How to Wear a Hat

Headwear Style Tips to Suit Your Face, Figure and Outfits

Jun 24, 2009
Gill Hart

Girl in Red Beret - Krasphoto

When it comes to hats, there are two kinds of women, those who wear them and those who don't! Give or take the odd wedding or two! However, how many women wear them well?

These days it is de rigueur to wear a hat, not only for a special occasion. Hats are hip – from floppy brimmed ones to trilbies to berets. So be brave. The next trick is to learn how to look good in one?

A hat is one of the strongest accessories statements you can make. It can also make or break an outfit. According to milliner Stephen Jones, women often rush into buying a hat, giving the purchase less thought than the rest of their outfit.

Selecting the right hat takes time yet most women spend very little choosing one. There are a number of things to take into consideration, such as your figure, the shape of your face, and the style of the outfit itself.

The angle you wear a hat can also make a big difference. For example, this year’s popular berets, which should sit jauntily on the head, with a military tilt. Never wear a hat perched on the back of your head, ease it on from the forehead

Style Tips for Wearing Hats

An inexperienced hat wearer should go into a hat department and try on every single style. Try hats at various different angles. If in doubt take a friend for (honest) advice. However here are a few tips to bear in mind:

If selecting a hat for a wedding or christening, remember that most people’s first view will be from the back.
Don’t try and match a hat to the color of your outfit, it is better to choose a hat which matches the style of it instead. Go for a hat which suits your skin tone and let the hat pick out a single shade in your outfit or accessories instead.
If wearing one of the latest trends in structured outfits, pick a hat with sleek, sharp lines to complement it, such as a trilby or boater (think Marc Jacobs). Feminine floaty summer dresses look great with a pretty, softer style, one that is adorned with ribbons or some kind of drapery.
Muted tones of cream, dove gray or lilac can be draining on women the wrong side of 30. Fuschia will give your face a reddish hue and apple green will give a pale complexion a greenish tinge. Bold colors are often better for more mature women.
Short figures need to keep hats delicate rather than overly large, to avoid doing an impersonation of a mushroom. A hat with a tall crown will also give the illusion of extra height. A lighter color will have the effect of making you look taller.
Full figured women need to go for wide brims, to balance out their silhouette.
Be careful not to let other accessories compete. If wearing a large hat don’t wear big earrings.

Hats to Suit Your Face Shape

Heart shapes faces suit all styles, although hats which sit high on the head are especially flattering.
Narrow faces need a style with a full, rounded crown such as a cloche hat (a fitted, bell-shaped hat worn low on the forehead, very popular in the ‘20s.)
Round faces do better with a broad brim as a brim wider than the face will balance it. Alternatively go for a hat with a narrow squared-off crown, like a fedora.
Wide faces best suit brimless off-the-face styles like berets.
Long faces need some feminine softness like feathers or a decorated headband.
Square faces need to balance out the jawline with an asymmetric hat.
Women who wear glasses look better a style which is turned up at the front, rather than a brim flopping over the face.
If you want to have fun with a hat then a panama is one of the styles which suits most face shapes.

Hat Proportions

According to style director of Grazia magazine, Paula Reed in her book Style Clinic (Harper & Collins 2009), getting balance and proportion is key. She advises that when wearing a statement hat it is best to keep your dress simple. Also, berets go well with slim pants, shift dresses and sweater dresses.

Experiment with Hat Styles

It is worth taking time to experiment with the hat shape which suits you best. Thesedays, there is no need to wait for a special occasion to wear a hat; it can be used for casual/daywear too. Best of all the right hat will give you some style-cred and extra confidence.

However, treat your hat like a pair of shoes. It needs to be worn in. Wear it around the house or garden and make sure you feel at-one with it. This way you will be mindful of potential problems (will it blow off etc?).