Here are some tips to help select the most flattering style for your face shape.
Face Shape
Choose
Avoid
Heart
Faces are wider at the forehead and narrow toward the jawline.
Cloches and pillbox styles, medium brims and neat crowns will also best balance your features. A slanted brim can help add width to the chin area.
Large crowns and wide brim, as these will accentuate the forehead and make the chin appear smaller.
Rectangle
Face is longer than it is wide and has fairly straight lines running from temple to jaw and a round chin.
Wear wide brims, cloches and berets. A deep crown, upward flared brim or saucer style hat worn at an angle will help cover the forehead and break up the length of the face.
Best to avoid tall or slim pointed crowns and narrow brims as they emphasize the length of the face.
Oval
Face is longer than it is wide Wider at the cheekbones and a narrower forehead and chin.
You are lucky – any style of hat will will suit you! Hats should be worn straight across the eyebrow or hairline.
Avoid tall or slim pointed crowns and a crown that is narrower than the cheekbones.
Round
Face as wide as it is long – wide forehead, full cheeks and a rounded chin.
The crown should be wider than the face, asymmetrical shapes or a slanted brim will balance the roundness and elongate the face.
Fedoras and cocktail hats are suitable styles.
Avoid tall or slim pointed crowns or wide crowns and brims as these will accentuate the roundness of the face.
Square
Defined by strong jawbone and wide cheekbones and forehead.
The crown should be wider hats with curvy lines and round shapes to soften these features. Asymmetrical and slanted brims can help as well.
Avoid boxy or structured hats with angles.
Other considerations
Generally asymmetrical hats that sweep across the face and rounded cocktail hats are flattering styles for most face shapes.
When selecting the right style of hat other considerations include hairstyle and figure, as well clothing. If you wear glasses, cocktail hats will work better than hats with a brim that sit close to the frame of the glasses.
Check out our online shop for inspiration.
Adapted from the The Hat Style Guide – The Hat Magazine (Issue 79, November 2018).