The Original Crown Buyer's Guide
The Original Crown is the Paper Planes hat: the plane stitched under the word CROWN, the pin on the side, the piece the whole brand grew out of. Buying one involves exactly three decisions, the fit, the colorway, and the counter, and this guide walks all three in order.
If you want the story behind the hat first, that lives on the Original Crown page and in the hat you couldn't buy. This page is for the day you are actually getting one.
Decision one: the fit
The Crown comes in the brand's core silhouettes, and the differences are practical, not cosmetic.
The snapback. Adjustable, flat brim, high structured crown, built on the New Era 9Fifty. This is the founding format and the no-regret pick: it fits almost everyone out of the box, and it is the silhouette people picture when they picture the brand. First Crown, buy this.
The fitted. Sized to your head on the New Era 59Fifty, no closure, the cleanest line of the three, and the collector's format, this is the shape the $60 Crown Fitted took when it launched at Lids. The cost of clean is commitment: a fitted in the wrong size cannot be rescued, so measure first.
The A-Frame. Shallower, snugger crown with the front panels meeting in an A. Sits lower than the snapback, reads less deliberate, and is the answer if a standard structured crown feels too tall on you. The A-Frame line.
Not sure which suits your head? The honest answer is that nobody can tell you from a chart, which is the single best argument for trying them on at a counter. Every fit compared in one table.
Decision two: the colorway
Here is how Crown colorways actually work, and why the answer to "which colorways exist" changes depending on where you stand.
The core colorways, the blacks, the whites, the navy family, are the stable center of the line and the easiest to find. Around them, the catalogue rotates: seasonal colors, collab colorways, runs tied to a drop. And because every stockist buys its own selection, the limited runs scatter across the independent shops rather than stacking up in one place.
Practical consequences:
1. Want the classic? Any counter that stocks the brand will have the core. 2. Want a specific limited colorway? Call the shops near you and ask, the number is on every listing. A colorway that is gone online is routinely still on a shelf in Detroit or Gretna. 3. Want to see what exists right now? The flagship carries the range widest, and in-store releases land there first.
Decision three: the size
Snapback and A-Frame: adjustable, skip ahead. Fitted: measure, do not guess. Wrap a soft tape just above the ears and brow, take centimeters, and use the sizing guide to land the 59Fifty size. Between sizes, go up: a fraction loose is a hat, a fraction tight is a headache by hour three. The long version, including why two people with one hat size can need different fits, is in fitted sizing explained.
Where to buy one
Three doors, in order of what they are best at:
The SoHo flagship, 252 Lafayette Street, for the full range and the in-store releases.
The national chains, Lids above all, for fitted size depth: when a boutique has sold through your size, a chain wall is where it still exists.
The independent stockists, 63 shops across 21 states, for the colorways that never went national, and for buying the hat inside the culture it came from. Search your city, call ahead, ask for the Crown by name.
FAQ
What is the Paper Planes Original Crown?
The brand's signature hat: the plane logo under the word CROWN with the signature pin, available as a snapback, a fitted and an A-Frame.
Is the Original Crown a snapback or a fitted?
Both exist. The founding format is the 9Fifty snapback; the fitted version is built on the New Era 59Fifty and is sized to your head.
How much does an Original Crown cost?
The fitted launched at $60 when Lids first carried it in 2020. Current prices vary by silhouette and retailer, so check the counter you buy at.
Where can I buy an Original Crown?
The SoHo flagship at 252 Lafayette Street, national chains including Lids, and the independent stockist network. Find the shops near you.
What size Crown should I get?
Snapbacks and A-Frames adjust. For a fitted, measure your head and use the sizing guide; go up when between sizes.