By Kathy Campbell – Hats Off-Handcrafted Headwear For Very Special Occasions.
As the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival approaches, and you start to gather your thoughts on what dress you will be wearing to this year’s Melbourne Cup function, take some time to carefully choose the perfect hat.
Big, small, modern, classic, colourful, colour block, feathers, flowers, netting…it’s a veritable minefield of decisions. The most important part of any race day outfit is the hat – your choice will either make stand out as a winner, or have you finishing last past the post. It is just as important to know what type of headpiece suits your face shape, as to what style of dress is right for your body.
Rest assured, everyone can wear a hat, as long as it is the right shape, size, and shade for your head and face.
So here are some tips to make sure you pick the right hat for your face shape!
Oval Face Shape
This is the most common of face shapes, and suits almost all hat styles. With no major pitfalls to avoid, you just need to go for it!
Round Face Shape
The goal with a round face is to elongate your face, and make it look more oval, by distracting the eye, and giving an illusion of length. To do this, choose taller hats which add height, hats with angles and shapes, and hats with vertical features such as feathers, will all work well.
Heart Face Shape
With a natural focus on the forehead, the objective here is to select a hat which narrows the forehead. This can be done by choosing hats with a medium brim. Steer clear of wide brimmed hats!! Generally, almost any style of hat suits the heart shape, so it’s a great chance to experiment with pieces you might not have otherwise thought about.
Square Face Shape
Square faces are characterized by strong jawlines, so the aim here is to soften the features, and to elongate and slim the face. Hats should be softer, with no harsh angles or geometric lines. Make sure that you wear your piece at a complementing angle, to avoid a square on square look.
Oblong Face Shape
The focus here is to shorten the face, by choosing a piece with a low crown (slightly flatter piece), which is worn low across the forehead. Avoid tall pieces.
The 5 Golden Rules for Choosing a Headpiece
No matter what your face shape, a hat should never be worn square on to the face, or in the middle of your head. Wear a hat at an angle, as this will always give a more flattering aspect to any face. The best angle to wear a hat is about 70 degrees to either side of your head.
Don’t drown yourself in your hat. You have gone to such lengths to choose a hat, so make sure it is the right size piece for your body shape, height, hair type and style, and will show off your gorgeous face! Smaller to medium sized pieces will suit most people. Never choose a wide brimmed hat which is wider than your shoulders, as this will make you look unbalanced.
Don’t be afraid to go with colour. Not every occasion calls for a black or cream piece. Choose a colour that complements your dress. Colour blocking works just as well as highlighting one of the colours in your dress. But never be too ‘matchy matchy’.
Choose a hat that feels comfortable, and that you know you will be able to wear for the entire length of the occasion. It might be a great looking hat, but if you spend your day scratching your head, adjusting the base, or end up having to hold your head up under the weight – its not the one for you.
As soon as you put a hat on, it should make you feel special and look good. Keep searching until you find that piece. After all, you don’t get to wear a beautiful hat every day, so make yourself a standout….and wear it with confidence.
Kathy’s millinery will be featured at our VIP Shopping Event on the 8th of October. Find out more
