AS long as you choose to remain in the fashion world, the time will come when you may have to embrace some sort of head covering. Whether for men or ladies, it could be as a result of bad hair days; the need to make a fashion statement; keeping up with a dress code, or even head injury.
When it comes to hats, there are hardly hard and fast rules, as there are with shoes or clothes. However, there are basic things to keep in mind. They include, face shape, skin complexion, colour combination, style and creativity.
When dressing up with hats, it is also necessary to consider the entire ensemble within which the hat will form a core part of.
Colour combination
Combining colours works two ways: first, matching the hat to your outfit, and picking the right colour for your entire ensemble. Tempting as it is to always stick to colours such as black, grey or even brown when it comes to hats, don’t be afraid to get creative. If you’re a little undecided on whether to go for bolder colours, opt for other stylish colours such as white.
Don’t work too much on clashing colours and this will only end up looking off. However, don’t attempt to do exact matching as the look will only come off drab. Instead, work with complementing the colours on the outfit and the hat. If your outfit and hat comes in plain colours, spice up the hat with coloured flowers or other accessories to bring the ensemble to life.
Face shape
So much has been said about the different shapes faces come with and that’s one of the most important things to keep in mind if you fall in the stylish category. For those with oval face shape, you can more or less work with as many styles of hats as possible; for round faces shapes, create balance by working with hats that have more in length, and less in width, that is, the brim; for people with long face shapes, create balance with more rounded brims and lesser peaks; for heart-shaped faces, go for hats with wider brims. However, for those with relatively smaller faces, be careful not to go overboard with the brim to avoid submerging out the face.
Body shape
If you’re on the slim side, go for hats that will add volume to your entire outlook so you don’t end up making yourself look more slimmer than necessary, and vice versa for persons on the plus size category. For people with average body build, go for balanced hats – hats with uneven brims and medium crowns will work just fine. The trick is to ensure it fits right.
Skin tone
When it comes to hats, as much as one may want to get creative with designs and, especially, colours, always keep in mind that the skin complexion plays a role in determining how the look will come out. When working with bold colours, or a combination of colours, as the case may be, dark-skinned people may want to play safe. Unless the occasion calls for such bold colours, let reasonableness come into play when working with bold colours.
Get honest second opinion
When shopping for hats, your best escort to the store is that friend who isn’t afraid to tell you the truth when it comes to style. Hats can be quite tricky to work with and asking the person you’re buying from to assess the fit may be counter-productive. Rather, get the honest opinion of a trusted friend.
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