It's a very small but great step.

Starting this season, the official player's caps that players wear at MLB games will have the New Era flag logo on the left side.

Heh! I see. I did not know that. Because it had been imprinted in my mind as a matter of course that "New Era" was the official cap for MLB players, so I thought that was already the case.

Hiroaki Shimono / Designer, WHIZ LIMITED
Born in 1976, he is the representative of LUMP co.,ltd. Designer of "With Limited," which is based on the concept of "INDIVIDUAL CLOTHING. He is also known as a big sports fan.

The appeal of New Era is that you can wear the exact same cap as the players. What do you think about that, Mr. Shimono?

It's nice to be able to wear the same cap as the players. I think it's a great step forward, even though it may be a very small difference to have the logo on it. I think kids are happier than adults. My kids often wear New Era caps, and I think that boys who have dreams would be happy if they could wear the same caps as the players.

Do you actually play baseball, Mr. Shimono?

I just recently joined a grassroots baseball team, so I've only been playing for a short time... I love sports, though, and I like to watch baseball games. But I love sports and watching baseball games... I've never seen MLB live, but I have been to the Japan-U.S. Baseball games.

Do you have a favorite MLB team?

I don't support a particular team. However, I do follow the movements of Japanese players. Recently, more and more players are playing in the MLB, and in that sense, I feel that our relationship with Japan is deepening.

I see.

I actually worked at a sporting goods store for about three years after I graduated from high school. At the time, Hideo Nomo had just joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Dodger caps were selling like hotcakes.

You were on the side of selling New Era, weren't you?

That's right. That's why, in my mind, baseball caps were always New Era. That has never changed.

We were conscious of simple seasoning to make the most of the ingredients.

I have a strong image of you wearing hats on a regular basis.

I have never counted them, so I don't know, but I think there are probably close to a hundred. I often make collaborative items for my own brand. For example, last season I made an official MLB cap featuring the New York Yankees logo, and this season I made an official MLB cap featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers logo.

How did you decide on the team to collaborate with?

Both teams are popular and everyone knows them. Both the "NY" logo and the "LA" logo are highly recognized as fashion icons. When I collaborated with the Yankees last season, I knew that the Dodgers would be my next choice. I also have an emotional attachment to the team because they were the team I sold the most to at the sporting goods store.

The collaboration item is based on the snapback type "9FIFTY™," isn't it? It is characterized by its simple design with the "With Limited" icon.

I like this rounded silhouette. That's why I chose this one. The original material is good, so I tried to keep the base as simple as possible so as not to ruin the atmosphere.

I think you have collaborated on "59FIFTY®" in the past, but what do you think about the silhouette of this one?

It's beautiful, isn't it? At first, the fabric is firm and holds its shape, but as you wear it, the fabric softens and conforms to your head. I like it when it's just a little bit soft.

Standard items are worn loosely, without thinking about it.

You are wearing an official Yankees cap today.

I think this item is a standard item. There is a sense of security. It's like, "If I just wear this for the time being, I'll be fine," (laughs). The color is dark blue, so you don't have to choose what to wear with it.

Do you have any key points for today's coordination?

I didn't think anything in particular. I basically think about how I want my clothes to coordinate before I put on the hat. Today, I wore the hat at random, but I can still wear it without feeling any sense of discomfort.

By the way, what do you think is important to keep in mind when coordinating not only Yankees caps but also MLB caps for official players?

For teams with basic coloring, I don't think there is anything to be conscious of, as I am today, but if the colors are bright, it is a different story. If you think about coordinating with the cap as the center of the outfit, or rather, if you try to blend the outfit so that the cap doesn't stand out, it will make the whole look more cohesive.

I see.

There are many ways to achieve balance, like matching colors. What you need to be aware of is to make sure that the caps don't look too tiggly or unbalanced. The caps have a beautiful form, so as long as you can manage that, you should be able to coordinate them well.