Hats are like love. There’s a hat out there for everyone…and once you find it, you’ll know.
We’re good at playing matchmaker. We want to help you find the perfect hat.
If you’re looking for a little hat love, read this guide to get started. We’ll walk you through the basics. Or just come into one of our hat shops and we’ll take it from there.
Widest at the cheekbones, your face is highly angular, with a narrow forehead and a tapered chin. A moderate to wide brim with a pinched crown may be the best hat style for you.
An oblong face is longer than it is wide, with fairly straight lines running from temple to jaw, and a round chin.
Try hats with a flared brim like wide brim fedoras, or hats like newsboys and cloches that sit low on the forehead. Avoid hats with narrow or flat brims, as these will overemphasize the long lines of your face.
Your face is about as wide as it is long, with a wide forehead, full cheeks, and a rounded chin.
Try balancing out this face shape with a more angular hat. Because your face is very symmetrical, you can easily wear asymmetrical shapes, such as hats with a high crown and peaked or slanted brim. You can further accentuate this effect by slanting your hat forward. Avoid tall rounded crowns or wide crowns and brims, which will accentuate the roundness of your face.
Everyone knows their shoe size. Hats? Not so much. But with a few quick measurements, you will know your hat size which, unlike your waist size, will stay the same for the rest of your life.
Simply measure the circumference of your head in inches or centimeters, holding the tape or string snug, but not too tight, just above your ears – which is right about where your hat will sit. The job is made easier if you can recruit the neighbor or a friendly cop to take the measurements for you. If none is available, use a mirror and measure several times to ensure accuracy. Then consult the chart below to determine your equivalent size.
| XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centimeters | 54 | 55.5 | 57 | 59 | 61 | 63 |
| Inches | 21 1/4 | 21 5/8 | 22 1/2 | 23 1/4 | 24 | 24 7/8 |
| UK Hat Sizes | 6 5/8 | 6 3/4 | 7 | 7 1/4 | 7 1/2 | 7 3/4 |
| USA Hat Sizes | 6 3/4 | 6 7/8 | 7 1/8 | 7 3/8 | 7 5/8 | 7 7/8 |
| Small/Medium | Medium/Large | One Size (OS) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centimeters | 50 - 52 | 52 - 54 | 50 - 54 |
| Inches | 19 5/8 - 20 1/2 | 20 1/2 - 21 1/4 | 19 5/8 - 21 1/4 |
The measurement of weaves in a woven straw. The lower the BU number, the tighter the weave in the paper straw, thus making it a higher quality.
A soft, wide, circular cap made from felt, felted jersey or fabric, sure to give the wearer an air of intelligence and timeless style. Trés Chic!
A flat-topped hat with a small flat brim, traditionally made of stiffened straw. Some call it a skimmer, but by any name this hat will always be the quintessential summer style.
The projecting edge of a hat, sometimes called a peak. Keep it low down for that air of mystery or up a but higher for unmistakable confidence.
Made famous by the heroes of America’s favorite pastimes, fans soon brought this hat off the field to make it the most popular, casual style.
The frontal portion that sticks outward from the body of the cap, shading the eyes; usually made of plastic.
“Going against the grain, no longer conforming but committing to taking risks. Bold is being comfortable in your skin where everyone feels your self-assurance and confidence. Bold is being you.”- Ben Goorin
Little diamonds/squares, simple in design, but perceived as a fine weave and light. This allows air to travel through the hat. Think of brisa as a breeze.
A tight-fitting, casual knit cap that’s cozy and protects from the cold. In Canada it is called a toque.
The term used to describe the action of creating or forming a hat shape. Often, a block made of wooden form is used as a mold to shape a brim or crown, by hand.
An oval hat with a round, rigid crown and a small, curved brim. If you’re stateside, be sure to call it a derby- bowlers are strictly British.
Stiff netting used to make hats. Look on the underside of the fancy fascinator and you’ll probably find it’s buckram anchoring the entire affair.
A hat with a small brim at the front. It could be an ivy, a gatsby, or a baseball.
The indent on the top of the crown, dictating the shape of the hat.
Hats sewn together from a pieces of fabric using an existing pattern. Cut & sew describes most hats that aren’t created using blocking.
The word cloche is French for bell, which describes the shape perfectly. An open crown hat with a stingy to moderate sized brim. Most cloches have an asymmetrical brim.
The top portion of a hat that has a brim.
A fedora-style hat with a high crown and wide brim originally worn by cowhands in the American West.
Herringbone in design, using a little more straw, and slightly heavier than Brisa panamas. Cuenca is also not as fine a weave as brisa. We don’t carry cuenca in our current collection.
Darts are folds (tucks coming to a point) and sewn into fabric to take in ease and improve fit to a cap, especially the back of a low profile ivy.
A custom shape frame, molded from metal and sharpened along one side. This device is used to cut materials to its shape with consistency.
Putting a hat on one’s head, something you must remember to do after doffing it to a passerby.
A hunting cap with visors at the front and back, as well as earflaps that can be tied up over the head. It’s Sherlock Holmes’ signature hat.
Die cutting is the process of using a die to shear webs of low-strength materials, such as rubber, fiber, foil, cloth, paper, corrugated fiberboard, paperboard, plastics, pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes, foam and sheet metal.
The indent on the front of the crown usually creating the pinch.
Partially removing a hat as a sign of respect or greeting, the perfect way to say hello to friends and neighbors as you go about your day.
Fabric trim sewn onto the edge of the brim, traditionally grosgain.
Carve, mold or stamp a design on a surface so that it stands out in relief. We often emboss our leather hats.
Often oversized, these are fabric scissors for cutting cloth which produces a serrated edge so that the fabric doesn’t fray.
A brimmed hat that wraps entirely around a pinched crown that effortlessly elevates any outfit. This hat is still the most prevalent shape because it can be so easily suited to one’s personality and features.
This open crown hat features a soft, wide brim that provides plenty of shade. A staple beach hat for woman during the warmer months.
An elaborately trimmed hair decoration on a band, clip or comb. Fascinators debuted in the mid-1800’s as an alternative to evening hats and were very popular from the turn of the century through WWI. They came back into fashion briefly in the 1950’s and 1960’s before disappearing. They have enjoyed a recent resurgence thanks to British royalty wearing them in the past decade for formal function.
Raw wool that has been drenched in soapy water and agitated into a firm mat. Since wool hairs are made up of scales, this process loosens and then locks together scales from individual hairs to create a thick, strong, non-woven material. The fabric has been used for centuries; it was likely discovered when raw wool placed in shoes to prevent blisters turned into felt naturally through the sweat and agitation of heavy walking. Care: same as wool.
A brimmed hat that wraps entirely around a pinched crown that effortlessly elevates any outfit. This hat is still the most prevalent shape because it can be so easily suited to one’s personality and features.
Each style of flat cap fits a different face shape and outfit. Although this shape has changed throughout the years it stays true to its original purpose; convenience as an everyday cap. This is the essential hat, just grab it and go.
Traditionally designed with 8 panels, a top button, and a bill; this is a voluminous cap also known as the newsboy, paperboy, newsie, or apple cap.
Often called Prince of Wales plaid, glen plaid was created for country wear by English nobles in Scotland who lacked a family tartan (see plaid). Named after the valley of Glenurquhart in Inverness-shire, Scotland.
(GROW-grain) A strong, heavy corded fabric characterized by its ribbed appearance. Grosgrain is made from wool, silk, or a combination of fibers. While historically it had a wide variety of uses, it is now most commonly used for ribbon
Similar to a boater, though made of wool or fur felt. This hat has a circular, flat crown and a wide, flat brim.
Originally a specialized soldier, first established as a distinct role in the mid to late 17th Century, for throwing grenades and sometimes special assault operations. At that time grenadiers were chosen from the strongest and lowest soldiers.
A printed or dyed fabric that is known for its checked patterns of white and a bold color. It is traditionally made of medium weight cotton.
A metal or plastic eyelet placed in a hole in a panel for a stampede strap to pass through or to allow ventilation through the panel.
Traditionally, a shop that sells men’s clothes and accessories.
Established in 2015, the hat flip was conceived by Ben Goorin. Hats were tossed, flipped, traded, and worn as a response to a verbal announcement. Repeat as often as necessary to keep things exciting.
A V-shaped twill weaving pattern that forms the appearance of a broken zigzag and is most commonly used in suiting.
Hair from a horse’s mane or tail traditionally used for millinery. Now refers to a synthetic imitation of horse hair.
The band wrapped around the shoulder of the hat, visually separating the body from the brim, traditionally grosgrain.
The machine that blocks/molds the hat body with the desired crown shape using air pressure, heat, or electricity.
Formal hat made of felt with a narrow, upturned brim and a depression in the top.
A two-tone textile pattern of broken checks or abstract four-pointed shapes. It originated in the Scottish Lowlands but is popular worldwide. The traditional houndstooth weave is very strong.
A wooden or alloy block carved into the desired crown shape. Its used by milliners to shape the crown and let the shape set.
(From the heritage collection) To create a heathered finish, raw wool fibers are dyed in various concentrations of tones and colors. After the wool is dyed, it runs through a carding machine where the fibers separate and mix, creating a long blanket of evenly spaced wool. In the machine, the colors blend, creating a heathered finish. Have your customers check out the beautiful dye variations!
A cone of felt or straw for blocking hats, shaped into form in the blocking process.
These close fitting, knitted or crocheted caps are worn for warmth and comfort.
Additional trim on the inside of a hat traditionally made of satin or silk
(From the heritage collection) This is the basic wool felt. The weight is lighter and only minimum amount of shellac is applied to maintain the shape of the wool.
(From the heritage collection) Touch it, it has the look and feel of fur, cruelty free. The wool is stretched to imitate fur felt, but is cruelty free because wool is sheared and the sheep are not harmed. Note the natural sheen of the wool. This develops when stretching the wool fibers. Because the wool is stretched, it is not water resistant or packable. The wool fibers may start curling if they get wet, changing the texture of the felt.
The yarn is produced by combining two single roving/stubbling (lightly twisted) yarns of different colors or lusters together into a single yarn that has the appearance of a two-toned candy-cane or mottled effect.
(From the heritage collection) This is a slightly heavier wool than most of the Heritage hats. Heavier meaning the wool is more condensed than a lite felt. It’s more of a fashion hat, not considered to be so durable. Shellac is applied to this hat making the design crisp and the brim sharp. Morefelt is not packable.
An instrument used to measure the inside diameter of a hat in order to determine its finished size.
The craft of making hats, refined into an art form through hundreds of years of feathers, frills and felting.
The edge of the brim where the material is folded above the brim and sewn.
A straw hat hand-woven in Ecuador from paja toquilla (toquilla straw). The craft of making Panamas has been passed down through generations for centuries.
A small brimless hat with high, flat sides and a circular shape. It debuted in the 1910s, but it hits stride in the 1950s. First Lady Jackie Kennedy-Onassis popularized this hat in the 1950s.
A pattern of woven cloth consisting of crossed horizontal and vertical bands of varying widths in two or more colors. Tartan is the most common type and originated in Scotland, where families or clans traditionally had their own unique plaid pattern; tartans are woven into a plaid pattern. Gingham consists of an even square check of white and a bold color, usually on medium- to light-weight cotton. Madras is a printed plaid used primarily in summer fabrics and uses deeply saturated or bright colors.
A piece of fabric that is part of a hat.
Where the material comes together, traditionally in the front of the crown.
A hat with a circular crown and a brim. Porkpies can have a telescope or diamond crown.
In sewing and fashion design, a pattern is the template from which the parts of a panel are traced onto fabric before being cut out and assembled.
A helmet of cork or pith (dried spongy tissue from the sola plant) and covered with cloth. Some call it a safari helmet in reference to the British imperialists who wore it in the plains and jungles of colonial Africa.
The unfinished edge of the brim. There is no seam sewn, the material is cut to its edge.
Ribbon refers to a type of weave that is braided, commonly found in straw hats.
A short metal pin or bolt for fastening together two plates of metal (our castle pins).
Salome fur is the natural length of the rabbit’s hair. Salome rabbit should not get wet, be Raindried, or get brushed. Salome fur should be treated as a dress hat.
Woven fabric with a permanent pucker that is traditionally cotton, but can also be polyester. It is most often a stripe pattern and is used for summer sportswear
–A cord, traditionally leather, that wraps half way around the hat and through the brim ending under the chin. This secures the hat tight during activity and high wind or can allow it to drape resting on one’s back when not being worn on the head.
A very tall 19th-century top hat made popular by President Lincoln. The style never recovered from his death, but its legacy lives on with its most famous wearer.
The band inside the hat that is pressed against the forehead.
A paneled cloth cap originating in elite British schools, now a casual and stylish alternative to the flat cap or cadet.
Sheep shearing is the process by which the woolen fleece of a sheep is cut off. The person who removes the sheep’s wool is called a shearer. Typically each adult sheep is shorn once each year.
A device used to direct a jet of hot steam onto a hat to stretch or reshape easier.
(From the heritage collection) The difference between a sueded finish and a lite felt is the feel of the felt. It’s a light weight wool that is sueded on a buffer machine to imitate the touch of a short-haired fur finish.
(From the heritage collection) Each hat is unique. Multiple colors of wool are put through a carting machine to create a multi-colored body.
A line along which two panels of fabric are sewn together in a hat or cap.
The corner/angle where the brim meets the body of the hat.
(From the heritage collection) A heavier wool, entry level for a working cowboy’s hat because it is more durable. Since the hat is made with a heavier wool, there’s additional labor in production. This is one reason for the higher price point.
The rabbit hair is sueded on a buffer machine, leaving a smooth texture. Sueded rabbit should not get wet or be rain-dried. Sueded rabbit has very little durability against the elements and should be treated as a dress hat.
The label or graphic on the inside of a hat that’s place directly in the center of the crown.
A rough-surfaced cloth woven from woolen yarn, typically of mixed flecked colors, originally produced in Scotland, England, and Ireland.
A tall cylindrical hat with a narrow brim and the most popular among gentlemen of every sort until the bowler supplanted it in the late 1800s.
An 18th-century hat with a wide brim folded up to form three points. While it originated as a Spanish military style, it will be forever remembered as the Founding Fathers’ favorite headwear.
The underside portion of the brim or bill.
The edge of the brim where the material is folded under the brim and sewn.
The practice of interlacing long threads or straw.
