How to Choose a Fabulous Hat

Hats can look so fabulous and add a touch of panache to any outfit, casual or formal. However, some hats look great on us and some don’t so it helps to know what to look for when choosing one. Our face shape is one of the important factors to consider when buying a hat. Not all styles suit all face shapes. The exception here is the oval face; blessed with perfect proportions and balance, just about any hat looks great on this face shape. However, for those mere mortals amongst us who do not possess an oval face, here are some tips that may make life easier when choosing a hat for the races, the beach or just having fun in the hat department of your favourite store.

If your face is:

• Rectangular or oblong, (longer than it is wide) you will be best suited by a small crown and wide brim. Think ‘picture hats! Rounded crowns can be particularly flattering.
• Square/round, (as wide as it is long), try a tall crown and narrow brim. Avoid very wide brims and rounded crowns, in particular.
• Diamond shaped, (narrow forehead and jawline with wonderful high cheekbones) then medium crowns and medium brims will work well. A cloche hat may look fabulous!

  

• Heart or inverted triangle shape, (a jawline narrower than your temples), wide brimmed hats and medium high crowns will create pleasing visual balance.
• Triangular, (strong jawline wider than your temples), small to moderate brims are your best option. Definitely avoid very wide brims.

Other tips:

• An upturned brim helps you appear taller. Floppy brims diminish your visual height.

  

• Slightly rounded features on a hat and soft embellishments such as flowers and feathers can soften a sharp jawline, and/or a long, straight nose.
• Angular brims and/or asymmetrical styles can flatter round or plump faces.

  

• Choose a hat that not only harmonises with your outfit but harmonises with your colouring!

Remember, when your hat creates visual balance and harmony for your face, you can’t help but look…absolutely fabulous!!

Have you ever looked in the mirror and felt dissatisfied with what you see, yet you’re not too sure what isn’t right? In these instances it is very likely the issue is one of balance, or more precisely, the lack thereof.  Balance is defined as the harmonious relation of parts to each other or to the whole. Visual balance exists everywhere in nature, so it should not be surprising that the human eye finds balance aesthetically pleasing; balance is comforting and attractive. Visual imbalance can actually make us feel unsettled, disconcerted or disturbed. Who doesn’t feel compelled to straighten a crooked picture on the wall or rearrange the cushions on a sofa to get the balance right?

Creating visual balance when we dress is an important part of looking fabulous. So, how do we achieve visual balance? Well, the answer comes in two parts.

• Firstly, we need to create the illusion of a balanced body.

 This means balancing our shoulder line with our hips and our length of leg with our length of torso. To do this we may need to minimise or maximise our bust/waist/ hips/neck. When one element of our body’s shape is disproportionately larger or smaller than the rest of us, balance is lost.

• Secondly, our clothing needs to reflect the proportions of our body. With the waist as the dividing line, the body’s proportions can be expressed as either two parts above the waist and three parts below or three parts above and five parts below. So, a garment or an outfit that can be divided into uneven or unequal parts creates better balance than one that is divided one to one or two to four. A 1:3 ratio or 2:3 ratio is more attractive than a 1:1 ratio.

“Have enough difference for interest, but not so much that it creates imbalance”. (Mathis and Connor, 1994).  In design, even halves is usually perceived as dull while uneven sections or parts is visually more interesting. This is true in fashion as well.

In dressing, even halves can appear staid, matronly or even frumpy. Uneven divisions between our top and bottom halves, gives us more chance of looking youthful, trendy or edgy.

Here are a couple of (imperfect) examples but hopefully they illustrate the point.