Consider your face shape before purchasing a hat

Matching hats with face shapes is about balance and harmony, bringing together your unique looks and personality with the style and flair of your outfit. It’s all about proportion, and how the length and width of your face works with the dimensions and style of your hat.

Before you start worrying, though, let us assure you—there isn’t a wrong hat for any one face shape.

However, certain hat styles bring out the best of particular face shapes more than other face shapes, making it useful to know which face type you have, and what hats flatter your face and add that touch of elegance and flair to your streetwear.

The different face shapes

Take a walk down a busy street and observe the faces you meet. Each has a different face shape that gives an individual a unique, personal look—including your own. Face shapes impact your personal style—which neckline flatters your profile, or which type of hat best suits your looks.

Generally speaking, face shapes can be categorized into one of the following eight basic face shapes. See if you can recognize your own. 

Oval

The oval face is longer than it is wide, with the jawline being more narrow than the cheekbones. The cheekbones are the widest part of this face shape, and are generally more prominent than in round or square faces. The chin and jawline are rounded.

Round

Characterized by a wide hairline and a sense of fullness below the cheekbones, round faces feature a symmetrical shape with a circular appearance. Measurements of the length and width of the face are very close, if not the same. Prominent angles are rarely found with this face shape.

Square

The square face shape is similar to the round face shape, but facial features are generally more pronounced, such as the sharper, stronger, and more squared jawline, as well as the straight hairline.

Diamond

Wide cheekbones are paired with a narrow, pointed chin and somewhat narrow forehead in this face shape. Sometimes confused with a heart-shaped face, a diamond-shaped face has cheekbones that are wider than the forehead and jawline. The diamond face is usually as long as it is wide.

Heart

With the heart face shape, the forehead and cheekbones are of the same width, while the jawline is more narrow. A rounded hairline forms a point (like the letter “V”) at the center of the forehead. The length of the face is more than its width. This shape is sometimes called the inverted triangle.

Pear

Also called the triangular face, the pear face shape is indicated by a small or narrow forehead coupled with a larger, wider jawline. The full and slightly squared jawline is one of the tell-tale signs of this face shape, as is the narrow hairline (at the top of the “pear”). 

Rectangle

A combination of the oval and square face shapes, faces that are rectangular feature straight hairlines with foreheads, cheekbones, and jawlines of equal length. The jawline is strong and square, while cheekbones have minimal curves. Tall foreheads are often found with this face shape.

Oblong

This face shape features long and narrow bone structures. The width of the forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are fairly equal, but are more elongated and not quite as wide compared to the oval face shape.

Determining your face shape

By now you should have an inkling of which face shape you have. If not, or if you want to be absolutely sure, here’s how to determine your face shape. 

1. Take measurements of the width of your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline, as well as the length of your face. Note the measurements on paper for later reference. 

• Forehead: Measure across the widest area, between your eyebrows and hairline. 
• Cheekbones: Place the tape measure across the most prominent part of your cheekbones, below the corner of each eye. 
• Jawline: Measure from the tip of your chin to below your ear where your jaw angles upward, and multiply the number by two for the total jawline length. 
• Face length: Run the tape measure from the center of your hairline to the tip of the chin.

1. Observe facial features using a mirror, paying attention to the widest and narrowest areas of your face, as well as any angles and contours. Note how soft, sharp, or pronounced your facial features are. In particular, note the shape of your jaw, whether it is rounded, squared, or pointed. Write these observations down also, if you like.
2. For the third and final step, gather the above information and match them with the characteristics of each face shape to find which one fits your face best. 

A guide to selecting a hat with your face shape in mind

As a general rule of thumb, lean toward hats with the opposite features from your face shape. The best hats for each face shape help balance out their wearers' appearance.  

Every option will ultimately look good, but if you are looking to complement your overall look/outfit that also highlights the face, consider which hats are best for different face shapes.

• Oval: Those with the oval face type enjoy the greatest versatility of choice when it comes to hats, as the oval face shape can be matched with just about any style. For best results, prefer hats that have medium to wide brims, and are more angular than rounded. Brixton’s Sedona Reserve Cowboy Hat would be a great fit, as would a snappy-looking fishermen cap. 

• Rectangle: With the versatility similar to an oval face but with sharper lines, a rectangular face can handle a wide brim, preferably with a bit of curve to balance out a sharper jawline, like our Field Proper Hat, as well as looking particularly fetching in the all-time classic snapback.

• Square: Draw attention away from boxy-like facial features with hats that soften the edges of your jawline, creating a more fuller look. To soften the strong, angular facial features, pliable brims, floppy hats, and hats with a large crown work well with square faces. Try on one of our newsboy caps or bucket hats at an angle to elongate the face just enough to de-emphasize the squareness. 

• Diamond: With this face shape, how you wear the hat may be as important as which hat you wear. For example, wearing the hat further back on the head helps to balance out the appearance of a shortened face. A styled-back beanie or a hat with a shallow crown, like our Stout Pork Pie, can be a good match. Try hats with a sideband, which helps add width to the forehead. 

• Round: Angular styles are best as hats for round faces. Opt for hats with a high crown to give your face an elongating effect and help create the illusion of slimness. Wide brim fedoras such as our Cohen Cowboy, the Messer Wide Brim Sun Hat, and the Jo Rancher Hat flatter round faces. 

• Heart: A nice, clipped brim helps balance the wideness of the forehead and narrowness of the jaw in this face shape. Go for hats that have moderate-length brims that can be tilted forward or backward to conceal a broad forehead without hiding your cheekbones. Brixton’s Stout Pork Pie hat, berets, and baseball caps are great options for this face shape.

• Pear: Hats that create more fullness at the top of the head go well with this face type. Hats that have a wide and high crown with a short brim, or asymmetrical brims, help pull attention away from the jawline. Full brim fedoras, such as our Jo Rancher Hat, give just the right amount of fullness and angularity to flatter pear-shaped faces.

• Oblong: Large, upturned brims balance out the longer facial features by creating a broadening illusion. Wide-brimmed cowboy hats or full-brim sun hats add fullness to the appearance, while hats with shorter crowns, such Brixton’s Fiddler Beret, help to minimize the elongated effect. 

Brixton can help

Finding the right hat for your face shape ultimately depends on how much you enjoy the way you look as you wear the hat, the level of confidence you experience as you style it, and how well it fits with your personality and unique style. 

Matching different types of hats to your face shape gives you that extra edge in developing a pleasing and attractive look perfectly suited to your tastes and personal features.

As you look for the perfect hat style to match your face shape, Brixton can provide you with enduring, timeless, and sustainably crafted wearables that flatter your looks and enhance your style. Our thoughtful designs, and unique styles add a touch of cultured elegance and expressiveness to any outfit, making the types of hats we offer staple items in men’s and women’s wardrobes. 

Browse our hats “done proper” by Brixton today including or women's hats and hats for men, and see how our cultured wearables balance, enhance, and flatter your natural looks!