Style Guide｜Men’s Hats｜Face shapes
How to find the ideal flat cap style for your face shape
Are you looking for a designer flat cap to suit your unique style and face shape?
Face shapes are an intuitive thing - you might have a sense of which headwear works for you, without knowing exactly why.
It can be useful to have an idea of your face shape when choosing a cap.
What is your face shape?
How to determine your face shape? Ask a loved one to take a good look at your face, as it’s generally easier for others to see!
Alternatively, try looking at the mirror straight on, and squinting slightly. Focus on the general outline of your face, and try not to be distracted by any other elements such as your hair style, beard etc.
The main face shapes are: oval, round and square. Also seen, but less common, are heart, triangle and diamond.
Another common feature is a longer than average face, In these cases, in addition to the guidelines below, look for hats and caps with some width, and avoid close-fitting styles.
Oval shape: Nearly all hats look great on classic oval face shapes! Of course, other factors come into consideration, such as hair style and beard, colouring, and prominence of nose. And if you have a longer than average oval face, then hats and caps with width work best, rather than hats with narrow or close-fitting crowns.
Round shape: Choose hats that add some asymmetry, some height and/or an angular outline. Generally, avoid hats with a more rounded silhouette. We have a separate post here with a good selection of KH hats for round faces.
Square shape: Go for styles with a softer outline that add volume and roundness. Avoid hats with square or very geometric/structured crowns. And again, asymmetry is good - wearing your hat tipped to one side generally works well and looks elegant, too. Our post with recommendations of hats for square faces is here.
Heart shape: As with the oval shape, you have a good choice of hat styles! The main thing is to make sure the crown isn't too narrow.
Triangle shape: Not a great name, but this shape can be really striking, if fairly unusual. This is where the lower half of the face is wider than the top half. Generally, the guidelines for square faces would be helpful, however it is definitely important to avoid any close-fitting crowns. The key word here is volume - Newsboy/Bakerboy caps and some brimmed hats would be the styles to go for.
Diamond shape: A nicer name for this style, but also quite unusual! Like the triangle, this shape is narrow at the top. However, the lower half tapers in at the chin - similar to the heart shape, but more angular. Again, some volume is good, but with a softer outline.
Curves V Angles
Although we have mentioned six different face shapes here, it can be helpful to simplify it a little, by distinguishing more broadly, between rounded face shapes and angular ones.
If you see curves rather than angles in your face, then the guidelines for round faces are likely to be useful - ie consider hats with angles or squarer outlines. In contrast, if you see more angles in your face, then the guidelines for square faces will likely be of use - think softer silhouettes in hats and caps.
As with most things in life, we are all on a scale! The rounder or squarer the face, the more important and useful these rules will be.
Long faces: If your face is long with a rounded outline, the more angular styles that also have some width are best. For long faces with a squarer outline, again choose something with width, but in this case, with a softer silhouette.
Here are a few case studies to help you define your own face shape, with some styling tips for each one.
Men’s face shapes - Case studies
Alex: long heart shape
Alex’s face shape is both long and heart shaped, with quite a tall forehead. His face shape suits fuller flat cap and beret cap shapes to give a little extra width, and balance out the length of his face too. If like Alex, you have quite a long face, look for caps that are wide, and generally stay away from styles that add height.
Brandon: oval face shape
If like Brandon you have an oval face shape, lucky you! Oval face shapes suit most hat styles. In this case, it’s also quite angular rather than round, so the softer outline of Gower, seen here, is good.
Generous berets and caps are especially good if you happen to have generously-sized ears, as they helpfully create more volume around this area.
Matt: diamond face shape
If you have a diamond face shape like Matt, pick out a flat cap with a fair amount of depth and a bit of width too. This works well to add balance. It would be best to try styles on if possible. Diamond face shapes can be a little more tricky than other face shapes, but certainly do try to avoid any flat cap that’s too narrow, or styles that add any height. The soft outline of Skipton, seen here, works well with the angles in Matt’s face.
James: Long square face shape
If you have a long square face shape like James, choose rounder shapes, such as flattering beret caps or flat caps with a bit more volume. James’ beard is also helping soften the overall outline of his face.
Cap peaks can be helpful for glasses wearers (…and men with generous noses for that matter!) as they add volume and balance in front of the face.
See our hat recommendations for square face shapes here >
Have a try and see for yourself
We hope you found these tips useful. The best way to see what fits is still to have a feel, try a design on and see how you like it in the flesh.
All our hats, flat caps and beret-caps are made in-house, in the London studio by Karen herself. Every cap is made to order and to size, to ensure the perfect fit. For complete peace of mind, all online orders can be returned for a refund or exchange.