The western wear is a huge component of the American culture and way of life. Out of the dusty roads of the Texas ranches to the neon streetlights of downtown Nashville the western hat is a symbolic image of rough self-reliance. To appear the part, one cannot simply grab a fashionable design out of the shelf in a store. The ideal fit would be required to make you look real. The most important thing to consider before making a purchase of a western wear is knowing how to measure your head to fit a cowboy hat. An elegant hat can be considered a part of you. One that does not fit will just be an annoyance on a daily basis. It is crucial whether you are getting your first felt hat in the winter season or a breathable straw hat in the hot summer season you need to get your right size. We shall take you through the whole easy procedure of assembling your simple equipments to knowing the particular sizing charts applied by the leading American hat makers today.
The reason behind having the right cowboy hat size.
This is because comfort is the first reason why you need to identify your exact measure. When you wear a hat that is too tight it causes constant pain on your forehead and temples. Such pressure can make the world behead you, and the redness on your skin deep and painful after the few hours of wearing it. A close hat will soon spoil a pleasant day at the rodeo or a long day working in the farm. A hat that is too loose on the other hand causes absolutely different issues. One of those loose hats will slide down over your eyes and you can not see where you go when you bend. Worse still a loose hat will be blown off your head in the event of a powerful wind blowing to you. The plains of mid western and the southern states have erratic winds and it is a horrible experience to lose your favorite costly hat to the wind. A good fit means that you can guarantee your hat is well fitted in your head regardless of the day. It also assists the hat to stay in its original shape throughout the years since it is not being pulled out or in by an inappropriately sized head.
Equipments to be used to locate the exact hat size.
You do not require a special professional equipment to calculate what is your size at home. A soft sewing tape measure is the best tool that can be used in this. These are the flexible tapes that are easily available around the shape of your skull that provides you with highly accurate reading. Even a local craft store or supermarket should have a soft tape measure that is usually available in various local stores at only a few dollars. In case you are not in possession of soft tape measure at this moment you can simply take piece of non stretchy string. A common metal tape measure or a long ruler will also be required to measure the string at the end of the work. Another extremely useful tool to be kept in place is a mirror. It is easy to measure your own head but using a mirror is a sure way of making sure that you are taping the tape into the right places. When a friend or a relative is around and is asking them to take a measurement, there is no better option than to get them to do it as they can easily see the back of your head.
The steps you have to follow to measure your head perfectly.
And now that you have your tools in readiness it is time to get your very number. Straussen, and stare into your mirror. Take your measuring tape, which is soft or your piece of string and put the starting end of the same in the middle of your forehead. You would like to position the tape with a distance of one to two fingers above eyebrows. The sweatband of a traditional western is designed to rest on the front and this particular spot is the natural one. Tape wrap Slowly wrap the tape around your head. Ensure that the tape slides above your ear tops. The tape is then to pass over the protruding bump on your head that is the widest. Bring the tape all around and round to the beginning point on your forehead. Draw the tape tight and at the same time, do not pull it too tight. It must also have the same feel as you desire your future hat to have against your skin. Measure in inches and at once write it down. It is strongly advisable to repeat this measurement two or three times so that you could guarantee the same number each and every time. The next thing to the purchase of the best fitting western wear is accuracy.
The cowboy hat size chart How to be able to read a standard cowboy hat size chart.
The system of American hats sizing may be quite disorienting to the eyes. Hats of simple sizes in medium and large are of a certain fraction unlike simple clothes which are simply used with small medium, and large. These figures normally exceed 6 3/4 to 7 5/8 and in some cases even bigger. These proportions are the geometrical diameter of your head. When you put the length of your head you get the summation of the circumference in inches. The total circumference will be measured and compared to a standard brand chart. As an example of a head that is 21 1/2 inches would be an equivalent of a US hat size of 6 7/8. The size 7 1/8 head will normally fit the 22 1/4 inches head. An average American men is usually a size 7 1/8 or 7 1/4 as compared to the average woman who is normally a size 6 7/8 or 7. A few of the contemporary lifestyle brands do employ the basic small through extra large system. In such infrequent situations that a size 7 1/8 tends to put itself squarely in the medium scale. Never place an order before looking at the chart of the particular brand since there are slight differences between the various popular manufacturers.
What in case you are in between the hat sizes?
Most of the individuals have measured their heads and found that they are in the middle of two common sizes of fractions. Should this be the case with you the golden rule in purchasing hats will be to always go up in size. It is bad to purchase a hat which is too small in the hope that it will grow in size. Although felt and straw have the ability to stretch quite a bit under heavy usage purchasing a small hat ensures that one will experience discomfort sooner. It is so very simple to have a hat that is slightly large fitted. Foam hat sizing tape that is not very expensive is available in virtually any western wear shop. The foam is just peeled and then attached on the back of the leather sweatband in the hat. By simply putting a small strip of foam behind the front and back of the sweatband it will be changed by half a step to an ideal custom fit. There are even those individuals who use paper towels or even weather stripping material in an emergency. Sizing up provides the ability to fit the internal shape to fit your head with perfection.
Ovals of cowboy hat and various heads.
The trick of knowing you are measured is only half the battle. There are numerous shapes of heads and the western hat business accepts three major shapes that are oval shaped. These are the regular oval the long oval and the round oval. The majority of the traditional hats sold in the USA are designed in the form of standard oval that fits the largest part of the population quite well. But when you wear the right sized regular oval hat and find that you can feel a tight squeeze on your forehead but find that you have more space on the sides then you probably have a long oval head. Most high-quality makers of cowboy hats have special long ovals that fit such a head shape that is prevalent. On the contrary when the hat is tight on your sides of your ears and loose on your forehead you may be round oval headed. A local western store has a good professional hat shaper who can with the help of a steam and a wooden block can actually shape an ordinary oval hat to fit a long or round oval head. It is this tradition that is molding the service which makes purchasing a good quality felt hat an awesome investment in life.
Western hat tips When trying on your new hat.
There is a way of putting on your new hat when it finally comes to your door, or when you are trying it on in a store. One should never take a hat by the top front crease. This is referred to as the pinch and by continually grabbing it, one will end up breaking the hard material and destroying the shape. It is always necessary to hold your hat by the brim close to the crown. Put the front of the hat on the forehead and then take the back downwards on the back of your head. Look at your mirror and make sure that the brim is placed two fingers above your eyebrows. The hat must be comfortable and at the same time tighten your head without pressing it so much. Shake your head straight to the side. The hat must remain firmly seated in case it passes the shake test. In case it is wobbly or sliding down you should either use a smaller size or you must attach some sizing tape behind the sweatband. You should also bear in mind that the little bow on the inside sweatband always should be at the back of your head.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it possible to apply a metal construction tape measure? Wherever possible, a metal tape measure should not be used. Metal tapes are not very flexible and they can not easily follow the natural curves of your skull. The result of such stiffness will be almost always a false and exaggerated value. The best results are obtained with cloth tape that is soft or the string method.
Are there no differences in the way all cowboy hat brands fit? No they do not. Although the US system of sizing hats can be considered generally standardized, there will be minor differences among different iconic brands. One brand may have a fitting of size 7 1/4 in but a different brand may have a fitting of 7 1/4 in but the difference may be felt in the materials and the type of wooden blocks they use in the process of manufacturing.
And what a tight cowboy hat should I wear? The hat must be easy to wear but it must not hurt. With ease, you must be able to slip one of the pinky fingers a little bit under the sweatband. When the hat makes a deep red mark on your forehead in ten minutes of using it is surely too small to wear.
Does that make my hair make my cowboy hat bigger? Yes hairstyle can have a huge influence on the fitting of a hat. In case you have the very thick long hair and you take the measure of your head before a major haircut your hat may become a little loose once you get your hair cut. One should measure the head when the hair is done in the manner you wear it on the daily basis.
Is it possible to stretch a small cowboy hat and fit? It is possible to stretch a felt hat slightly with the help of steam and mechanical hat jack, however, it is not safe to stretch it further than one size. By trying to pull a hat unnecessarily far, one will bend the shape of the brim and might even rip the sweatband inside the hat which is made out of leather. Instead, one should always purchase bigger size.
Final Thought
The search of the ideal match does not necessarily have to be a stressful and complex process. Spending five minutes at home using a common measuring tape can guarantee you a comfort and the certain style in future. The secret of measuring your head to fit a cowboy hat will open the doors of the opportunities to shop online in total security and browse a myriad of fantastic western brands without fearing to order anything inappropriate. Always remember that keep the tape above your ears and always do the bigger size in case what you have been measuring is in between two numbers. An accessory is far more than a hat, a great western hat. It is a sure way of protection against the sun and an aggressive piece of American history. Go ahead and get the right size and you will soon have a new hat as your best friend you rely upon over the next few years.
