Two Foxes Guide: Discovering the Perfect Hat for your Face & Body
This is a guide to help you discover what hat might look best on you. It is full of suggestions to help you shop, but feel free to wear whatever hat suits your style best! If you see information telling you to avoid tall hats for instance, but you like tall hats, try pulling it down low on your forehead to cut down on some of the length. Always try hats on in different ways; pull it down low, push it back to your hairline, put it at an angle. That will help you to see what you like best.
In working out what face shape you have, you might find you have a blend of shapes. Everyone is different, so try finding the features that you want to balance out.
If you have a long face, avoid narrow or tall hat styles. Balance the length of your face with a wider brim and wear the hat across your forehead, not back on your head.
If you have a short face, avoid styles that sit too close to your head. Try taller crowns and wear the hat farther back on your head, towards your hairline.
Remember your size! Body size is an important part of choosing a hat.
A larger person shouldn't wear a small, narrow hat or you will look automatically bigger. Instead, wear a longer brim and a fedora that has a wider pinch.
A tall and slim person will benefit from avoiding tall crowns, choose a more shallow crown with a medium length, down turned brim.
A smaller person will look childish in a hat that is too wide. Try choosing medium or short brims, upturned brims with taller crowns if you're short, and pinched fedoras.
Do you have a big nose? Choose a hat with a wider brim to balance it out. Fedoras should have a wider pinch and down turned brim.
If you have a pointy chin, choose a hat that's not too pointy or it will mirror the shape of the chin. A medium crown with a wider pinch and a medium brim will look good. Avoid big full styles.
With big ears you should avoid small hats and short brims. Choose a hat that has a wider, down turned brim.
Face Shapes
Diamond
The diamond shape has a narrow forehead, wide cheekbones and a narrow jawline.
With this shape you want to create length. Avoid hats that are narrow and short or floppy brims. Try wearing a hat farther back on your head by your hairline instead of across your forehead. Shallow crowns work well for this. Try a fedora with a shallow crown, moderate brim and wider pinch, a beanie worn at your hairline, or a fuller style newsboy cap.
Heart
The heart shape is widest and the forehead with round cheeks and a narrow jawline. A very petite face.
With this shape the key is not to overwhelm the face. Wide brims will enhance the wideness of the forehead and cheeks, so try shorter brims. You would look nice with all varieties of caps, a fedora with a short brim, cloche and bucket hats. You can wear lots of styles as long as the brim doesn't overwhelm your face.
Circle
The circular face is short and round. The width and length of the face is equal with round cheeks.
With this shape you want to create length and balance out the roundness. Choose a hat with a wide crown, anything wider than your face to distract from the roundness. Avoid round shapes that mimic the roundness of the face and pointy crowns. Instead of wearing your hat across your forehead, pull it back on your head to your hairline. Shallow crowns are good for this look, fedoras with a wide pinch, asymmetrical shapes. Try a homburg, pork pie or newsboy cap. Hats with oversized pom-poms or long slouchy beanies create length
Oval
The oval face is long and has a wider forehead than chin with soft curves on the sides of the face.
With this shape you want to balance the length of the face with medium to wide brims. Avoid short brims and narrow or too tall crowns. Try wearing flat caps and any hat with an ample brim. This shape benefits from wearing hats across the forehead, cutting down on the length of the face.
A variety of styles will look good, so play around!
rectangle
The rectangle face is long and has a forehead, cheekbones and jaw that are the same width with angular lines.
With this shape you want to balance the length of the face with medium to wide brims. Avoid short brims and narrow or too tall crowns. Try wearing flat caps and any hat with an ample brim. This shape benefits from wearing hats across the forehead, cutting down on the length of the face.
A variety of styles will look good, so play around!
Square
The square face is short and angular with a forehead, cheekbones and jawline of equal proportions.
With this shape you want to balance the angular lines with softer, rounder shapes. Avoid angular, narrow and tightly pinched crowns. Try baseball and newsboy caps, berets, beanies, cloches and bowlers, pork pies, asymmetrical brims and floppy hats.