Hats are great accessories due to the fact that both aesthetic form and function are equally important in the design. Hats are worn to protect against the elements, and they can also be an extension of your style or personality. Did you know that your face shape has bearing on which hats would look best on you?
Hats can help offset some facial qualities we may not deem as ideal for ourselves, like a high forehead or an angular jawline.
Let's go through the main face shapes and discover their ideal hat styles.
1. Oblong Face Shape: This shape is distinguished by a long face that may have a high forehead or long chin area. The goal is to balance the length by adding width. So hats with large wide brims can help offset this. Large brimmed cowboy hats, sun hats or fedora type hats work well. You want the hat to sit low on the forehead. Generally, beanies do not work well for this face shape. Here is an example of the right hat shape:
2. Round Face Shape: This shape is distinguished by a circular face in which the width of the face is similar to the length. This face shape may also have a rounded and prominent cheek area. In order to diminish the roundness stay away from hats with rounded crowns and tight fitting beanies. You want to create an asymmetrical look by wearing a hat at an angle. Fedoras and newsboy caps work well. High crowns and straight brims help to offset the roundness. Baseball caps also look good. Here is an example of a page boy cap:
3. Square Face Shape: This shape is distinguished by a squared off jawline and forehead area creating strong angles. To diminish the severity of the angles you want to add some softness with the the hat shapes. Floppy wide brim hats are ideal. Cloche or bucket hats look great! Avoid straight stiff brims. Baseball caps with round crowns and curved brims work well too. Here is an example of a soft bucket hat:
4. Heart Shaped Face: This shape is distinguished by a rounded crown and a narrow pointed chin. The goal is to find balance between round and angular shapes. Short brimmed fedoras and page boys worn at an angle help to create this balance. An angled beret is a great option. Fitted baseball caps work well too. Avoid large brims that accentuate the crown. Here is a fedora with a short brim that would work well:
5. Oval Face Shape: This shape is distinguished by a an egg shaped face in which the length is 1.5 times greater than the width. The chin is rounded and in balance with the width of the forehead. This face shape can wear pretty much any hat shape with ease. Congrats! So it comes down more to personal preference in style and color. We recommend this fisherman style shape:
Your last consideration when choosing a hat is size. You want to make sure you have the right fit: snug but not too tight. It's best to measure with a flexible measuring tape. Start in the middle of your forehead and wrap the tape across the temples at the widest part and around to the back of the head and then back to the center of your forehead. You should measure in centimeters as this is the standard for headwear.
Approximate sizing is as follows, though some brands may use even number sizing:
55cm = Small
57cm = Medium
59cm = Large
61cm - XL Large
We hope you found this guide helpful. Feel free to reach out with any questions to our customer care department regarding fit or fabrication here.
Our brand Herman Headwear are experts in creating headwear since 1874! A Belgian brand with a long history of expertise and heritage in hat design. You can see some of their styles in our shop by clicking on the image below.
