Hats have always had a connection with celebrities and national leaders, and Hollywood played a pivotal role in popularizing various hat styles. Top hats are again back in fashion, thanks to the backing of women who have created womens top hat by breaking the age-old norm of the hat being seen as an emblem of male style. However, the top hats that women adore now are much different in their appearance as the tall crown that made the hat famous has become much shorter. The curved brim continues to bear the legacy of the gentleman’s hat that had wide acceptance among all classes.
How good you look when wearing hats depends on your familiarity with the hat styles and hat materials to choose the right one. All hats do not look nice on all face shapes, and the physique of the person wearing the hat influences the selection, especially for the hat size. A too-large hat on a small and short body will look funny, and you must have the proper sense of proportion and aesthetics to select the most suitable hat that improves your appearance and looks fashionable. Hats are trendy because not only are these stylish items, but they have high utility too, like the sun hats. Hats are so versatile as a fashion accessory that they can dress up an outfit, flatter the face, and help create your style and even define it.
So, here we go to select the hat that would give you a feeling of getting a hat that is simply out of the earth.
Choose the hat style
With so many hat styles around, choosing a style might seem a daunting task as you wonder where to start. The first thing to remember is that hats are available for all occasions and for varied purposes, which should be the guiding factors to help you decide the hat style. The way you use the hat influences the style, and you must first determine why you want to wear a hat. Do you want to look more fashionable by wearing hats or want a hat to protect you from the sun when you are holidaying?
The hat for daily use will be pretty different from what you wear for a formal dinner. But, again, when you are attending some special event like the Ascot Race or the Kentucky Derby, the hat you wear would be in a class of its own. Will you wear the hat regardless of the season, or would you like to change it with the seasons? Finding the answers you the questions will direct you towards the hat style that can best serve your purpose.
Hat styles
- A large floppy hat with a round crown and soft brim is excellent for fashion and sun protection.
- The Cloche hat with a round curved crown and a downturned brim is an ideal woman’s headgear that enhances the fashion quotient.
- The Fedora hat is a hallmark of elegance and class with its tear-shaped crown and the pinched creases at the center and on the two sides. The unisex hat is maintaining its popularity for more than 150 years.
- A close cousin to the Fedora is the Trilby hat that features a curved crown, and what makes the hat unique is the short and upturned brim at the back. It is also a mark of distinction between a Trilby and a Fedora, as people usually tend to confuse the two at a glance.
- The quintessential Panama hat with a large brim circumference is another choice for sun protection and a must-have for visiting tropical countries and places that enjoy a lot of sun and warmth. The palm tree’s handmade straw converted into braids is used for weaving the soft hat with the curved crown that offers excellent comfort when moving around under the sun.
- The Boater hat is another straw hat with a decorative band or ribbon around the crown and a flat brim that you can wear not only outdoor but also for other occasions.
- The Bowler hat made famous by ‘The Tramp’ Charlie Chaplin, who converted it into an icon of the struggling classes, is a hard felt hat with an upturned brim and a rounded crown.
Consider your physique
The hat style must match your physique by balancing the dimensions of your body instead of exaggerating it. The hat size must be proportional to the body size. Wide and down-turned brims tend to create an illusion of conciseness, whereas tall and upturned crowns tend to make you appear taller. The maximum brim width of your hat should not be more than the width of your shoulder. The larger is your body frame more are the options of styling available to you.
Lastly, match the hat style with the shape of your face, as there are specific styles that go well with certain face shapes.