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Old Lyme Connecticut Retro Vintage Washed Cap - Charcoal Logo

Old Lyme Connecticut Retro Vintage Washed Cap - Charcoal Logo

Regular price $32.00 USD
Regular price Sale price $32.00 USD
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This is our retro Old Lyme, Connecticut logo, printed in weathered charcoal on a retro vintage washed cap — an unstructured cotton dad hat that looks broken in from the day it arrives. The charcoal carries a faint wavering tone and a light speckle, so the print reads like it has been in the sun as long as the cap has.

One size fits most, so it is an easy gift to get right: no size to guess, only the town. Each cap is made to order. Hand wash cold and air dry, and keep it out of the dryer.

Old Lyme was settled in 1665 as part of Lyme and incorporated under its own name in 1855, a Federal-era town of mansions on Lyme Street where the Connecticut River meets Long Island Sound. In 1899 painters began boarding at Florence Griswold’s yellow 1817 mansion, and the Lyme Art Colony they formed there became the birthplace of American Impressionism.

The Griswold House is now a museum with the colony’s paintings still on its walls, the Lyme Art Association gallery stands next door, and the beaches at White Sands and Soundview face the Sound. In 1975 Yale researchers identified Lyme disease here, which is the other reason the name travels. The mark on this piece belongs to the painters.

The cap is 8.5 oz 100% cotton twill, enzyme washed and heavily brushed for a soft hand, with an unstructured six-panel crown, a mid-profile fit and a curved bill. A self-fabric strapback with a metal slider adjusts the fit and tucks away, and a self-fabric sweatband lines the inside. It is garment dyed with OEKO-TEX certified low-impact dyes, so every cap's color varies slightly — washed here means faded color and a weathered print, not distressed or frayed.


QUICK FACTS — OLD LYME CT WASHED COTTON CAP — CHARCOAL LOGO

Town: Old Lyme, Connecticut

Founded: Settled 1665; incorporated 1855

Known for: Birthplace of American Impressionism; the Lyme Art Colony (1899); Florence Griswold House

Art: Old Lyme vintage retro logo, charcoal (printed)

Blank: unstructured six-panel cap, mid profile, curved bill, metal slider

Fabric: 8.5 oz 100% cotton twill, enzyme washed, garment dyed

Care: hand wash cold, air dry

Colors: 10 offered

Sizes: Adjustable

Made to order in the USA



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Wear Local. Feed Local. Stay Classic.

Product FAQs

How does your sizing work?

Every item is made to order, so please check the size chart on this page before you buy. Women's fitted tees run small; size up for a looser fit. Caps are one size with an adjustable strap.

How are items made and when will they arrive?

We make each item to order using premium blanks, embroidery and soft-hand prints. Production takes 2-5 business days (weekends and holidays excluded), then 4-10 days in transit via USPS, UPS or FedEx to U.S. addresses; most orders arrive within 6-15 business days. You'll get a tracking link the moment it ships. Any current shipping offer is shown in the bar at the top of every page and applies automatically at checkout, no code needed.

How do I send a gift?

Enter the recipient's address as the shipping address and your own as the billing address at checkout. Nothing ships with a price; the package includes a plain packing slip. Tracking goes to your email, not theirs. For birthdays and holidays, order two weeks ahead to be safe.

What's the return policy?

Made-to-order items can't be returned or exchanged for size or color, so please use the size chart and photos before ordering. If anything arrives defective, misprinted or damaged, send a photo and your order number within 30 days and we'll replace it or refund you.

How do I care for my item?

Apparel: wash cold, inside out, with like colors; no bleach; tumble dry low or hang dry. Embroidered pieces: iron inside out to protect the stitching. Caps: spot clean. Printed glasses and water bottles: hand wash only, no dishwasher, so the artwork lasts. Mugs and engraved glasses are dishwasher safe. Any item-specific care notes are in the description above.

Who makes this?

Merlin Classics is a small Connecticut brand making original retro designs for the towns people love. Every piece is printed, embroidered or engraved to order in the USA, and the business supports hunger relief in the communities our collections celebrate.

Old Lyme wears its history lightly: a town green the Impressionists painted, a museum where the art is on the walls because the walls are the art, and river light that has been drawing painters for more than a century. Our Old Lyme designs gather that identity — the clam shell, the 1636 emblem, the colony's light — into wearable form. Painting the light since 1899.

The marsh hoards. The marshes here look soft and empty until you slow down, then you notice they are packed with small life and hidden structure: channels, grasses, and bird paths stitched into the green. Marsh Hoards is the local nickname for all those tucked-away riches, the way the wetlands hold more than they show from the road. A quick cue is the pluff-mud pull: if your boot sinks and releases with a slow pop, you are standing on a living sponge that stores water and keeps the shoreline stable. That is ecology, not treasure. At sunset the marsh turns copper, and the hoard becomes light itself — the same light the colony's painters came for.

Why People Visit Old Lyme Connecticut

Old Lyme balances arts heritage with beaches and greens. Visitors find quiet museums, sculpture paths, and easy seaside stops. It is graceful, creative, and restful. Travelers find year round appeal in parks, paths, and public spaces. The setting combines natural beauty with accessible neighborhoods and landmarks. History and everyday culture sit side by side in a welcoming way.

Old Lyme Connecticut Merlin Classics retro vintage logo featuring clam shell motif and 1636 founding date