Once upon a time baseball caps were actually worn primarily by baseball players. But now this headwear has become the equivalent of blue jeans for the head. Take a walk down most any street and you can spot caps featuring logos and messages from NYPD to the Seven Deadly Sins, Dewars, and Nike (and even Dike). There are caps with single letters like Stussey "S"s and Malcolm "X"s, movie caps, hot franchise caps (The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim), logo parody caps, and the latest gang favorites (Phillies Blunt). There's even a little item from Prada with just a touch of leather that goes for $165.

Caps is the first and only total guide to the fashion item that we all share. Over 100 full-color photos display a wide range of classic and cutting-edge caps as well as vital statistics on each. Informative features and sidebars cover every thing from Five Cures for Hat Head and tips on customizing and washing to complete sources for designing and even manufacturing your own. There are profiles on the hottest manufacturers, such as No Joke, Nine Minority Members, Hyp and 555Soul (a favorite of hip hop groups), and a look at trends, like the current ski caps rage. From mainstream vendors like Nike to specialized makers like the Cooperstown Collection and Spike's Joint, Caps tells you where to get the look you're after, and even reveals how to order prestigious caps from places like Deer Valley and Pebble Beach without actually making the trip.

Author Deidre Sullivan, a comedian and cap collector, also decodes every aspect of cap wearing, from the logo on the front (guess what the Melissa Etheridge "Yes I Am" hat means) to the roll on the brim to the angle of the wearing. And she tracks c ap styles of the rich and famous, from Steven Spielberg to President Clinton (who favors his U. of Arkansas cap for jogging and the more exclusive AIRFORCE ONE cap for travel).

Caps are the message clothing of today, and Caps showcases the message for all to understand. This is one book that fits just right.