How & Why to Wear a Hat

Fashion Kuel Category Expert: Jodie Filogomo

Do hats intimidate you? Do you feel like they make you stand out? Or maybe you think they don’t look good on you. I’m here to explore those thoughts and give you some tips and reasons why you might want to embrace hats.

“Hats are about emotion. It is all about how it makes you feel.” Philip Treacy

Myths about Hats

“I like hats on others, but they don’t look good on me.” You may not think hats look good on you because you’ve never worn them, so you aren’t used to seeing them in your reflection. Don’t let that be a deterrent for wearing a hat.
Take a photo with a hat on in a store, and then ask your friends what they think. Make sure to look at this photo at least 7-10 times. That’s how many times it takes to develop a preference.
Personally this was the case with my husband Rob. We both used to laugh at him when he would try on hats. But now? He has a ton of hats as evidenced when I include him as part of the blog. We love each and every style of hat on him.

Insider tip: This phenomenon of needing to see or hear something over and over is called the Mere-exposure effect and is a psychological trait that is used commonly in marketing.

“Hats always mess up my hair.”

While this complaint has some merit, I would like to give some suggestions to counteract it. First, as females, hats can be part of our outfit, so you don’t HAVE to remove them when you go inside places. Then it won’t matter how your hair looks under the hat. Secondly, it can be helpful to buy a hat that isn’t tight on your head. That will make it so the hat doesn’t crush your hair as much. And then thirdly, it’s important about how you’ve treated your hair before you add the hat.

Insider tips: The three things you should do to combat hat hair:
1-Build volume with products to you hair beforehand.
2-Make sure your hair is dry before donning a hat.
3-Style your hair to the opposite site before placing the hat. Then when you take it off, flip it back and it will have volume.

” And the truth of the matter is it’s ALWAYS cooler when the sun isn’t hitting your body.”

“Hats are too hot”

Wearing a hat may seem like it’d make you hotter in the summer, but there are ways around that. And the truth of the matter is it’s ALWAYS cooler when the sun isn’t hitting your body. The material of your hat makes a difference. For the summer, choose a straw hat with ventilation. Take your hat off from time to time especially when you’re in the car or in the shade. Wrap a cooling headband on your head before putting on your hat.

“Hat’s don’t fit my head.”

If you have trouble with a head that isn’t the one size fits all, there are ways to work around that.
If your head is bigger than most hat sizes
1-Look in the men’s hats section
2-Find companies that size their hats
If your head is smaller than most hat sizes
3-Look at child’s hats
4-Add sizing tape to the inside the sweatband. You can also sew in your own material along the sweatband.

How to Wear a Hat

If you worry that hats cause too much attention then here’s some beginner tips.
1-Find one with a smaller brim. The fedora styles are great for this.
2-Have the hat be your “accessory” and keep the rest of the outfit simple.
3-Match your hat to the outfit so it doesn’t stand out.

After you are used to wearing a hat, there are ways to give it more personality.
1-Glue pom poms or any other decoration to the band
2-Use a scarf to tie around the band. Leave the ends hanging down your back for decoration.

Insider tip: It’s best to secure the scarf in some way to the hat, so when you take it off, the scarf doesn’t get lost. You can use fashion tape or a safety pin for this.

About the Author:

Jodie Filogomo is a retired cosmetic dentist who wishes shopping were an Olympic sport. She enjoys an online presence at Jodie’s Touch of Style and on Instagram at @Jtouchofstyle where she works to show “It’s never too late to look great.” Her Arizona journey incorporates her mother who is in her 80’s and good friend who is soon to be 70. In fact, many of the older posts include her stepmom when they were living in Denver.

After joining the Forever Fierce Revolution on Facebook, Jodie has learned how midlife is the best age to be. Our experiences and story is something that we can be proud of, and embracing birthdays start with us!