How To Choose The Right Shape For Your Next Cowboy Hat

Where to start when finding your hat shape?

Whether this is your first time buying a hat, or your hundredth, you may be one of the many people that struggle with finding the right hat that best fits your personality. The possibilities are endless, right?! Here at Lazy J, we take the stress right off your shoulders. A good basis to start with is finding a shape that compliments your unique facial features. Once you have determined your hat size with one of our professional hat shapers, you can move onto what shape you'd like!

Identifying Face Shapes for Choosing Hat Shape

You want the proportions to fall into place accentuating your face. Balance is key.

1. Oval -

If you have an oval shaped face, you're in luck. Just about any crown and brim combination will be able to be pulled off. Just stick with your personality preference! Start with a higher crown and at least a medium brim and from there, the world is yours.

Our recommendation for you:
Try leaving the crown open and brim slightly raised with a large dip in the front.

2. Round faces -

A high crown and a slanted brim will look best on those with round faces. Asymmetrical shapes help counter your symmetrical face.
AVOID: wide brims and rounded crowns

Our recommendation for you:
Customize with a "Brick" or "Canadian" crease, shallow side vents and sharp square brim with a deeper dip in the front.

3. Long-

If you have a face that is elongated and thin, wear a cowboy hat that’s not too short or tall, as both will exaggerate the length of your face. A medium crown height, that sits low on the forehead, will do just fine.

AVOID: short or flat brims that overemphasize the long lines of your face, and go with a curved, wide brim.

Our recommendation for you:
Try a "Cattlemans" crease and ask for a tighter more square brim.

4. Square -

A square jawline, wide forehead and strong cheekbones look best with a wide brim. Rounded cowboy hats, with curved brims help counter your strong jaw. Even a floppy cowboy hat with a soft brim contrasts nicely with a boxy face shape.

AVOID: harsh creases and cuts

Our recommendation for you:
Customize with a "Cool Hand Luke" crease with shallow side vents on the side and a slightly curved brim

5. Heart -

The lovely heart shaped face features a broad forehead and wide cheekbones with a pointed chin. Balance out the width of your forehead with a small to medium brim. A "Winslow" crown shape will also accentuate your look.

AVOID:
Large brims that accentuate your wide forehead

Our Recommendation for you:
Try a "winslow" or "tear-drop" crease with a shorter brim hat, leave the brim flat and ask for a medium to large dip in the front.

6. Diamond -

If your face is widest at the cheekbones and angular, but you have a short forehead and narrow jaw, then you want to elongate those features. Try a moderate to wide brim, with a shallow crown, so the hat can be worn further back on the head.

AVOID: floppy hats that can shorten and cast strange shadows on your angular features.

We recommend:
A "cutter" or "cattlemans" crease with a more angled brim and no dip to the front.

Functionality

Side vents are optional if you want them shallow or deep.
Cutter bumps can be added to the side vents to help keep hats down and secure for those in timed events.For those sitting in the stands - you probably won't want cutter bumps, to keep the hat looser and more comfortable.

BRIM

George Straight or Cutter crease has been around for 25 years or so and has more of a square front - you can never go wrong with tradition
Try to keep the width just on the outside of your eyes (your temples are a good unit of measurement)
The dip in the front is a personal preference as well. Some people prefer a deeper dip than others.