How to Choose a Hat

If the hat fits, wear it.

Hats are functional, fun and can add pizzazz to any outfit. They also keep your head warm or cool and hide a bad hair day. Unless you choose a hat with care, however, your hat could end up looking worse than your bad hair. A few simple tips and a quality selection are all you need to choose a hat that fits your needs, budget and style.

Instructions

1. Assess your head. This means taking a measuring tape around where you’d wear a headband if you need to determine your hat size. This also means determining the shape of your face, which will also play a key in your hat selection.

2. Decide what you need the hat for. If it’s to block out the summer sun, you’re going to want a lightweight hat with a brim. If it’s for winter chill, it should be a thick material that covers your ears. If it’s purely for show, like an Easter bonnet, simply go as far as your imagination lets you.

3. Pick a hat that compliments your head shape. Round faces should opt for hats with some height and shape, like a cowboy hat, to offset the roundness. Tall, thin faces should go round, like a newsboy cap or beret, to offset the elongation.

4. Make sure it serves its function. Even the funkiest winter hat will be a bust unless it fits securely and covers your ears. Sunhats are best when they are not black. No matter how cute a rain hat may appear, it does no lick of good unless it’s waterproof. Show bonnets should make people stand back and say “Wow.”

5. Opt for something you’ll actually wear. The bright pink leopard fedora may be fun, but can you actually see yourself trotting down the street in it? Plainer hats say just as much, and with more style, and can be worn with everything from jeans to a cute skirt and blouse.

Tips & Warnings

• Close-knit ski caps are usually not attractive on anyone, but they do keep you warm.

• Try to get a hat box with the hat so you can store it safely and dust free when not in use.

• If you have a lot of hats, you can devote a corner of the bedroom to hanging them. Not only will it keep them easy to access yet out of the way, but it makes for a fine piece of art.

• Women can opt for a man's hat, but make sure it fits properly or you'll look like you raided your dad's closet.

• If you see a hat you love but it’s too expensive, ask to see the same style in a different fabric or perhaps in a different brand that will cost you less. You are sure to find something similar that may suffice if you can’t spend a lot.

• Don’t let cost keep you from getting a hat you love. If taken care of properly, a quality hat can last many years.