Are you thinking about getting a cowboy hat but don’t know how to find one that looks great on you? Not to worry! Here at Gone Country Hats, we know how to help you find a flattering cowboy hat. Over the last 17 years we’ve helped thousands of people find the hat of their dreams with our advice and tips. Here are a few rules to help you figure out what kind of hat to order.
Proportion is Important
There are a several factors to think about when shopping for cowboy hats. Your face shape is one. Another is the height of your forehead and where your ears are set. Those are important when choosing the crown height. Another is the width of your eyes, and don’t underestimate the importance of the width of your shoulders. Your cowboy hat should be in proportion to your stature - height, weight - and personal style all count too. You are probably wondering what style of cowboy hat will flatter your face. Luckily, cowboy hats come in lots of styles so you can find the perfect hat. There are at least four basic facial shapes: Elongated (oval), round, heart-shaped and diamond-shaped. People with diamond-shaped faces are wider at the cheekbones and should find a cowboy hat that lengthens their angular features. A smaller brim will do less to emphasize the width at the center area of your face. People with heart-shaped faces should try to balance their larger foreheads with a hat that has a smaller brim. You might find a 3-½” brim to be more flattering than a 4” traditional cowboy hat brim. This will also make those cheekbones pop! People with square faces should try a cowboy hat that is rounded to soften the angle of the jawline. That can be accomplished by softening the shaping of the hat in front so that it is not sharply squared off, but rather curls gently without a sharp crease where the edge of the cowboy hat rises. People with long faces should find a hat with a low to medium-sized crown so it rests lower on their foreheads. But if your forehead is high or your ears are quite low-set you might need a taller crown so that it has the depth to come down to just above your eyebrows and your ears. You are rather lucky if you have an oval-shaped face because basically all styles look good on you. However, if you are looking for advice, try a hat that has a high crown with a full-sized brim. There are also a couple of crown shapes to consider. A pinch crown narrows in the front so it might be flattering if your face is narrower. Often pinch crown cowboy hats also have a 3-½ inch brim. A cattleman crown appears wider in the front so it is more in proportion to a fuller or rounder face and the brim will be larger as well. Brim size is really personal and lots of people have strong preferences about the look of a larger or smaller brim on their cowboy hat. But if you don’t have a preference, consider this: The brim size should be in proportion to your own shape. If your shoulders are narrow, you might look better in a smaller brim. If your cowboy hat brim is too wide for your shoulders, you could end up feeling like the hat is overwhelming you. Larger or wide-shouldered people can carry a large brim. While there are many brim sizes for sure, the most common cowboy hat styles are pinch, which generally have a 3-½ inch brim and cattleman or brick, which usually have 4 to 4-1/2 inch brims. One last thing to think about is shaping. The area in the front of the brim where the cowboy hat starts to curve up is called the “open”. Particularly on brims that are 4 inch, the open should match the width of your eyes. So the brim would be straight across or gently rounded until the outer edge of your eyes, then it would curl up. This could happen softly or there could be a sharp crease, or cut, and then the hat would slope up. A country music shape would be more curled up and a traditional cowboy hat shape would be more open, with less of a curl. Either way, all cowboy hats are shapeable. Gone Country Hats have wire in the edge of the brim, so this shaping can be done easily without the need for a steamer.
Don’t Forget About Function
Choosing the right style cowboy hat is important. However, it’s also important that your hat has a beneficial function. Are you looking for a fun style? Choose a fashion hat with some color and a plain or fancy band that matches your personality. Going to work in the field or on a trail ride? Choose a hat with the brim that matches your face shape, but choose a UV protective material like a tightly woven canvas or bangora. They have the added benefit of cleaning with a damp cloth or a small amount of window cleaner on a rag. Or choose a palm straw cowboy hat which absorbs sweat to keep you cool and comfortable, is UV protective, and is also easy to keep clean.
Everyone Is Different
In the end, everyone has a different face and a different reason for buying a cowboy hat. While we love sharing our advice for those who need it, we want you to pick the hat that you personally love and feel amazing in. There are no rules when it comes to personal style!