A well-chosen hat is not the first thing you notice: it simply shows its wearer to advantage. Before talking about style, a hatter always begins with two very practical questions: what is your head size, and what will you be using this hat for?
Begin with the head size
Head size is measured with a soft tape measure, placed about one centimetre above the eyebrows and passing over the fullest point at the back of the skull. Most adults fall between 55 and 61 centimetres. A hat in the right size holds without pressing: you should be able to slip a finger between the inner band and the temple. Too tight, it leaves a mark and brings on a headache; too large, it spins away at the first gust of wind.
Respect your proportions
The most useful rule is one of balance: the brim of a hat should not extend beyond the width of the shoulders. A shorter person is flattered by a short or medium brim and a moderate crown; a tall silhouette can carry a wide brim and a higher crown. If you are hesitating between two brim widths, take the narrower one: it is easier to wear day to day.
Choose the material to suit the use
- Wool or fur felt: warmth and structure, ideal from October to April.
- Straw and woven fibres, including the panama: lightness and shade for the warmer months.
- Cotton and cloth: soft bucket hats and caps, easy to live with and often water-repellent.
- Knitted wool: beanies and winter caps, to be worn without ceremony.
Finally, think of the occasion. An everyday hat must stand being handled, set down, picked up again; an occasion hat can afford more delicacy. At Aurega, a family house based in the Tarn-et-Garonne, we like to say that a good first hat is one you forget you are wearing: try it on, move about, look at yourself in profile, and trust your ease as much as the mirror.
The right hat is not the one that draws the most attention; it is the one you put back on every morning without thinking.