Find the Right Hat for your Body Shape?

Ever said "I like hats, but they never look right on me"? Every milliner hears this and they all enjoy proving it to be false! People simply haven't found the right hat for them, or don't have the confidence to wear them.

In reality, hats give you confidence, and any milliner will assure you there is a hat for everyone.

The perfect hat will enhance your appearance by balancing out your face shape and frame. So how do you find the right one?

With the hat sitting on the most photographed part of your body (hopefully), finding a hat for your face shape and colours that suit your colourings are the first things one should consider. Finding a hat for your body proportions are definetely something you need consider though, along with finding the right style for the occassion that you will be wearing it. A hat that will turn heads at Royal Ascot, or be the best hat for the Kentucky Derby, will probably not be the best hat for your best friends wedding.

Hat know-how used to be something all women just knew when hats and gloves were part of every woman’s wardrobe. Hats completed their daily outfits. They were surrounded by choices. They would never have looked in the mirror and said "Hats don't suit me", because they knew exactly which ones to buy - knowledge passed through the generations.

Here are a few simple rules that have worked for fashionable women through all past generations, back to when hats and gloves were part of every woman’s wardrobe. They still all apply today just as well as they did for your mothers and grandmothers back in the day. Please don't consider them rigid though. If you find a hat you like, then wear it. The hat you like will be the one you carry with most confidence, and that's the most important tip.

If you are Petite

If you're PETITE, don't choose hats with really wide brims. Generally, the shorter your body, the narrower your hat brim should be. A wide brimmed dramatic garden party hat looks great on a tall woman, but will be overwhelming on your petite frame. Select instead hats that have interesting detail to the crown, or pretty cocktail hats, pillboxes and headpieces. If you want to add inches a hat with interest/features and feathers on the crown will give the impression of extra height.

Headpieces with pretty detail, but no brims at all are popular for Petite frames. Whether your style is fashion-forward or classic, you will find a Smartie, Pillbox or Button headpiece perfect for the outfit.

The Navy Smartie Headpiece illustrated with the outfit above is available to hire from the www.dress-2-impress.com Hat Hire for £35.00. Click Here. The dress: Giles by Giles Deacon, Booties: Ralph and Russo, Jacket: Herve Leger, Clutch: Etsy.

If you are Full Figured

If you're FULL FIGURED, choose wider, full-brimmed hats that can add balance to a curvy figure.

If you are Tall

If you're TALL, choose hats with a wide brim, as your frame will allow this and select a shorter crown to avoid making you look like a giant. Avoid narrow, angular-shaped hats.

The Black and White Headpiece illustrated with the outfit above is available to hire from the www.dress-2-impress.com Hat Hire for £75.00. Click Here.
The White Leather Roses Bracelet is: Etsy. Click to see Leather Roses Cuff Bracelet.
The Dress is: Ariella London. Click to see Black White Ariella Dress.
The Shoes are: Sergio Rossi. Click to see Sergio Rossi Shoes.
The Bag: Vivienne Westwood. Click to see Vivienne Westwood Bag.

If you are Broad Shouldered

If you're BROAD SHOULDERED, choose a bigger hat to balance your silhouette.

The Purple hat illustrated is great for broad shoulders, and worn with a A-line dress will slim your shoulders. The Hat is available to Hire from the www.dress-2-impress.com Hat Hire range online.Click Here. The Dress: Coast (Amelie dress), Shoes: Gianvito Rossi, Bag: Roberto Cavalli.