How to Choose Hats for Your Face Shape (with Pictures) - wikiHow (2024)

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1Determining Your Face Shape

2Measuring Your Face

3Selecting a Hat for Your Face Shape

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Article Summary

Co-authored bySarah McDonald

Last Updated: December 16, 2022References

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Most of you may have had trouble buying a hat: The hat looks absolutely incredible and super chic on the mannequin, and you realize painfully later that the hat worn around your head looks infinitely unsatisfactory. Then you are stuck in the vicious cycle wherein every hat seems odd or silly on you. You have become hat-paranoid. It's time to turn over a new leaf and resume the adventure. By picking a flattering hat based on your face shape, you can add flair and sharpness to your appearance.

Things You Should Know

  • Try a variety of hats if you have an oval or triangle face shape. Most hats flatter these faces, so it comes down to personal preference and style.
  • Go with an asymmetrical style, like a fedora or baseball cap, to balance a round face. For a heart-shaped face, try a fedora, cloche, or beanie.
  • Soften the edges of a square face by wearing a hat with a rounded brim. Sunhats, cowboy hats, and cloches are great options.
  • For an oblong face, try a hat with a flared brim and low crown, such as a sunhat, a cloche, or a large-brimmed fedora.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Determining Your Face Shape

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  1. 1

    Examine your face shape. You can have an "oval", "round", "oblong", "heart-shaped", "square", or "triangle" face. Read on to learn which type of face you have, and which hat would work best for its shape.

  2. 2

    Look for an “oval face.” An oval face will have a length that is roughly one and a half times greater than your face width. The forehead is a bit larger than the jawline, and the angle of the jaw is a bit more round. An oval face will look like an egg.[1]

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  3. 3

    Look for a “round face.” A round face will be the same width and length. A round face has a round chin, full cheeks, and around the hairline. It makes you look younger than other shapes.[2]

  4. 4

    Look for an “oblong face.” 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 feature high foreheads.[3]

  5. 5

    Look for a “heart-shaped face.” This face shape is very common. In a heart-shaped face, the chin is the narrowest part. A heart-shaped face has a broad forehead and/or wide cheekbones, and pointy chin.

  6. 6

    Look for a “square face.” A square-shaped face has a length almost equal to its width. The distance from forehead to chin and from cheek to cheek are roughly the same.[4]

  7. 7

    Look for a “triangle face.” Triangular faces will be characterized by a large jawline, slightly smaller cheekbones, and the smallest forehead. A triangle face may be any length. Triangle-shaped faces are also known as pear-shaped faces.[5]

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  1. 1

    Measure your forehead. Using a tape measure, measure across your forehead. Measure from the peak of one eyebrow arch to the arch-peak of the opposite eyebrow. Write down that number.[6]

  2. 2

    Measure your cheekbones. Using a tape measure, measure the distance across your upper cheeks. Start and end at the bump below the outside corner of each eye. Write down that number.[7]

  3. 3

    Measure your jawline. Using a tape measure, measure from the bottom tip of your chin to the bottom of your ears. Stop at the place where your jaw angles upward. Multiply that number by two. Write down that number. This is your “jawline.”[8]

  4. 4

    Measure your face-length. Using a tape measure, measure from the center of your forehead (at your hairline) to the bottom tip of your chin. Write down that number.[9]

  5. 5

    Ask yourself three questions. Using these measurements as a guide, ask yourself the following:[10]

    • What is the widest part of my face?
    • What is the shape of my jaw?
    • How long is my face? Is it longer than it is wide, and if so, by how much?
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Selecting a Hat for Your Face Shape

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  1. 1

    Choose hats for an “oval face.” Feel free to try all kinds of hats! You are blessed with a very versatile look! Pick up whatever suits your mood, as long as the hat is in harmony with your outfit. Women with oval faces can top off any hat.

    • The possibilities are limitless! It only depends on your personal preferences.
    • Experiment with earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.
  2. 2

    Choose hats for a “round face.” Add some asymmetry to your look. You can perfectly handle a fedora, a newsboy hat, or a baseball cap. This symmetrical face cries out for a new angle: asymmetry. The roundness requires a slimming treatment.[11]

    • Steer clear of round crowns, which can emphasize the roundness of your face.
    • It is wise to select a hat with a high crown and straight brim to give your face more angles.
    • Your main goal is to choose a hat that helps distract people's attention from your facial curves.
    • Slanting your hat forward draws out your face and gives a touch of definition.
  3. 3

    Choose hats for an “oblong face.” Try a hat with a flared brim and low crown, such as a sunhat, a cloche, or a fedora with a large brim. The large brim of a sunhat may well offset the length of a long face.

    • Avoid any hats with tall crowns, which only elongate your face even more.
    • A cloche worn low to your eyebrows can help conceal your high forehead, and, like sorcery, create an impression of the shortened face.
    • The large brim of the fedora also counterbalances vertical curves.
  4. 4

    Choose hats for a “heart-shaped face.” Go with a medium brimmed hat, such as a fedora with a medium-sized brim, a boater, a cloche, a homburg, a beanie, or a beret. These are all good choices! These hats balance out the width of your forehead.

    • Slanting the hat to one side will slim your face and draw attention to the eyes.
    • Actually, any type will work well on you except those with large brims.
    • Avoid shapes that accentuate the shape. Stay away from wide brims that only accentuate your forehead and narrow your chin.
  5. 5

    Choose hats for a “square face.” Experiment with circular styles. Your defined and symmetrical face requires circular features to soften the edges of the face. Round crown and brim will do the trick, smoothing a boxy face and inducing the illusion of height and roundness.[12]

    • Opt for a sunhat, a cowboy hat, a homburg, a cloche, or a toque, which gives you a feminine and flirty touch.
    • A beret will elongate and cushion your facial contour.
    • Tilting the hat off to one side breaks up the symmetry pattern of your square face.
    • A sunhat with a pair of sunglasses and a flowing maxi dress adds boho-chic to your ensemble. It is a perfect combination for your beach vacation.
    • Don't wear a hat with a short brim, no brim, or a square hat. These two types of hats will both emphasize your angular face shape.
  6. 6

    Choose hats for a “triangle face.” Feel free to try many hats. A triangle face is like an oval face shape that the options are virtually endless when it comes to a hat. Make sure your hat brings balance to your shoulder line, and accent to your garment.

    • Never gets close to a crown that is narrower than the cheekbones.
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  • Question

    I'm meeting a personnel manager for the first time for coffee, should I leave my fedora on or off?

    How to Choose Hats for Your Face Shape (with Pictures) - wikiHow (24)

    Community Answer

    A gentleman always takes his hat off when he steps inside. A lady usually leaves her hat on as it is part of her outfit.

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  • Question

    When in a first business meeting, should I keep my fedora on or take it off?

    How to Choose Hats for Your Face Shape (with Pictures) - wikiHow (25)

    Community Answer

    Depending on cultural customs, the hat can be kept on when greeting other meeting participants, if the greeting is done with a handshake manner. Recommendations in the 'gold-period' of hat wearing was removing the hat in a nonchalant manner before shaking hands with someone, preferably so that the person in question does see the hat removal. This signaled dignified respect without theatrical showmanship.

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    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

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  • Question

    What hats are good for short hair and glasses?

    How to Choose Hats for Your Face Shape (with Pictures) - wikiHow (26)

    Community Answer

    I would suggest a fedora, or beanie. However, a wide-brimmed sunhat might work as well.

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    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

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      References

      1. http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/lifestyle/beauty/19674_learn_how_to_measure_your_face_shape/
      2. http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2012/05/3-steps-to-finding-your-face-s.html
      3. https://www.birchbox.com/magazine/article/how-to-determine-face-shape-men
      4. http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2012/05/3-steps-to-finding-your-face-s.html
      5. https://www.birchbox.com/magazine/article/how-to-determine-face-shape-men
      6. https://www.birchbox.com/magazine/article/how-to-determine-face-shape-men
      7. http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/lifestyle/beauty/19674_learn_how_to_measure_your_face_shape/
      8. http://optical.com/eyeglasses/eyeglass-frames/picking-the-right-frames/how-to-measure-face-shape/
      9. https://www.birchbox.com/magazine/article/how-to-determine-face-shape-men

      More References (3)

      About This Article

      How to Choose Hats for Your Face Shape (with Pictures) - wikiHow (38)

      Co-authored by:

      Sarah McDonald

      Certified Stylist & Image Consultant

      This article was co-authored by Sarah McDonald. Sarah McDonald is a Certified Stylist and Image Consultant and the Owner of Pivotal Style. She helps both men and women feel confident through clothing by guiding them on how to dress based on body type, color tone, lifestyle, and personal and professional goals. Sarah received her Image and Style Professional Certification from The Fashion Stylist Institute. This article has been viewed 575,608 times.

      50 votes - 71%

      Co-authors: 22

      Updated: December 16, 2022

      Views:575,608

      Categories: Featured Articles | Fashion Accessories

      Article SummaryX

      To choose a hat to suit a round face, add a bit of asymmetry with a fedora hat or baseball cap. Alternatively, if your face is wider than it is long, go for hats with flared brims and a low crown, like a cloche or sunhat, . However, if your forehead is wider than your chin, meaning you have a heart-shaped face, try wearing a homburg or beanie as these hats help to balance out the width of your forehead. If you have an oval face, which is about 1 1/2 times longer than it is wide, choose any hat you like because your face is very versatile. For tips on how to measure your face to determine its shape, read on!

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      How to Choose Hats for Your Face Shape (with Pictures) - wikiHow (2024)

      FAQs

      How do I choose a hat for my face shape? ›

      For a heart-shaped face, try a fedora, cloche, or beanie. Soften the edges of a square face by wearing a hat with a rounded brim. Sunhats, cowboy hats, and cloches are great options. For an oblong face, try a hat with a flared brim and low crown, such as a sunhat, a cloche, or a large-brimmed fedora.

      How to find face shape from photo? ›

      To identify your face shape without using filters, you can measure key facial dimensions like forehead, cheekbones, jawline, and face width. Compare these measurements to determine your face shape. Alternatively, AI face shape detector tools analyze facial features from photos or live camera feeds for accurate results.

      Is there an app for trying on hats? ›

      TRYO's virtual 3D try on feature lets users see what shoes, glasses, hats and more look like realistically on themselves instead of pictures of models. Find 3D products from your favorite brands in hundreds of styles with just a few taps.

      What kind of hat is best for a long face? ›

      The best hats for a long face are deeper fitting styles, such as the cloche, beret, caps and baker boy, to balance out narrow proportions and add width. Avoid hats with high crowns, such as fedoras, as they can over-elongate the face.

      What hat is best for a chubby face? ›

      Finding your most flattering hat is about finding a shape that brings harmony and balance to your proportions. Hats with angular silhouettes, high crowns and short brims provide sharpness and length, so consider a cap, boater, fedora or bucket hat as your next go-to headpiece for round faces.

      Which face shape looks attractive? ›

      While the concept of beauty varies across cultures and individuals, research suggests that oval-shaped faces are often favoured in terms of attractiveness. However, it's essential to remember that every face shape has its own unique charm.

      How should I get my hat shaped? ›

      If you're trying to shape a felt or straw hat, use steam to loosen the fibers in the hat and shape it with your hands. To shape a baseball cap, use your hands, hot water, or even a coffee mug to bend the hat however you'd like.

      How to choose a hat for a woman? ›

      The first rule of hat buying is that you should choose one proportional to your body. Your hat should balance out your dimensions rather than exaggerate them. Tall crowns and upturned brims are lengthening, while wide and down turned brims make you appear shorter.

      What hats look good on oval faces? ›

      Classic hats for an oval face include fedoras, sun hats, and wide-brimmed hats. But for something more adventurous, try a bowler hat, pork pie hat beret, flat cap or bucket hat.

      Which cap is best for my face? ›

      For thin faces, just avoid on the contrary caps that are too much puffed-out in order to prevent the "mushroom" effect. You will prefer a narrow cap (duckbill, hatteras, English cap). On a square, angular face, you will need to soften the facial features with more rounded shapes such as the duckbilled cap.

      What hats look good on heart shaped faces? ›

      With a heart-shaped face, you want to aim for hats that have a medium-length brim, as they will provide your face with a sense of balance. These can be anything from a neat fedora to a classic baseball cap. Meanwhile, you'll want to avoid hats with very large brims if you have a heart shape.

      Why don't hats look good on me? ›

      The perfect hat will magically manifest itself when you consider two things: your face shape and your body structure. Small-framed folks are overwhelmed by high crowns and big brims. Wide shoulder guys can rock a bigger hat profile. Tiny brims (called “stingy” brims) often look comical.

      What face shape looks good with baseball caps? ›

      A baseball cap, newsboy, or fedora flatters a heart-shaped face.

      How do I know what face shape I am? ›

      How to Find Your Face Shape. You can determine your face shape by measuring the widest parts of your face. If the widest part of your face is your cheekbones, you might have an oval or diamond face shape. If it's your forehead or chin, you might have a heart-shaped or triangle face shape.

      What factors to consider when choosing a hat? ›

      The key to finding the right hat is to start by identifying your head shape, so you can narrow down your search. You'll also want to consider your hairstyle and length, as well as the occasion. The good news is that you have limitless options to match your needs.

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