Do You Know Your Summer Essential Hats?
June 29, 2016
By Brian Maynor
Along with sunglasses, hats are quintessential accessories of summer. They go hand-in-hand really, so it’s important to find the right ones that work for you.
We’ve talked about how to find the perfect pair of frames for your face shape before, so now let’s look at hats. Specifically the different styles, tips on how to wear them, and when you know you’ve found the perfect one.
Here’s the breakdown:
1. The Baseball Cap. Probably the most common, and easiest to pull off hat, you’ll find they are practical, functional and work in any casual setting. These caps can be found promoting sports teams, trucker logos, and now you can even find them in premium fabrics like leather and silk.
Whether you wear them with jeans and a t-shirt or more luxe athleisure pieces like joggers and long-line tops, this type of hat gives your outfit a casual, sporty look and generally works well for every face shape. Just be sure to check the width of the brim if your face is short or round.
2. The Bucket Hat. Also known as a fisherman’s hat, this floppy, unstructured hat was designed for function over form, and that is to protect your head from the sun. Definitely a specific aesthetic, this hat will either speak to you and your sense of style or it won’t. They also work best with long and round face shapes because the downward hanging brim creates a shortening effect.
Again, a casual hat that works best with shorts, chinos and short-sleeve shirts, these hats are also season specific. They should only be worn during the summer.
3. The Pork Pie. This is more of a catchall classification of hats than a specific style. Typically more formal than the first two, these hats will have a uniformly short brim with a short, flat top making them ideal for both long and short faces. If your face is round or square, this style will not work well for you.
To balance their formality, these hats also work best with more structured and elevated casual pieces over tank tops and gym shorts.
4. The Fedora. One of the most popular hat styles today, the fedora started as a very specific type of hat that was 4.5 inches high with a crease running the length of the top that is pinched at the front. Today there are unlimited variations on the height, and style, which is great making them work for just about every face shape, but also incessantly frustrating if you don’t know what to look for.
Short faces need to look for tapered crowns and narrow brims that can be worn slightly pushed back.
Long faces need short to medium crown heights with a wide brim you can tilt forward.
Square faces need tall, rounded crowns and wide brims that are fully curved in the back.
Round faces should look for medium height crowns and slightly tapered brims that are also curved, or ‘snapped up’.
Depending on the fabric, these hats will always work well with formal pieces like blazers, and button front shirts and long pants, but you can certainly mix them with shorts, t-shirts and other casual ones as long as you keep your look balanced. You need at least one formal piece in your outfit to pull off this hat.
5. The Panama Hat. First made in Ecuador in the 17th century, this is probably the perfect summer hat thanks to its open weave and straw material, which are what makes it a Panama hat. You can’t help but evoke a tropical leisure state of mind when you wear one.
Since these hats are defined by their construction rather than their style, you can find them in just about any shape, including fedora and porkpie. So follow those rules when looking for your perfect one.
To style them, it’s best to keep you look simple, both in style and palette. Linen shirts, wide-leg pants and suede loafers are great partners for a Panama hat, but so is lightweight suiting.
Admittedly I’m jealous of my friends who look great in just about any hat on the shelf, because for me finding hats that work takes a lot more effort and work. But when you do find the one that works, it adds a special sense of elegance and panache to your look, making the work worthwhile. Hopefully these tips will take some of the guesswork, time and frustration out of your hunt for the perfect hat.
Click here or on the images below to learn more about the outfit.
Click here or on the images below to learn more about the outfit.
I am always curious to hear some of your weekend wardrobe dilemmas and challenges. Please send your comments and questions to [email protected]. Also find each of these storyboards at http://brianmaynor.polyvore.com with links to purchase each item.
About Brian Maynor
Brian Maynor has built a reputation as one of the leading style coaches in the Southeast and is quickly expanding his eponymous company, BRIAN MAYNOR and his FIND, FLATTER & FLAUNT line of image consulting services. A professional with a fresh, upbeat and down-to-earth personality and boundless creative energy, he works frequently with with local celebrities; Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations; modeling agencies; fashion designers; production companies; record labels; media and individuals. A regular contributor to various fashion blogs and online communities, Brian Maynor is one of the most trusted and recognized style experts in the region, utilizing his education and training as a broadcast journalist to serve as a style lecturer, emcee, and commentator for over a decade. He has appeared at fashion shows, expos, and charity fundraisers, as well as events with big brands like Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Chico’s and Macy’s. His approach is innovative, creative and fashion-forward, balancing fresh, modern styles with classic pieces to keep one’s look grounded. To learn more, visit http://www.brianmaynor.com.
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