vintage hat sizes vs. modern hat sizes

[thunderw21]

I've a vintage hat marked 7 1/8 that measures 22" around the inside of the sweatband. It also fits my 7 1/8 size head perfectly, just like all of my other vintage 7 1/8 hats. There has been no shrinkage.

However, according to all different websites size 7 1/8 is anywhere from 22 1/4" to almost 22 1/2" around the sweatband (depending upon the website).

My question is this: were hat sized back in the day different from hat sizes today? [huh]

 

[Mulceber]

I don't think so - I think more likely, you're just dealing with the fact that most vintage hats have shrunk a bit. -M

 

[Forrest]

Hmmm... I've encountered the exact same thing, multiple times. My head measures exactly 22 inches, and indeed, in a vintage hat I wear a 7 1/8. In a new hat, such as a Stetson or Akubra, I wear a 7 or a 56 cm. Unless every old hat I have ever tried on has actually shrunk a size, I think the sizing was a little different back then.

 

[jlee562]

I wear size 7 in both vintage and new hats. In fact, I have a Resistol which is tagged a seven, but the sweat is marked 7 1/8th, and I needed to add some foam tape too it because it was too loose. So in my experience, vintage and modern were basically true to size (with the caveat each manufacturer's size 7 may not be the same relative to each other)

 

[scottyrocks]

A lot of my hats fit me differently and theyre all the same size. I have an 80s Stetson that feels a full size smaller. It was a little snug when I got it new, and is now unwearable. I have another Stetson (1950s) that fits perfectly. Both are marked 7 3/8.

 

[Jauntyone]

I too have noticed that vintage hats fit a bit more "snug". I think that men back then wore their hats a bit higher on their heads than they do today--when they wear hats.
Some brands ran consistently bigger, too. A vintage Knox always fits tighter than a vintage Stetson. The vintage Resistols really fit my long-oval head well.