Shape of face to hat question

[DeaconKC]

Okay, I'm sure this has been discussed here, but I could not find a thread on it so maybe someone can point me there. Where would I find information on what style of hat will look right/wrong on what style/shape of face? My doctor told me I have a skull like a bank vault [I hope that's good], but it doesn't help when trying to decide what style would look good or bad on your head. Thanks in advance. Kevin

 

[ScottyBlues]

Two great sites...

Checkout:

http://www.millerhats.com/hatcare_index/hatfaces.html

and

http://www.villagehatshop.com/facts_faces.html

 

[Rider]

I've seen those links before. I wonder how many of us really follow that advice? I confess, not me.

 

[DeaconKC]

Thanks for the quick responses!

 

[AdmiralTofu]

I've seen those links before. I wonder how many of us really follow that advice? I confess, not me.

Same here. I mean, I suppose it all makes sense in a certain way, but really, it seems to come down to style and personal taste... at least it has in my case. According to that second link, I look best in a stingy brim -- and I can't stand the look of a stingy on me. [huh]

 

[NonEntity]

DeaconKC,

The links posted above are useful, but by no means are those face-shape guidelines the be-all and end-all of what looks good on any one individual.

Your height, body size, and body shape are also factors to consider, and they are really just common sense.

Taller crowns make you look taller--duh. Whether you want to emphasize that you're already tall or compensate because you're not is entirely up to you.

If you have wide shoulders and a thick chest, you can wear a wide brim--even as much as 4 inches--without looking awkward. If you are portly, a stingy brim will emphasize your girth more than a wider brim.

You really have to put all aspects of your physique and face together to narrow your hat choices down. Take me, for example: I have a so-called athletic build, wide shoulders and a narrow waist and hips. I'm 6'2" tall and weigh 165 lbs, which puts me smack dab in the middle of the Body Mass Index normal range at 22. Yet anyone would describe my build as slender, because most of my height and weight is in my legs, my arms are very long and slim, and my chest, though wide, is skinny. My face is oval and narrow, with a short forehead, and at a size 7 to 7 1/8, my head is relatively small.

Wide brims--for me, anything over 2 3/4 inches--generally make me look like an open umbrella, and a tall crown--over 4 1/2 inches at the highest point after the hat's bashed, over-emphasizes my narrow face and height. Put the wide brim and tall crown together, and you have what my dad used to call "Heidi MacDighty." So. though I like the Indiana Jones hat, it doesn't work on me.

One final thought: Many times a person feels a certain hat looks wrong when it's really a matter of looking different, a simple matter of newness versus the familiar, so try on as many styles as you can, and get the opinions of others with good taste.

 

[Art Fawcett]

WOW

Nonentity...have we spoken before? You have just written what I discuss with my clients, almost verbatum. Bravo!!!!!
Gent's please know that the online charts are only basic guides, good to use as a starting point, but there is SO much more to the process.

See Nonentity's post above.

 

[DeaconKC]

I certainly appreciate the comments and suggestions. At 6'3" and 300+ pounds I don't have to worry greatly about increasing my height [now if I can just get rid of another 70 pounds...].