Headwear for women has been both a frivolous ornamental accessory and necessity throughout the ages and milliners have created concoctions from the mildly simple to the grossly ornate.
A fallacy does exist, however, that hats will make a petite woman look shorter and pudgy. That could not be farthest from the truth. Knowing what compliments not only your facial shape but your total look is key towards purchasing the right style just for you. You want to make sure, of course, that the style you chose matches your height and figure proportions. Any brim should definitely not be wider than your shoulders as they can overpower small frames. If you have a full figure or over weight, stay away from very small hats. Don't wear them propped on the back of your head but rather down above your brows as it will force you to look up, elongating your neck, straightening your shoulders and making you appear visually taller. Simple, but true. Noted below are photos of styles for your particular facial shape.
If you have an OVAL face, not to worry. Lucky girl that you are, you can wear anything.
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| Round Face |
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| Square Face |
Round Face ~ Find a hat with a large brim and a high crown. These features in a hat will help elongate your face shape and even out the roundness.
Square Face ~ Choose hats that have curvy lines and are soft and feminine to lessen all of the angles. You also look better with large brim and upturned brim hats.
Long Face ~ You need sharp, clean styles. Wear it straight and forward to cut the length of your face. Also, go for not to wide brims with low crowns -- hats that cover your forehead to look sleek, stylish and mysterious.
Heart & Diamond Face ~ Because your chin is the most narrow point on your face, you need to avoid wide brims that will make it look narrower. Other than that, you're like the oval face shape and can pretty much wear any style you desire.
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| Long Face |
If you'd like to read a fabulous accounting of the history of hats for women and also shop vintage clothing, click on the link below.
http://vintagefashionguild.org/fashion-history/the-history-of-womens-hats/
To figure out what your facial shape is, click on this helpful link.
http://cynthiahelwig.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-your-facial-shape.html
