With the warm weather upon us and the out-door lifestyle it brings, a hat will inevitably be a wardrobe staple. Looking for a decent hat can and will be a challenge for most, however like any other clothing accessory there are a few rules and tips to guide you.
Obviously determining your face shape is the most important factor towards finding the correct and appropriate hat for you. See face shape images below to find yours.
Firstly, take or wear your outfit or part of it when you go looking for a hat. This will save a lot of frustration in trying to guess whether it will ‘go’ with the outfit in mind. Secondly, we’re terrible at remembering colour. It’s very disappointing when you get an item home only to find the colour is all wrong with what you intended to match it with.
Before choosing a hat note the actual size of your face, as proportion is important for nice balance. Therefore, if you have a small face your hat needs to be small, and like wise if you have a larger face your hat need to be large. Same rule applies as with other accessories – that is, if you’re petite wear a small hat and for the plus size person a larger hat will look better on you.
The long face shape…Sarah Jessica Parker
For long face individuals tall hat crowns that sit high on the head should be avoided – they add too much height to the face and head. Crowns need to be deep enough to cover an ample proportion of the forehead to balance out the length of the face. Medium to wide brim hats are best and particularly ones that are turned downward.
Floppy hats, beret, sun hats and cloches are great for the long face.
The round face shape…Kate Winslet
Round faces work best with hats that have sharp lines and tall decorative crowns. Avoid rounded crowns that emphasis the roundedness of this face shape. The hat needs to be at least as wide as the face and never wider than the cheekbones. High brims works well to lengthen the face as do asymmetrical brims and straight brims worn on a slant to soften and add attractive angles.
Fedora, flat cap, and the conductor hat all suit the round face shape.
The heart face shape…Reece Witherspoon
Any hat with a medium size brim suits the heart shape face. Balance needs to be created with the wide forehead, therefore avoid a wide or large brim – these will also make the narrow chin appear narrower which also should be avoided. Likewise, a too small a brim can emphasis the wider forehead. Hats with soft curves or asymmetrical designs that can be angled one way or another will soften the angular jaw line. High crowns are not necessary as heart-shaped faces tend to have enough length throughout anyway.
A cloche, bucket, medium-brim fedora and the pillbox are fabulous for the heart-shaped face.
