How to size a hat

Getting the right size of hat for your head

Having the correct size for your hat is the difference between it staying on comfortably, or falling into your eyes every five minutes. Thankfully, measuring yourself for hat size is simple.

Measuring your head size

The easiest way to find your hat size is to measure the circumference of your head. Sizing your head for a hat involves a single measurement, using a tape measure. If you find the tape measure to be too cumbersome, or only have access to a straight ruler, try using a length of string to get the circumference, before laying the string flat to measure it. You can also quite easily obtain printable hat measuring tools online.

Use the tape measure to circle around the ?hat line? of your head, from just above your ear, around your forehead, hitting the same height above your other ear, around the back of your head, to where you started. The tape should be firm but not too tight.

Once you have the measurement, you will need to look up where you fall on a size chart (many of which are available online; they are all the same due to the standardisation of sizes). The measurement in centimetres or inches will correspond to the number which is your size, from about 6 to 8. The measurement will also correspond to a small/medium/large style size.

When you are between hat sizes

It is entirely possible that the measurement of your head does not correspond to any of the sizes on the chart. When you are halfway between sizes, you will obtain a more comfortable fit by going up a size rather than down.

Try it on

Measurements are less important that how the hat feels on your head. When purchasing a hat, always try it on if possible. While hat sizing is supposed to be uniform across different manufacturers and styles, this is not always the case. A slight change in the shape of a hat can also affect how well it fits. For a correctly fitting hat, you should be able to snugly fit two fingers between your forehead and the hat band.

It is also beneficial to try on various hats to get a feel for what fits and what does not, even when you do not have a specific hat in mind.

One size does not fit all times

You will not measure your hat size once in your life and be done with it. Your hat size can vary over time, usually due to the state of your hair. If you recently had a haircut, you will find that a hat you purchased when your hair was more voluminous is now too lose. Your hat size can also change with extreme weight gain or weight loss. Your head is one of the last body parts to get fat when you gain weight, but it can happen.

Also keep in mind that hats do not stay the same size their entire life. Depending on how they are stored, hats made out of leather can shrink over time. Hats can also stretch from the wearer?s head. If you want to purchase a vintage or pre-loved hat, you will find that the marked size does not necessarily correspond to the measurements.