If you’re just about to lose your hair and feel that hats just don’t suit you – read on. It’s probably simply the fact that you haven’t found the correct hat style, and shape that works for you. The secret is to find headwear that compliments your face shape.
Our good friend Nicky, the milliner behind Suburban Turban, has put together this detailed guide on hat / headwear shapes and how they can be matched to your face shape. This isn’t an exact science and there are no hard and fast rules, so here is some guidance if you’re new to wearing hats and unsure what to look for. If you can define your overall face shape it should set you on the path to finding headwear that really suits you. We’ll have you looking great in headwear in no time at all!
ROUND SHAPED FACES
Characterized by a face that is as wide as it is long, round faces are more symmetrical. Although hats work well on round faces, many women with round faces feel hats don’t flatter them. Hat shape is particularly important for this group – round faces are crying out for something to counterbalance their symmetry.
Asymmetry can take the form of a newsboy hat, fedora, baseball caps, turbans with asymmetrical trims or crowns. Avoid round shapes like a circular beanie. Hats and turbans with structure and angular details are good choices. Headwear with high tapered crowns work well as do hats with straight brims worn at an angle.
Headbands can work well for round faces as they add height on top of the head to offset the width. Caps with tapered crowns and asymmetrical detail can also enhance a rounder face shape.
While turbans and scarves can work, it’s important that turbans have asymmetrical shaping to them, in order to avoid making your face look rounder.
Don’t forget the importance of pattern – this can distract the eye away from face shape and defined head shape.
HEART SHAPED FACES
Heart shaped faces have a chin that comes to a point and a wider forehead. Often the cheekbones are prominent.
Those with heart shaped faces often find it easier to wear hats – most hat shapes look good on them. Beanies, hats, turbans, scarves, and pretty much any other type of headwear works. A good Beanie shape, close fitting to the head, but the bands wrapping around the hat soften the forehead line and defined head shape.
The only issue is some people with heart shaped faces feel that the shape of their face and cheekbones are a bit too angular or that their foreheads are a little too prominent. To soften angular faces, start off with a turban or a hat in a softer, fuller style. Gathered detail along the side can help to minimize the width of her forehead, much like the brim of a hat would.
SQUARE SHAPED FACES
The most noticeable characteristics of a square shaped face are a wider strong jawline. Hats with a brim can visually narrow a wider face. Styles with circular elements can help to soften a square profile, so headwear with round crowns and brims are good choices.
If you fancy a modern take on the cloche hat take a look at bucket hats. Berets are another great option – the fuller width of the hat style balances the strong lines of a square face. Tilting your hat off to the side and wearing it wonky can help, as can asymmetrical shapes to hats and turbans. Try to draw attention away from the jaw line.
Avoid hats with short brims, no brims, squarer angular hat shapes, or turbans with a taller shape, rather than width at the eye line. Still unsure as to which face shape you are?
OVAL SHAPED FACES
Oval faces are longer than they are wide, with chin and forehead about the same width. Oval-shaped faces look good in almost any style of headwear!
It’s perhaps best to avoid hats or turbans that add a lot of height at the crown. This can make your face look even longer. Oval faces can be described as oblong faces, depending on the length of the face versus the width. If your face is a bit longer and narrower than most, headwear can be the perfect way to balance that out.
Hats with brims and cap peaks can visually divide the length of your face, making it seem less elongated. An over-sized Baker Boy cap shape – the style has plenty of crown volume around the face to offset the length.
Decorative side trims and side knotted turbans work well for oval faces. The best way to see what suits your face shape is to work in front of a mirror, sliding the turban knot around your face to see where it looks most flattering There are no hard and fast rules but by working in the mirror you’ll soon see what ‘suits’ your face and what colours suddenly pick up your eyes.
Most of us head for muted colours – navy, black, grey, neutrals, but it really is worth considering a brighter jewel colour. Worn around any face shape they lift the palest of complexions and help us to look less tired!
Best Hat Styles for Hair Loss
‘BARGE’ & ‘BAKER BOY’ CAPS
Traditional baseball caps are one to avoid – any fitted style to the crown will not tilt or pull down. Although, interestingly, this is quite an accepted ‘look’ for male hair loss.
However, fabric caps sometimes known as Barge caps and Baker Boy caps can be softer to wear and have more fabric in them, without the obligatory baseball cap ‘cut out’ at the back.
BUCKET HATS
These small-brimmed, fabric casual hats are good for a little summer shade and when worn tilted slightly back on the head can comfortably cover the neck. This is probably one of the most readily available styles on the High St. particularly in summer.
It is worth noting here that if you pull any hat square down on your head, it doesn’t look brilliant – it closes down the face and we look as if we are trying to hide beneath it.
Tilt the hat front to back a little, so that your eyebrows are displayed and the base of your earlobes and suddenly the hat looks intentional but more relaxed. However, this may be considered more of an outdoor style because of its brim.
BEANIE & CLOCHE HATS
Some may think this is a hard look for anyone over 19 to pull off (!), but there are many different shaped beanies and soft nuances in pattern which have a significant effect on the final item when worn.
The idea here is to add soft volume with fabric folds, print or texture. Anything too tight to the head, unless you are blessed with perfect bone structure, emphasises the shape of your face.
Many women style their hair to create volume – a soft frame around the head – and a hat that can replicate this effect will be flattering to wear and easier to wear well.
HEADBANDS
Silk headband scarves can be a ‘grown-up’ way of managing bald spots as they come and go. Don’t think high school Alice bands – more volume is required so that the band looks thicker around the head.
There is also more width to a scarf, which means it can be opened out to cover the crown of the head/or the nape of the neck, or kept narrow to cover thinning hair at the temples. This particular item fits round the head exactly once. It’s a lovely casual fashion accessory for now.
With thanks to Nicky at Suburban Turban for this information. For more details, please visit www.suburbanturban.co.uk