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The Lyst Index for Q2 is out and the humble Knicks cap tops the chart
new york, new york may 10: actor timothée chalamet sits court side during the second quarter in game three of the eastern conference second round nba playoffs between the boston celtics and the new york knicks at madison square garden on may 10, 2025 in new york city. note to user: user expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the getty images license agreement. (photo by al bello/getty images)
new york, new york may 10: actor timothée chalamet sits court side during the second quarter in game three of the eastern conference second round nba playoffs between the boston celtics and the new york knicks at madison square garden on may 10, 2025 in new york city. note to user: user expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the getty images license agreement. (photo by al bello/getty images)
Al Bello
Every quarter, Lyst, the data-driven fashion insights platform, releases two rankings. One charts the hottest brands in the world, while the other highlights the most popular fashion products on the planet. Typically, it ranges from Saint Laurent’s signature footwear or designer jackets to one of Kim Kardashian’s Skims bodysuits. But in Q2 2026, the top spot didn’t go to a pair of £1,000 loafers from a French fashion house. It went to a £25 New York Knicks cap.
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Knicks merch was everywhere this year. In the first season under head coach Mike Brown, the team won its first NBA title since 1973. Scenes of jubilation erupted throughout the city – and clips from Madison Square Garden beamed around the world. On the court side fashion front, Taylor Swift sat in a custom Knicks T-shirt alongside the Haim sisters, while Timothée Chalamet was nearby in a bold orange Knicks zip-up jacket. Even his Chrome Hearts pieces came in orange and blue to match the team’s colours. His girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, also wore Knicks merch, as did Sydney Sweeney. New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani repped the team, too, wearing a jersey under his suit at the ticker-tape parade.
blue new york knicks cap with logo and adjustable strap.
blue new york knicks cap with logo and adjustable strap.
New Era.
A little history: the New York Knicks cap, made by American headwear brand New Era, began life as a sideline accessory. The team was established in 1946 and took its name from "Knickerbockers", a reference to the trousers worn by early Dutch settlers. The now-iconic blue and orange colourway appeared on team caps in the Seventies and quickly became part of New York City's visual identity.
According to Lyst, the cap has seen a whopping 4,276 per cent increase in global search demand over the past few months, beating the rest of the top 10 products, including the Adidas x Willy Chavarria football Jersey and Skims Jelly Shoes. That’s probably down to a combination of affordability and timing. It’s one of the cheapest pieces of Knicks merch available and, with the team's championship win and celebrity backing, it's no wonder shoppers were searching for it.
“It’s quite wild to think that something theoretically local, like the Knicks hat, could surpass something globally appealing, like Chanel sunglasses or jelly mules, as the top fashion product of the last quarter,” TikTok and Instagram fashion historian Dylan Kelly tells us. “But I think this ranking is a testament to sport’s real influence over fashion and pop culture at large. That hat, as I described in one of my videos, represents far more than a simple basketball team. It represents the union of a city that so many people across the world feel connected to in one way or another. For so many years, the people of New York carried that logo while the team wasn’t necessarily performing its best on the court. This year, that hat carried New York, and it ultimately became a citywide crown for the first time in a generation.”
Team caps have also become a staple among some of the best-dressed people in the world, whether they live in that team's city or not. They’re an easy way to add a little personality to an otherwise straightforward outfit. You can’t walk down the street without spotting a Yankees cap, whether you’re in London, Paris or, of course, New York. Knicks caps are increasingly common, too, cropping up just as often in Europe as they do in the US. They’re becoming as ubiquitous as On trainers or Uniqlo’s barrel-leg trousers.
So what’s driving it? Once again, affordability plays a part. New Era’s classic caps cost less than £30. But, as Kelly suggests, sport has also become deeply embedded in everyday fashion. Influential celebrities including Dua Lipa and Callum Turner have also made them part of their off-duty uniforms.
So, if you want in on the Knicks phenomenon, you know what to do.
Knicks Cap
Knicks Cap
Video poster
Video poster