Choosing the Right Hat

The right hat complements your facial features and provides symmetry and balance. When this occurs, the features of the face become harmonized in relation to one another. The eyes appear lifted, the complexion brighter and healthier. When people compliment you on the hat you’re wearing, they aren’t just noticing the hat, what they are really saying is how great you look wearing it!

Experiment with hats on as often as possible to become more comfortable and secure in your hat judgment. With practice, you will get a feel for the hat shapes, designs, and colours that complement you. In time, you will gain confidence and learn to trust your own judgment about hat selection.

Not sure what your face shape is? Pull your hair back from your face, and looking in a mirror, take a bar of soap and trace the shape of your face directly onto the mirror. Compare what you see with the drawings.

What follows is a ‘portrait’ of each face shape, describing the unique features that distinguish it from the others, and a discussion of hat features. Following this are recommendations on how best to wear hats for your facial shape, and a selection of Lillie & Cohoe hat styles especially chosen to correspond with your face shape.

In this issue, we will be describing the Square, Heart, Pear, Triangle and Diamond shapes. If you missed last issue, you can view it by clicking here.

SQUARE
A square face has a broad forehead, usually with a square hairline, and an equally angular jaw line. The width and length of the face are in equal proportions.
With this shape, it is important to soften the square lines, and elongate the vertical symmetry of the square. Look for rounded styles to soften the shape of your face.
Crown: Height in the crown will help soften and elongate your symmetrical shape. Chose a mid to tall crown, rounded or curved edge square-shape, over a shorter, boxier crown to avoid accentuating the square line of the jaw. A soft crown that can be pushed over to one side will create asymmetry, and add roundness to the face
Brim: A midlength, upturned brim or larger brim with soft lines will soften the angularity of the face. Set the hat at an angle by slanting the brim or simply tilt the hat on your head. This creates an asymmetrical line, which softens square edges and makes the face elongated and narrower.
How to wear: Wear your hat back and off the face, but not on the back of the head, choose a brim-less hat like a beret or hat with an upturned brim. Wear decorative details (ie: buckles, flowers) to the side, never in the center.
Avoid: Wearing a hat pulled down straight on the head, this will accentuate the squareness of the jaw. Styles with a crown that is narrower than your jaw, this will make the jaw appear broader.
Square, boxy or very angular styles, as they will only increase the strong, angular lines of a square face.
Suitable styles: Anna (in softer fabrics that create rounded corners on the crown), Audrey, Brook, Chelsea, Coco, Constance, Diva, Justine (brim up in back), Newsboy, Olivia, Paulette, Pearl, Skimmer, Tam.

HEART
The face is widest at the temples and gradually narrows to a delicate chin.
Crown: Tapered crowns, mirroring the taper from the cheekbones to the chin provide balance. Be certain that the crown is never wider than the highest points of the cheekbones to create balance in the upper face. Square and round crowns are suitable, if they can be worn to one side.
Brim: Small to mid-size brims balance the broad cheekbones and narrow chin, without adding extra width to the face.
How to wear: Wear hats on a slant to the side, creating an asymmetrical line to balance the broad cheekbones and narrow chin.
Avoid: Wearing hats on the back of your head, or straight on. Boxy or square crowns that accentuate the broadness of the face and diminish the chin have the effect of being top heavy.
Suitable styles: Balaclava, Chelsea (of lighter fabric that can be moved about in the crown to soften the angular edges of the hat); Cloche, Coco, Constance, Diva, Fedora, Flapper Girl, Gretchen, Jeanette, Larissa, Newsboy, Olivia, Tam, Tara, Tikka, Virginia (worn at an angle to offset the vertical line created by the edge of the brim across the cheekbones).

PEAR-SHAPED
The pear shaped face has a narrow forehead that gradually widens through the cheek area to a wide jawline and chin.
Wear a small brimmed, high crowned hat to draw the eye up and bring balance to the face.
Crown: Choose a broad crown as wide or slightly wider than the widest point of the lower facial outline, and fairly full and high to help balance the overall shape of a pear-shaped face.
You want to draw attention upwards and add height to the face with a high crown.
Brim: Short straight or upturned brims will balance the prominent jaw line and accent the eyes, drawing attention away from the strong jaw line.
To add width and emphasize the narrow upper third of the face, try short-brimmed hat styles that are accented with colour and trim on the crown or brim edge.
How to wear: Hats can be worn straight across the brow, but the crown should never be narrower than your cheekbones. Tucking hair behind your ears will draw attention to your eyes and add fullness through the upper part of your face. Chose a hat with a decorative detail (ie: buckle, flower, or notched brim) that sits to the side, drawing the eye off center.
Avoid: Too much height at the crown. Large, down turned brims or heavy shapes. This will draw the eye down give the appearance of added weight to the face.
Suitable styles: Anna, Chelsea, Diva, Pearl (with side brim notch), Miranda, Paulette, Skimmer.

TRIANGLE
The triangle-shaped face is broad across the top third of the face, narrowing dramatically through the cheek area to a delicate jaw line and chin.
Crown: A tapered crown, like that in a cloche or fedora, mirrors the shape of the face and provides balance. Be certain that the crown is never wider than the highest points of the cheekbones to create balance in the upper face. Square and round crowns are suitable, if they are soft fabric that can be pushed to one side to soften the appearance.
Brim: To minimize the width of the top of the face, try styles with a downward curved brim.
How to Wear: Wear on an angle to offset the line of the brim across the width of the face.
Avoid: Avoid upward sweeping brims that emphasize the broadness of the upper facial contour.
Suitable styles: Audrey, Balaclava, Brook, Cloche, Coco, Diva, Flapper Girl, Fedora, Gretchen, Jeanette, Justine, Newsboy, Olivia, Tam, Tara, Tikka, Virginia.

DIAMOND
The diamond shaped face is equally narrow at the forehead and jaw line, and widest at the cheekbones. The face shape is balanced and dramatic on its own, when choosing a hat it is important to select a style that will complement and balance the broad cheek bones and delicate chin.
Crown: Wear rounded, or soft fabric crowns that can be pushed to one side to soften the appearance. A tapered crown, like that in a cloche or fedora, mirrors the shape of the face and provides balance.
Brim: To highlight the eyes and bring out the cheekbones, try styles that have distinctive brims. An upturned brim adds fullness and lift at the temples, without adding width to the widest part of the face, the cheekbones.
You can wear shorter brims, but to achieve balance between your dramatic cheekbones and delicate chin line, a medium brim that can be turned up towards the face, and worn down towards the nape of the neck will provide more balance.
How to wear: Chose a brim that can be manipulated, allowing you to turn it up on one side and down on the other, allowing light into the face.
Avoid: Broad crowns with strong, angular shapes and too much height.
Heavy, down turned brims that hide your face and overpower your features.
Suitable styles: Balaclava, Cloche, Coco, Constance, Diva, Fedora, Flapper Girl, Gretchen, Jeanette, Newsboy, Olivia, Tikka, Tam, Tara, Virginia.