How do I know if I look good in a hat?

[dartfrogger]

I'm sure I'll get some clever answers to this basic question, but I truly don't know the answer. My wife won't let me buy a panama of any kind -- she thinks they look pretentious -- so obviously she isn't the person to ask. I'm going to get one anyway (don't tell her), but my question really applies to my experience today. I went into the biggest hat shop I know of here in San Diego (Village Hat Shop), and the pickings are slim. Panama selections are nonexistent, so I looked at fur fedoras, a couple of Stetson rabbit furs and a beaver. Those were the best they had. I don't have a fedora, no Panama, only several Tilleys that I wear whenever I go outside for any length of time (hair's mostly gone, skin cancer a problem). So nothing in my experience to judge a fedora. Somewhere on this forum I saw a reference to a chart that supposedly told you what hat looks best with the shape of your face, but I can't find it, despite a long time on the search function. Can anybody direct me to it? I don't know if I trust what the salesman told me.
Thanks.
Dennis

 

[suitedcboy]

I don't think this is a place where anyone would be abusive so I would suggest posting a shoulders up head shot so suggestions can be made as what might look best. Crown height, taper of the crown, and the brim width all can make significant differences in the look achieved by wearing a fedora.

 

[Woodfluter]

Folks here are pretty nice Dennis, so you're apt to get compliments if you post pictures...but they're also helpful, so no harm done and some information sure to surface.

But honestly, from my perspective, who cares? Just look in a mirror. If you like it, it's right and wear it with confidence and eventually folks will come around to see it your way. That's what I think anyway. Be happy and please yourself. I have a lot of hats and caps in a wide variety, and like what I keep. And appreciate the variety.

OK, I do listen to my wife sometimes to keep her happy, but sometimes wear stuff she hates if I really like it. Mostly she eventualy sees some merit in my choices, unless it's brown...not her favorite color.

- Bill

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

The-perfect-hat-for-your-ugly-mug

Hat faces

Here are two pages that will help. Like others have said post a picture.
An wife's hate that you want to get a hat that means they will have less money for shoes and purses.

 

[Shangas]

I'm sure there's an iSomething app for finding out what kind of hat suits you. There has to be.

Post a photo of yourself (a good photo, not some grainy, dark/overbright piece of junk, a proper photo) and I'm sure people here would be glad to help you.

The best thing to do, of course, is to find a hat-shop and a mirror and a salesman who is honest.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

I'm sure there's an iSomething app for finding out what kind of hat suits you. There has to be.

I had to check and yes there is an app for that.

hat apps

The village hat shop use to have a try on hat web page but I could not find it online anymore link to the website doesn't link to that page any more.

 

[Terry "The Hat"]

The best rule to go by is that everyone looks good in a hat but not everybody looks good in the same hat. I have a ton of Tilley Hats and am active on their facebook page. Great hats but not dressy like a beautiful Panama or Fur Felt Fedora. The brim makes all the difference. Stingy or wide. It depends on the size of your face or head. The crease and height of the crown are also other factors. Once you get that figured out then you will be set. I have a large head ( 7 5/8) so a stingy brim is out of the question. If you can find a good hat shop like several of the ones mentioned on this forum (Major Moore and Gus Miller come to mind right of the top of my head) they will give you their honest and professional opinion. Never ask your wife. Find a cute girl that works in a hat shop and ask her. She is not already mad at you or holding a grudge and will give you an honest opinion-LOL!

 

[appa69]

The best rule to go by is that everyone looks good in a hat; Never ask your wife.

Words to live by.

 

[danofarlington]

I have a parrot which can only say, "Hat looks great, Dan!" I go out with confidence every day.

 

[Edward]

The best rule to go by is that everyone looks good in a hat but not everybody looks good in the same hat.

Bravo! This hits it in a nutshell; the link posted above is good too. Another thing I'd think of is what hat would fit with your general style: if you're a Schott Perfecto and jeans guy, a grey herringbone tweed cap will likely work better than a high-crowned, wide-brimmed fedora.... Of course, chances are if you take to hats the way most do round here, you could well end up finding you're basing your wardrobe choices around the hat rather than matching the hat to the clothes. I've certainly done that myself on days when I want to wear a specific hat....

As to the wife, something the boys on a guitar forum I occasionally frequent have always said is: "It's easier to beg forgiveness than seek permission". The only females I live with are both felines, and as long as the Big Cat keeps the sandbox clean and the food bowl topped up, my girls don't much care how he looks.

 

[HodgePodge]

Find a cute girl that works in a hat shop and ask her. She is not already mad at you or holding a grudge and will give you an honest opinion-LOL!

No, but she does have a ve$ted intere$t in seeing you walk out the door wearing a hat, even if it doesn't suit you as well as she tells you it does.

 

[Shangas]

I had to check and yes there is an app for that.

hat apps

The village hat shop use to have a try on hat web page but I could not find it online anymore link to the website doesn't link to that page any more.

That WAS supposed to be a joke, but okay! Wow....that was unexpected.

 

[randooch]

I'd ask that you post a picture of yourself wearing one, then sit back and enjoy all the commentary from us.

 

[MikeBravo]

My suggestion is to look in this forum at the Show us your new hat, and the What hat are you wearing today threads, as well as people's profile pictures.

Look for people with similar features to yourself and see what looks good on them. Chances are it will look good on you too

Don't be afraid to post pics and ask opinions on FL, you will get honest answers with no rudeness. Never trust a sales person about what looks good, they have a vested interest in a sale.

When buying hats (not that I have that many), I like to look at a full length mirror to see the overall effect rather than just a head-only view

Hope that helps

 

[Omne]

I'm sure I'll get some clever answers to this basic question, but I truly don't know the answer. My wife won't let me buy a panama of any kind -- she thinks they look pretentious -- so obviously she isn't the person to ask. I'm going to get one anyway (don't tell her), but my question really applies to my experience today. I went into the biggest hat shop I know of here in San Diego (Village Hat Shop), and the pickings are slim. Panama selections are nonexistent, so I looked at fur fedoras, a couple of Stetson rabbit furs and a beaver. Those were the best they had. I don't have a fedora, no Panama, only several Tilleys that I wear whenever I go outside for any length of time (hair's mostly gone, skin cancer a problem). So nothing in my experience to judge a fedora. Somewhere on this forum I saw a reference to a chart that supposedly told you what hat looks best with the shape of your face, but I can't find it, despite a long time on the search function. Can anybody direct me to it? I don't know if I trust what the salesman told me.
Thanks.
Dennis

I just got into hats last Spring. I had the same problem as you, well except that my wife was the one that wanted me to wear the hat. I didn't have any idea of what looked good and asked for advice from my wife, the salesman, a couple of customers, etc. I got different opinions of course. Eventually I thought ya know, I'm going to buy the hat that I like when I look in the mirror, I'm the one wearing it so everyone else could deal with it. I decided that I liked medium to shorter crowns and medium brims (2-2.5"). So far the responses have been that I look good in them. When I went to Mike's store in TN we ended up with a medium crown and a 2 3/8 brim for the customs.

Buy the hat that makes you feel good when you look in the mirror.

 

[avedwards]

With the exception of hats with extreme proportions (super wide or super narrow brims or the like) I think most hats with moderate proportions can suit most people. I know there's some chart saying that certain hats suit certain face shapes better but I knowingly ignored the advice on it and bought a hat which apparently shouldn't suit my head shape but I ended up with a lot of compliments from the experienced hat wearers on here. My basic advice is therefore that nearly any hat can be shaped or adjusted to suit you if you feel comfortable in it.

 

[RBH]

With the exception of hats with extreme proportions (super wide or super narrow brims or the like) I think most hats with moderate proportions can suit most people. I know there's some chart saying that certain hats suit certain face shapes better but I knowingly ignored the advice on it and bought a hat which apparently shouldn't suit my head shape but I ended up with a lot of compliments from the experienced hat wearers on here. My basic advice is therefore that nearly any hat can be shaped or adjusted to suit you if you feel comfortable in it.

Well said.

 

[fluteplayer07]

+1

The cliched answer is that, if you can wear the hat, instead of the hat wearing you, then generally it produces a pleasant effect. When you wear a hat with confidence, it shows. Other people can tell you're comfortable, so they see the hat as an extension of you as opposed to an object sitting on your head. A big part of it is confidence. That's not to say you can pull of any style, but feeling good in a hat is half the battle. The same thing that avedwards said.

 

[HatsEnough]

"Pretentious"?? That is not a apt description of a Panama hat! A straw is almost never considered a formal hat and "formal" is closer to the definition of the word pretentious" than informal is. I can see a Homburg or a topper being "pretentious" in certain use, but not a Panama.

 

[avedwards]

"Pretentious"?? That is not a apt description of a Panama hat! A straw is almost never considered a formal hat and "formal" is closer to the definition of the word pretentious" than informal is. I can see a Homburg or a topper being "pretentious" in certain use, but not a Panama.

I agree. Plus if Dennis has to wear a hat anyway he might as well wear one that looks good. Not that a Tilley hat doesn't look good but I find it looks out of place in a city.