, and still-classic cap from a smooth, lightweight cotton poplin. Our discreet Everlane embroidery on the back was perfectly color-matched, and looked great. This is not surprising, with all of the embroidering this factory performs (sometimes as many as 30,000 stitches of embroidery per hat). The brushed metal hardware for the band adjustment has a nice matte finish that won’t show off fingerprints or smudges, and clamps to securely hold the band. The resulting product is simple in effect, but higher quality than the typical baseball cap—just as we designed it.