Whether you want to make a fashion statement all day, everyday, want to make your outfits have a more old money charm, or you’re just tired of your hair not looking the way it should be and need a bad-hair-day-savior, here’s a step by step guide that will help you become a hat person!
Consider Your Lifestyle
Before rushing to add something to the cart or analyzing what shape and design fits you better, you need to make it clear to yourself why you want a hat and what type of lifestyle you have. Do you live in a hot area or one with four seasons in an hour? Are you a blue collar man or do you plan on wearing your hat on the way to your office job? Or maybe you’re really into hiking, trekking, and other types of sports that would require a headpiece? Once you understand exactly what you’re looking for, you can get a hat that will actually add something to your life and won’t end up collecting dust on a shelf.
Find a Shape That Works For You
Understanding your head and face shape is essential to find a hat that actually complements your features and makes you look better. For instance, if you have an oval face, you’re in great luck, as any hat will fit you perfectly. If you have a rounder face with soft features, then an Irish cap is exactly what you need. Irish caps such as the ones from Gaelsong have a short and stiff brim, as well as an eight-panel design that will add some sharpness and clear lines to your appearance. On the other hand, if your face shape resembles a square, then you need something more round or angular to soften it down, like a classic fedora, trilby, or a more casual hat that cuts across your forehead.
Pay Attention to the Fabrics
Just like how you wouldn’t wear a wool sweater in summer or a cotton t-shirt during wintertime, you must learn to make the difference between the fabrics that your hats are made of to ensure that they’re good for the season. For summer months, it’s better to choose a hat made of lightweight and breathable fabrics such as cotton, linen, and raffia that won’t cause you to sweat and overheat. Straw hats are great as well, but leave them for when you’re on vacation. Once the temperature starts to drop, look for thicker yet still breathable fabrics like tweed, wool, and natural blends that will keep you comfortable and warm and will look appropriate for the season. Just make sure to stick to the golden rule: never choose synthetic fabrics if you don’t want to develop allergic reactions, oversweat, and if you’re actually looking for something that will serve you for a long time.
Create Your Perfect Rotation
Hats, just like any other accessory, need to be cared for, meaning washed, dried, and stored correctly, so as much as you want to make a headpiece a part of your personal style, you can’t wear a single one all year round. So, to always keep your caps looking fresh and new, you need to rotate them from time to time. First of all, get at least two made of different fabrics, one for the hotter season and one for the colder one. Keep in mind all of our previous recommendations and choose the hats depending on your head shape, as well as the fabrics that they’re made of. Now that you get the basics, you’ll slowly but surely become comfortable with adding more headpieces to your collection, putting together the perfect hat rotation that checks every box.
Photo by Cord Allman on Unsplash
