Inner hat circumference vs. head circumference - the same or a bit larger?

[oneninetyseven]

Hi everyone,

First, I'd like to say hello to you all and thank whomever it was that posted the name of this site on Badger and Blade. I'm glad to be here.

I have a quick question about hat sizing. Having a fairly small head, I can't find any fedoras in large stores that fit me - either they're too wide or the crown is too tall, or both. So, I looked around online at a number of vintage hats and was happy to see that they are actually sized in 1/4 size increments, not
only small/medium/large/"one size".

I measured around my head, just above my ears. The measuring tape was firm but not squeezed tight against my skull, and I'd say it's a 22"
circumference.

Silly question perhaps, but how much larger do you all go with for a hat's inner circumference vs. that of your head?

For example, a hat I was looking at online is 22.25" inside - would that 1/4" (or perhaps a tiny bit more) be too loose or too tight, or...?

Thanks for helping a new guy out.

Best Regards

 

[tealseal]

Welcome to the Lounge! You will surely find this place to be an excellent hangout, full of very knowledgeable folks.
I'm no expert on these matters, but my $0.02 is this (it's how I started getting into "real" hats):
1) Check out this link. Seems like you would be about a size 7 or 56 (US v. metric size).
2) Most fine felts can be stretched up a size (ie: 7 to 7 1/4). You can do this yourself using a hat-stretcher; a professional hatter **might** be able to shrink one the same amount using their fancy hat steam machines
3) A final thing to consider is the shape of your head. Is it more circular, or ovoid, or REALLY ovoid (long oval)? If you have a long oval head, it may be more comfortable to get a size larger than you measure, and pad the sides using sizing foam. This will prevent you from having a red line from the sweatband on your forehead when you take the hat off!

Remember, hats are like chips: You can't have just one!

Welcome aboard!!

 

[Jaguar66]

A 1/4 inch addition to the circumferance will be suprisingly larger on your head.

Your hat size (American sizing) is determined by dividing the circumferance of your head (in inches), (or inner band measurement of the hat), by pi (3.1415)

 

[carldelo]

A 1/4 inch addition to the circumferance will be suprisingly larger on your head.

Your hat size (American sizing) is determined by dividing the circumferance of your head (in inches), (or inner band measurement of the hat), by pi (3.1416)

Yes, and as a rule of thumb, one can remember that Pi is closely approximated by the fraction 22/7, therefore a 22" circumference is almost exactly a size 7.

For European sizing (which is in centimeters) circumference times 2.54 gives the size. 22" * 2.54 = 55.88 cm, i.e. size 59.

You're lucky in that there is a big selection of vintage lids out there in size 7, and prices for them can be very reasonable. Often vintage lids have shrunk with time, so you may do well with 7-1/8 as well. Note that the Miller site shows a circumference of 22-1/2" for size 7-1/8", but really it would be 22-3/8". As you can see, a hat with circumference of 22-1/4 is two thirds of the way to the next size up from your proper hat size.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Hi everyone,

First, I'd like to say hello to you all and thank whomever it was that posted the name of this site on Badger and Blade. I'm glad to be here.

I have a quick question about hat sizing. Having a fairly small head, I can't find any fedoras in large stores that fit me - either they're too wide or the crown is too tall, or both. So, I looked around online at a number of vintage hats and was happy to see that they are actually sized in 1/4 size increments, not
only small/medium/large/"one size".

I measured around my head, just above my ears. The measuring tape was firm but not squeezed tight against my skull, and I'd say it's a 22"
circumference.

Silly question perhaps, but how much larger do you all go with for a hat's inner circumference vs. that of your head?

For example, a hat I was looking at online is 22.25" inside - would that 1/4" (or perhaps a tiny bit more) be too loose or too tight, or...?

Thanks for helping a new guy out.

Best Regards

You have the information given already by others here regarding the question of size and preference to what you should purchase. However, a hat jack may help you at some point of time to help keep a small hat to fit your head. You are so lucky as there are so many good bargains all the time for a smaller size hat...lucky you! Welcome to the lounge, too!

 

[oneninetyseven]

Hello everyone - thanks for taking the time to reply!

Yup, I had previously determined my head to be, generally, a size 7, at which point I began scouting around for hats online. I guess the days when most stores offered truly "sized" hats are part of a bygone era.

I never really considered the shape of my head before. I just snapped a shot of it from above. I'd say it falls between a circle and an ovoid (it's kind of hard to tell - I should probably have someone look down from above and tell me!).

I have seen vintage hats sized "7" for sale with different inner circumferences, from slightly under 22" to slightly over.

I like the look of this hat I was checking out. Not too dressy, and straw, with a bit of a wider brim - I do outdoor work sometimes and really need a wider brimmed hat to keep the sun off my face and neck (last time I showed up woefully unprepared and ended up donning a floppy denim widebrimmed hat of my girlfriends - which probably saved me from getting sunstroke, but looked mighty goofy). Nothing wrong with wanting to look decent even when you're shoveling dirt.

I might still give it a go. We'll see. Think I can manage for just one work-hat and one dressier fedora? Hmm...

 

[jlee562]

Oftentimes it's hard for sellers to accurately measure the circumference of the sweat. But if you think about it, the inside of the sweat is going to make contact with your head, so the measurement should be the same.

Most folks head are somewhat oval, but there are "long oval" hats for those who are particularly more exaggerated in shape.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I was just thinking the same thing, about the "long oval"...and I would guess some people have perhaps a round head like a basket ball, some like an egg...and some may have a shape you just can't call it...lol!...maybe "peanut" shaped?

 

[dogboy27]

I have seen some hats with 2 measurements. For instance the hat is listed as a size 6 7/8 with a 7 1/2 inside length and a 6 1/4 inside width. So what is the "true" size of this hat?

 

[DougC]

"For European sizing (which is in centimeters) circumference times 2.54 gives the size. 22" * 2.54 = 55.88 cm, i.e. size 59."

Just checking my math--wouldn't that be a 56 (or a size 7 US)? I'm pretty sure all of my size 7 Stetsons are all 56 cm. The Borsalino I have on now is a 7 1/8 and is marked 58 cm (European size 5 1/2). I think when you round up you go to the next full cm--in the case of the example, round up to 56. But, the hat might be more comfortable as a 57 or 58 cm hat. A 59 cm hat would likely be huge on the head.

But, I think the original question's answer is you need a size a little bigger than your head measurement. This would allow for hat shrinkage (if any) and comfort.

 

[randooch]

Having a fairly small head . . .

Welcome, you lucky bum! You'll have your pick from hundreds of sublime vintage fedoras with that small bean of yours. I'm not a little jealous.

 

[scottyrocks]

My head is 23"/59cm. Hats that are 23"/59cm fit me perfectly.

 

[Dutch Men]

I've size 55cm / Fitted: 6 7/8 as men.
I think that I've a very small head circumference.
And what is your head circumference. Men of women?

 

[Cornshucker77]

I've size 55cm / Fitted: 6 7/8 as men.
I think that I've a very small head circumference.
And what is your head circumference. Men of women?

View attachment 112159

My head circumference is 22.5 inches so I fall between sizes, on some charts. I usually go with a 7 1/4 which fits me most of the time. I am a long oval so I need the length of the 7 1/4 and fill in the sides with felt strips if needed. All of my vintage hats are 7 1/4. A newer straw hat I bought is a 58 which was too wide, but again I just filled in the sides with felt strips.

 

[Dutch Men]

I've trouble buying hats in my size in Germany.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I’m a 61 cm (7 5/8) but I’m a long to extra long oval. Vintage hats in my size are tough to find.

If you’re really a size 6 7/8 (55 cm) you will have no problem finding some incredible vintage hats. I envy you. I don’t know the market in Germany, but eBay is overflowing with hats in your size.

 

[Zoukatron]

Where does that size chart come from? Clearly these are US sizes, but I've seen other US companies use size charts based on cm, so the inch values were had crazy long digits. It's interesting to see a size chart based upon the inch values, rather than cm values which I am used to seeing in the UK, Europe and Australia. On cm based size charts, each cm equates to 1/8 in the hat size, as opposed to 3/8 of an inch equating to 1/8 hat size shown in the chart above.

For the record, I'm a 60cm (was 61cm until I buzzed my long hair off), 7 3/8 UK, 7 1/2 US.

 

[Dutch Men]

If you’re really a size 6 7/8 (55 cm) you will have no problem finding some incredible vintage hats. I envy you.

Yes, i've real size 55cm.

This is 56cm and the big. I've resized the hat with cork strips

Where does that size chart come from?

https://www.ubs.iastate.edu/hat_sizing_chart.html

 

[Just Jim]

My head circumference is 22.5 inches so I fall between sizes, on some charts. I usually go with a 7 1/4 which fits me most of the time. I am a long oval so I need the length of the 7 1/4 and fill in the sides with felt strips if needed. All of my vintage hats are 7 1/4. A newer straw hat I bought is a 58 which was too wide, but again I just filled in the sides with felt strips.

We have got to get together and hack you up a block you can use to stretch hats out so they fit you. Those felt strips are just uncomfortable in the summer heat.

 

[Dutch Men]

For the (Heat)summer and spring, I've two Pannema Hats in my native size 55cm.