What humans find attractive is largely based on symmetry. The more symmetrical a face is, the more appealing it appears to others. But there’s not much we can do, short of surgery, to change the symmetry of our faces. There are ways to mitigate our asymmetries, however. You may have heard a woman in your life talk about getting a haircut that flatters her particular face shape. While dude’s haircuts don’t come in enough varieties to have the same effect, there is another way guys can balance out their faces: hats. All hats make a man look more dapper. But picking a hat that is right for your face shape will increase your attractiveness and give you a sharper appearance. If you’ve been inspired to bring back the hat, but weren’t sure what kind of hat to get, this guide will help you pick the right hat for your ugly mug.
Anatomy of a Hat
Before we get started, let’s do a quick rundown of some of the terms we’ll be using to fit a hat to your mug.
“Taper” describes how narrow the top of the crown is compared to the bottom.
Here’s an example of a hat that tapers. Notice how it gets narrower near the top of the crown.
Here’s a hat that has no taper. Notice how the crown doesn’t narrow as it gets to the top.
Now let’s match a hat to that ugly mug of yours:
Short, Full Face
Your face is shaped like: Jack Black
A round face tends to look short, so you want a hat that will give you a little height.
Crown: Medium height and size
Taper: Slight
Hat Band: Narrow band of a contrasting color will add height
Brim: Moderate width. Snap the brim to its full width and turn it up. Never snap it down or it will make your face appear shorter.
Tilt: Back from face; tilting it over your face will make the face appear shorter.
Recommended hat: Fedora, Gambler, Panama
Long, Thin Face
Your face is shaped like: Will Arnett
Look for a hat that shortens the appearance of your face.
Crown: Shorter height. Avoid crowns that are square, full, or too high.
Taper: Moderate
Hat Band: Wide (will make you face shorter) with a contrasting color to break up your vertical lines
Brim: Moderately wide, snapped from ear to ear
Tilt: To the side with a slight back tilt
Recommended hat: Fedora, Homburg, Derby
Top-Heavy Face
Your face is shaped like: Jon Favreau
The top-heavy face is wider on the top half and tapers to a more narrow chin line. You want a hat that will balance the top and bottom out.
Crown: Medium to short height, pinched toward the front. Avoid crowns that are full or too high.
Taper: Moderate taper
Hat Band: Medium to narrow, in a color similar to the color of the hat.
Brim: Medium width, rolled at back and sides, flat in front
Tilt: To the side, and not too far back on the head or you’ll show too much of your wide forehead
Recommended hat: Fedora, Homburg
Square Face
Your face is shaped like: Orlando Bloom
Pick a hat that will add some curvature to your face and make it appear less boxy.
Crown: Medium height, full and round
Taper: Minimal to non-existent
Brim: Wide width, fully snapped or turned up
Tilt: A side tilt will break up your square face lines. Don’t push it too far back on your head.
Recommended Hat: Homburg, Bowler
Long Nose
Your nose resembles: Adrien Brody, although perhaps not that long
Pick a hat that will break up the line from the brim to the tip of your nose.
Crown: Medium height, and not pinched too tightly at the front.
Taper: Minimal to non-existent
Hat Band: Wide and colorful
Brim: Wide width, you want it to extend beyond the tip of your nose
Tilt: To the side
Recommended Hat: Fedora
Prominent Jaw
You’ve got a chin like: Aaron Eckhart
Pick a hat that will balance your strong chin.
Crown: Medium or low height, avoid crowns that are full or too high. Pick one with side dents, this adds just the right amount of fullness.
Taper: Slight
Brim: Medium width, snapped fully across. Make sure it doesn’t turn up in the back sharply or it will make the jaw appear even more prominent.
Tilt: Level, with a side tilt.
Recommended Hat: Fedora
Receding Chin
You’ve got a chin like: Paul Dano
Pick a hat that will draw attention upwards, away from the chin.
Crown: Low height
Taper: Significant
Hat Band: Narrow
Brim: Flat, or very shallow snap
Tilt: Level, with significant side tilt.
Recommended Hat: Porkpie, Trilby, Fedora with short crown and brim
Prominent Ears
You’re ears stick out like: Will Smith
If you ears are large or stick out, pick a hat that will cover them.
Crown: Full and moderately tall
Taper: Minimal to slight
Brim: As wide as possible in order to cover the ears and make them seem smaller. Flat or fully snapped. Do not roll the brim as this will highlight the ears.
Tilt: Down in the back.
Recommended Hat: Gambler, Panama, Wide-brimmed Fedora
The Best Hat for Hair and Complexion
Most hat colors look good on any man. But some go particularly well with certain complexions and hair colors.
The Best Hat Color For Your Complexion
Ruddy: Brown, Blue, Gray
Dark: Brown
Darker Olive: Brown or Green
Pale: Dark Blue, Gray
The Best Hat Color For You Hair Color
Auburn, Red: Brown, Green, Blue
Blonde: Brown, Green, Gray
Brown: Gray, Green
Gray Hair: Green, Gray
Pulling It All Together: Matching Your Clothes with Your Hat
You can wear a hat any old time, with any outfit, of any color. But when you want to look particularly sharp, make sure your hat color complements your suit or outfit.
The Brown Hat
Brown hats look best with brown or green suits or coats. If wearing a dark blue or dark gray suit, a dark brown hat may also look acceptable.
The Gray Hat
Gray hats are quite versatile and can be paired with black, blue, and dark gray suits and coats.
The Blue Hat
Wear a blue hat with a blue or gray suit or coat. If pairing a blue suit with a blue hat, the colors must match fairly closely. Alternatively, you can pair a dark blue suit with a light blue hat or vice versa. You can also get away with wearing a blue hat with a light brown or tan suit.
The Green Hat
Green hats are surprisingly versatile. They look best with tan or light brown suits. But they also accent black, green, and gray suits very nicely.
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