Determining Your Hat Size

Hat size is based on the circumference of the head. To determine your proper hat size, you must measure your head.

Using a tape measure, measure your head about one-half inch above your eyebrows where your hat will rest. Make sure the tape measure is straight and not twisted. Alternatively, you can use a piece of string to measure your head, and then measure the length of the string with a ruler. If you are not certain about size or are between sizes, buy the larger size.

Hat makers use two, or three methods to label their hat sizes. One, the way I do, is either based in the circumference in inches, or centimeters. Another way is how US hat size measurement. Most milliners find this not as accurate as it could be. But it is an older traditional way to size. Another is just the generic hat size of S, M, L, and XL.

If you have a hat that you like, check the size, and use the chart below to determine your hat size based on the measurement you take. Remember, I use centimeters or inches.

How do they get the US hat sizes? It’s the circumference of your head in inches / π

Test it out on a calculator! If you wear a 7 1/4, take 7.25 * 3.14 and see if it matches the inches measurement on the hat chart above.

Hat Care Tips

Always handle your hat by the brim. Avoid handling the crown as much as possible. This is particularly true for straw hats. People's instinct is to grab the hat by the front pinch of the crown however this can cause a lot of damage to hats. Grabbing a hat by the pinch will cause the straw to crack on a Panama hat and will eventually wear down the felt on a felt hat until there's a hole in it.
Never rest your hat on its brim while the brim is turned down. Turn it upside down and rest it on the crown. Resting a hat on a down-turned brim will flatten out the brim. If the brim is snapped up you can rest the hat carefully on the brim.
Dust your hat with a soft bristled hat brush or even a soft shoe brush to keep it clean.
Heat will shrink the interior sweatband - avoid exposure to stoves, radiators, lamps, and car windows.
Store your hat in a cool dry place to help it to retain its shape and stay clean. Out-of-season, store your hat in a hat box. However, in the summer if your straw hat looses it’s shape, or get’s smooshed, try setting it in a humid area, like the bathroom. The moisture will slowly help the hat to reform.

If Your Hat Gets Wet:

Try to prevent your straw hat from getting wet! Water will cause the straw to swell, discolor, and lose its shape.
If your felt hat gets wet, first return the hat to its original shape. Do not rest the hat on its brim while wet if the brim is turned down. If the brim has been snapped back up, or flat, you may carefully rest the hat on the brim to dry. Do not expose a wet hat to heat as this will cause the interior sweatband to shrink as well as cause irregular patterns in the felt once dry.