How properly to recalculate my hat size due to new presence of hair?

[Genuine Classic Gangster]

Usually, I would shave my head completely bald, because I think that looks best for me.

Therefore, I would calculate my hat size based on the premise that I have no hair.

When I have no hair, and when I try to measure my head's circumference with a cloth tape measure, the measurement appeared to be 57.8 cm.

When I contacted a custom hat maker with that information, they told me that going with 59 cm for my hat size would probably be best, in order to allow for some leeway.

So I ordered a 59 cm hat from them (and also they determined from photos of my head that my head shape is EXLO, so they made the hat into that shape too), and it fit me properly, albeit with a couple of gaps between the sweatband and my head in a couple of places at the sides.

That was many years ago.

Since that time, I have ordered many additional hats in the same way, meaning 59 cm and in EXLO shape, from various different custom hat makers, and they have also fit me in the same way.

But now, I have a new problem.

That is, I have a woman who thinks that I look better with some hair than without any hair.

So for that reason, I am allowing my hair to grow.

But obviously, this new factor, of having hair now, when I didn't use to have any, screws up my hat sizes.

When I use a cloth tape measure to measure the circumference of my head, now the measurement seems to be 59.8 cm (as opposed to the 57.8 cm that it used to be, when I had no hair).

So, all of this leaves me with questions like:

1) If I am going to continue to have hair, then should I add another 1.2 cm to that total of 59.8 cm, when I order new custom hats (just like I did when my head circumference with no hair was 57.8 cm, but then I still added 1.2 cm of leeway and thus ordered 59 cm hats)?

In other words, should I start ordering 61 cm size hats (even though I used to order 59 cm size hats when I had no hair)?

2) What should I do with my current hats when I need to have them cleaned & reblocked & the sweatbands replaced? Should I ask the hatters who will be doing all of that to increase the size to 61 cm, or to any other size?

And if I do ask them to increase the size, then might that damage my current hats, because it would be stretching them too much (from their 59 cm original size, to the 61 cm new size)?

3) How do I know whether or not my current hair will remain consistent, in terms of the size that it requires me to account for when I am ordering hats and/or having hats reblocked?

For example, how do I know that in three months from now, my hair won't have grown more, and thus add another cm, or two, or three, to the total size that I need to account for when calculating my correct hat size?

Please give me your best advice about these sizing matters. Thank you.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Usually, I would shave my head completely bald, because I think that looks best for me.

Therefore, I would calculate my hat size based on the premise that I have no hair.

When I have no hair, and when I try to measure my head's circumference with a cloth tape measure, the measurement appeared to be 57.8 cm.

When I contacted a custom hat maker with that information, they told me that going with 59 cm for my hat size would probably be best, in order to allow for some leeway.

So I ordered a 59 cm hat from them (and also they determined from photos of my head that my head shape is EXLO, so they made the hat into that shape too), and it fit me properly, albeit with a couple of gaps between the sweatband and my head in a couple of places at the sides.

That was many years ago.

Since that time, I have ordered many additional hats in the same way, meaning 59 cm and in EXLO shape, from various different custom hat makers, and they have also fit me in the same way.

But now, I have a new problem.

That is, I have a woman who thinks that I look better with some hair than without any hair.

So for that reason, I am allowing my hair to grow.

But obviously, this new factor, of having hair now, when I didn't use to have any, screws up my hat sizes.

When I use a cloth tape measure to measure the circumference of my head, now the measurement seems to be 59.8 cm (as opposed to the 57.8 cm that it used to be, when I had no hair).

So, all of this leaves me with questions like:

1) If I am going to continue to have hair, then should I add another 1.2 cm to that total of 59.8 cm, when I order new custom hats (just like I did when my head circumference with no hair was 57.8 cm, but then I still added 1.2 cm of leeway and thus ordered 59 cm hats)?

In other words, should I start ordering 61 cm size hats (even though I used to order 59 cm size hats when I had no hair)?

2) What should I do with my current hats when I need to have them cleaned & reblocked & the sweatbands replaced? Should I ask the hatters who will be doing all of that to increase the size to 61 cm, or to any other size?

And if I do ask them to increase the size, then might that damage my current hats, because it would be stretching them too much (from their 59 cm original size, to the 61 cm new size)?

3) How do I know whether or not my current hair will remain consistent, in terms of the size that it requires me to account for when I am ordering hats and/or having hats reblocked?

For example, how do I know that in three months from now, my hair won't have grown more, and thus add another cm, or two, or three, to the total size that I need to account for when calculating my correct hat size?

Please give me your best advice about these sizing matters. Thank you.

I believe there are too many factors for anyone to give you definite answers. In my experience, once the hair reaches a certain length, adding more length doesn't increase the bulk. I have no idea if you have reached that stage in hair growth. As for the future of your hair bulk, one important question that no one can answer seems to be how much are you going to thin out in the future? Another factor to consider is this: if you and your lady part ways in the future (I hope you have a long and healthy relationship!), will you cut your hair off again?

Your hair will certainly grow if you don't cut it (and if you do cut it, it will grow faster); however you have the power to determine how much bulk you have simply by maintaining the hair at a certain length. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has made hair styling decisions based on how my favorite hats will fit me. I do keep a number of hats in a bigger size in case I decide one day to grow my hair out long again, but for now I love my hair cut close because it gives me access to cheaper hats (I can fit into 6-7/8 with my hair cut close, whereas when it was long I wore 7-1/8. 6-7/8 hats are cheaper and there is less competition for them).

Not sure if these answers are helpful but I do think you should realize that a lot of this is within your power to control. It's possible that you just need to make a decision about how you want your hair to be for the foreseeable future.

 

[Genuine Classic Gangster]

Your hair will certainly grow if you don't cut it (and if you do cut it, it will grow faster); however you have the power to determine how much bulk you have simply by maintaining the hair at a certain length.

Thanks for the feedback, The Lost Cowboy.

In response to that quotation, these questions come to mind:

1) how, exactly, would I "maintain the hair at a certain length?" If I am simply using my eyes to guess how bulky my hair has become at any given moment, that doesn't seem very scientific?

But if there is a scientific way to do it, then I don't understand what that would be?

2) Even after I determine at what length I wish to maintain my hair, then how am I to test what my current hat size should be?

I can't accurately test it with the hats I have on hand, because I've used all of them, and therefore the leather sweatbands in them have shrunk somewhat, and thus caused them now to fit tighter on my head than they did at the time when I first bought them, and when the sweatbands were therefore brand new.

So, if I were to try to gauge my possible current hat size, while I have hair, using the hats that I already have, then I would run into the problem of, I don't know how to determine:

a) to what degree is that hat too tight because the sweatband has shrunk?

versus

b) to what degree is that hat too tight because I have more hair now?

How might I figure out the solution to that dilemma?

Going into a hat store and trying on OTR hats wouldn't work, because OTR hats are never EXLO, so to compensate for that, I have to take a larger size in an OTR hat as compared versus the more accurate, smaller size I would take from a custom hatter who makes hats according to my EXLO head shape.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Thanks for the feedback, The Lost Cowboy.

In response to that quotation, these questions come to mind:

1) how, exactly, would I "maintain the hair at a certain length?" If I am simply using my eyes to guess how bulky my hair has become at any given moment, that doesn't seem very scientific?

But if there is a scientific way to do it, then I don't understand what that would be?

2) Even after I determine at what length I wish to maintain my hair, then how am I to test what my current hat size should be?

I can't accurately test it with the hats I have on hand, because I've used all of them, and therefore the leather sweatbands in them have shrunk somewhat, and thus caused them now to fit tighter on my head than they did at the time when I first bought them, and when the sweatbands were therefore brand new.

So, if I were to try to gauge my possible current hat size, while I have hair, using the hats that I already have, then I would run into the problem of, I don't know how to determine:

a) to what degree is that hat too tight because the sweatband has shrunk?

versus

b) to what degree is that hat too tight because I have more hair now?

How might I figure out the solution to that dilemma?

Going into a hat store and trying on OTR hats wouldn't work, because OTR hats are never EXLO, so to compensate for that, I have to take a larger size in an OTR hat as compared versus the more accurate, smaller size I would take from a custom hatter who makes hats according to my EXLO head shape.

How do you figure out your head size? Measure it with a tape measure. I’m not sure I understand where your confusion is. There is no science that will tell you how much bulk your hair will add when it grows longer - you just have to measure it again.

 

[Genuine Classic Gangster]

How do you figure out your head size? Measure it with a tape measure. I’m not sure I understand where your confusion is. There is no science that will tell you how much bulk your hair will add when it grows longer - you just have to measure it again.

Thanks for the replies.

My question was not meant to be "how do I figure out my head size?"

Rather, my question was meant to be:

"how do I figure out how much additional size should I add, beyond the literal length of the measurement of my head's circumference, in order to get hats that fit my head properly?

Like, for example, how I said in the OP, that without hair, the literal circumference of my head appeared to be 57.8 cm, but yet, for many years I had been ordering hats with circumferences of 59 cm, and they fit me properly.

In other words, when the first bespoke hatter who I ever ordered a hat from suggested for me to order a 59 cm hat, instead of a 58 cm hat (which would seemingly fit my 57.8 cm head more accurately), that advice to give myself some "leeway" in the sizing seemed to work out well.

And now that I have hair, I am unsure of how much "leeway length" that I should add to the literal cm measurement of my head's circumference. What would be a good amount of leeway to add, in terms of what number of cm(s) should I add?

The second, related question that I had, if I try to restate it more clearly, would be: in addition to the first type of leeway length that I described in the previous question, I am also wondering if I should add a second layer of additional "leeway length" on top of that, in order to account for additional mass of hair that I might also grow.

And if I should add an additional, second layer of "leeway length," then how many cm(s) should that be?

As for the point about "maintaining my hair at a certain length:" I understand how to do that in terms of how far down the back of my neck my hair goes, because that is easy to observe.

But for the rest of my hair, when it becomes more bulky, and gains more mass over time, that is not so easy to observe how much more mass it has gained, and I'm not sure how I am supposed to remedy that problem. Therefore, I remain confused about this matter in that regard, too.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Thanks for the replies.

My question was not meant to be "how do I figure out my head size?"

Rather, my question was meant to be:

"how do I figure out how much additional size should I add, beyond the literal length of the measurement of my head's circumference, in order to get hats that fit my head properly?

Like, for example, how I said in the OP, that without hair, the literal circumference of my head appeared to be 57.8 cm, but yet, for many years I had been ordering hats with circumferences of 59 cm, and they fit me properly.

In other words, when the first bespoke hatter who I ever ordered a hat from suggested for me to order a 59 cm hat, instead of a 58 cm hat (which would seemingly fit my 57.8 cm head more accurately), that advice to give myself some "leeway" in the sizing seemed to work out well.

And now that I have hair, I am unsure of how much "leeway length" that I should add to the literal cm measurement of my head's circumference. What would be a good amount of leeway to add, in terms of what number of cm(s) should I add?

I honestly don’t understand so I won’t be of help.

My head circumference is 22.1 inches with my hair shaved close. With my hair grown out to my shoulders and beyond, the head and hair circumference is 22.6 inches. I know the measurements because I measured them and ordered custom hats with those numbers. I never added anything to either measurement and my custom hats always fit like a glove unless I changed my hair.

Having said that, there is not one right answer and what works for me might not work for you, so I hope you get the answers you need. I bet there is somebody on this forum who understands your approach.

 

[Who?]

After all the furor and hand waving, I will say that I think 2 cm sounds like too much.

 

[aronhoustongy]

Usually, I would shave my head completely bald, because I think that looks best for me.

Therefore, I would calculate my hat size based on the premise that I have no hair.

When I have no hair, and when I try to measure my head's circumference with a cloth tape measure, the measurement appeared to be 57.8 cm.

When I contacted a custom hat maker with that information, they told me that going with 59 cm for my hat size would probably be best, in order to allow for some leeway.

So I ordered a 59 cm hat from them (and also they determined from photos of my head that my head shape is EXLO, so they made the hat into that shape too), and it fit me properly, albeit with a couple of gaps between the sweatband and my head in a couple of places at the sides.

That was many years ago.

Since that time, I have ordered many additional hats in the same way, meaning 59 cm and in EXLO shape, from various different custom hat makers, and they have also fit me in the same way.

But now, I have a new problem.

That is, I have a woman who thinks that I look better with some hair than without any hair.

So for that reason, I am allowing my hair to grow.

But obviously, this new factor, of having hair now, when I didn't use to have any, screws up my hat sizes.

When I use a cloth tape measure to measure the circumference of my head, now the measurement seems to be 59.8 cm (as opposed to the 57.8 cm that it used to be, when I had no hair).

So, all of this leaves me with questions like:

1) If I am going to continue to have hair, then should I add another 1.2 cm to that total of 59.8 cm, when I order new custom hats (just like I did when my head circumference with no hair was 57.8 cm, but then I still added 1.2 cm of leeway and thus ordered 59 cm hats)?

In other words, should I start ordering 61 cm size hats (even though I used to order 59 cm size hats when I had no hair)?

2) What should I do with my current hats when I need to have them cleaned & reblocked & the sweatbands replaced? Should I ask the hatters who will be doing all of that to increase the size to 61 cm, or to any other size?

And if I do ask them to increase the size, then might that damage my current hats, because it would be stretching them too much (from their 59 cm original size, to the 61 cm new size)?

3) How do I know whether or not my current hair will remain consistent, in terms of the size that it requires me to account for when I am ordering hats and/or having hats reblocked?

For example, how do I know that in three months from now, my hair won't have grown more, and thus add another cm, or two, or three, to the total size that I need to account for when calculating my correct hat size?

Please give me your best advice about these balayage trends San Francisco sizing matters. Thank you.

When experiencing a change in hair volume, whether due to growth, loss, or styling, it's essential to recalibrate your hat size to ensure a comfortable fit. Begin by measuring the circumference of your head using a flexible tape measure, placing it about a finger's width above your eyebrows and ears. Take note of the measurement in inches or centimeters. Next, consider the thickness of your hair. If your hair is significantly thicker or thinner than before, adjust your hat size accordingly. For thicker hair, you may need to increase your hat size slightly to accommodate the extra volume. Conversely, if you've opted for a shorter hairstyle or experienced hair loss, you might find that your previous hat size feels too loose, necessitating a smaller size. Remember to try on hats before purchasing, as fit can vary between styles and brands. By recalculating your hat size to accommodate your new hair presence, you'll ensure both comfort and style in your headwear choices.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

^^
Today’s wisdom…yesterday’s common sense.

 

[belfastboy]

I have a client that has purchased 5 or 6 custom hats from me. He is a younger guy with a very full & thick head of hair.

Every time he comes in his head measures differently depending on the amount of hair and how it is trimmed. He is the only dude I know that needs (and has) a different hat to match his multiple and ever changing hair styles.

 

[CRH]

I have a client that has purchased 5 or 6 custom hats from me. He is a younger guy with a very full & thick head of hair.

Every time he comes in his head measures differently depending on the amount of hair and how it is trimmed. He is the only dude I know that needs (and has) a different hat to match his multiple and ever changing hair styles.

I know that guy. I used to have hair like him.

 

[belfastboy]

I know that guy. I used to have hair like him.

Even back in the day when I did have hair....it was never like this guy's.

 

[Edward]

Hair length /bulk can definitely impact hat size. I was a UK 7 (US 7 1/8, EU57) when I was 12 and first got my uniform hat for Scouts; by the time I reached 16 and aged out, it was too tight, really. As a longhair at university, I was wearing caps in the main, all sized as Medium 57/58, so I suspect I never went up more than a size. Caps that size in Winter, later boonie hats in 57/58 in Summer. Than with time I gravitated to furfelts after I'd already shaved my head and, for the most part (the very occasional oddity aside, in which I go up or down by no more than 1cm - most of those caps, at that) I've stayed a steady 57. There's no easy answer to this one, I think it will vary with individual and hair type (my hair was always very fine). Only thing I can suggest is measuring where you're at when you have the hair you're gonig to settle with for some time. I doubt anything else will be predictable to any remotely accurate degree.

 

[shopkin]

If you wear the hat every day it might stretch a little as your hair thickens.

I can't imagine the thickness of compressed hair inside the sweat band is more than 1/10th inch. That's about 1 cm difference in circumference.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

My experience from lots of hair to a buzz cut=@1/2 a size.
B

 

[Zombie_61]

Okay, I'll play. Top two photos, longer hair:

These photos, shorter hair:

Narrower brim in the bottom two photos as well, but it's the exact same hat, size 60. At that age (60) my hair didn't lose a significant amount of thickness by cutting it (not any more than aging caused, anyway) so it made little difference as far as how that hat fit my head. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯