From the late 1800s up until the 60′s, men all wore hats. We’re not sure why they fell out of style. Some say it was the hippies of the 60′s. Other claim that JFK was to blame when he was the first president to be inaugurated without a head cover. Who knows what causes fashion shifts? All we know is that the hat is making a comeback.

 

DRESSING FOR THE HAT

The hat has one of the biggest effects on your overall silhouette. Most fashion experts say that you should treat the hat as an accessory, not an article of clothing. Create your outfit first, then get the hat to match.

The same hat can go with different outfits depending on the wear. With formalwear, tip it forward and cock it to the side. With casual attire, tilt the hat back for a more laidback look.

 

MATCH THE SHAPE OF YOUR FACE

If you have an oval face, porkpie hats look great. Rounder faces look great with the flat top.

Narrow faces go well pinched fronts. The tighter the pinch, the better it will accentuate the thinness of a face.

Squarer jaws go well with applejack or newsboy caps. Caps tend to make a face look more boyish, so you need a very masculine jaw to pull it off. Facial hair helps.

 

BRIM SIZE

Brim size your roughly match the overall size of the body. Smaller framed guys will look childish with thick brims. Bigger framed guys will look heavy with a short brim.

 

COLOR

Color selection for a man’s hat is pretty straightforward: match the hair. Dark hair, dark hat. Light hair, tweeds are excellent. Salt and pepper, try gray.

 

BLOCKED OR UN-BLOCKED?

“Blocked” hats are fancier and firmer hats. They are called such because during creation they are set on a wooden block, wet, set, and steam dried for a stiff feeling that requires generous upkeep. If you’re into top notch style and don’t mind high-maintenance go for a blocked hat. Otherwise, un-blocked hats are much cheaper, easier to to maintain, and can be folded. They just don’t look quite as impressive.