I’m Not Really A Hat Person

Historically, milliners trained in balance & silhouette before fashion. The goal was always harmony between face, body and headwear.

Below gives you some advice on some of the types of hat that suit your face shape, however there are no hard and fast rules as it can depend on the colour of the hat, length, colour and style of your hair and the outfit and event you intend to wear the hat for.

Anyone can wear a hat!!

You only need to become familiar with your face shape and what hat shape suits you. Use the information here to determine your face shape, & what sort of hat shapes suit you best and how to wear them.

For balance, make sure that the brim isn’t generally much wider than your shoulder span.

OVAL

An oval face will have a length that is roughly one and a half times greater than the face width. The forehead is a bit larger than the jawline, and the angle of the jaw is a bit more round….imagine an egg shape

Try:

You’re fortunate – most styles work for you.

Wear hats straight across the brow or hairline

Wide brims and fitted crowns (creating an illusion of width & fullness)

Perchers with width (veiling clouds, or trims extending over the actual hat base)

TRIANGLE

Triangular faces will be characterised by a large jaw line, slightly smaller cheekbones and the smallest forehead. A triangle face may be any length. This shape face is also known as per-shaped

Try:

The same rules apply to triangular faces as oval faces. You can wear almost any hat!

ROUND

A round face will be the same width & length. A round face has a round chin, full cheeks and a round hairline

Try:

Hats with angles work well as they compliment the bone structure, creating a slimmer illusion to the face & distracting from facial curves

Asymmetrical lines are useful, as are slanting brims

Use trims to add height to slenderise the face

Wear buttons & perchers to the side/front to create an angle

SQUARE

A square-shaped face has a length almost equal to its width. The distance from forehead to chin and from cheek to cheek are approximately the same

Try:

Styles which soften the angles of the face

Curling/fluid lines and round shapes work well

Asymmetrical/slanted brims also help

Tilt your hat!

OBLONG

An oblong face will be longer than it is wide. The forehead, cheekbones and jawline of an oblong face will be similar in size. Oblong faces may have high foreheads.

Try:

A crown worn forwards or an upward flared brim or saucer style hat will help cover the forehead and break up the length of the face

A pillbox worn just above the eye at a tilt

Wide brims worn straight or forwards

Mix long asymmetrical lines & brims to help reduce the distance between the forehead and the chin

HEART-SHAPED

This face is very common. With a heart-shaped face, the chin is narrow and pointy with a broad forehead and/or wide cheekbones

Try:

Short brims & set angles compliment a more narrow looking jaw because the width doesn’t extend beyond the cheekbones and overwhelm the face

Wear a brim at an angle

REMEMBER……these are guides, not rules!! The final decision should be made in front of a mirror with expert guidance.