How do you properly estimate/measure a HAT SIZE

[DickWhitmanMM]

I could google this but I thought it would be appropriate here instead-- Say you have a vintage hat and the tag size is gone, how would I go about measuring the accurate SIZE of the hat??
Is there a size chart of something of the sort I could go by?

Thanks!
eric

 

[Lefty]

Here you go. For a vintage hat without a tag, you'll need to measure the circumference of the sweatband, which is a royal pain.

 

[MattJH]

For a vintage hat without a tag, you'll need to measure the circumference of the sweatband, which is a royal pain.

It's so necessary and so awful.

I remember contacting an eBay seller and describing how to properly provide the size of a bowler hat they were auctioning off because they provided the diametric inches in width and length only. The seller got back to me saying that they had inadvertently torn the sweatband off of the hat body attempting it. I felt terrible but, then again, if the stitching was that weak in the first place, I probably did the prospective auction winner a favor when the seller revised the listing documenting the unintentional damage.

Anyway, manual circumference measurements are so unreliable that I don't even pay attention to them anymore. Unless the size tag is already on the vintage hat, I chalk it up to size-unknown no matter what. And even with a size tag, hats shrink and vary and... blah. I've had 7 1/2 hats *and* 7 7/8 hats fit me perfectly. There's that much shoulder (head?) room to play with.

 

[dhermann1]

One of the cool things I've learned on the Lounge is how hat size is determined. Measure the circumference of your head, or the hat, and divide by Pi, 3.14. That's the size.

 

[DickWhitmanMM]

heheh...
{24} x {(3/1)V=(3/1)(1/3pir^2h)
3V=pir^2h
(1/pi)(3V)=(1/pi)(pir^2h)
3V/pi=r^2h
(1/r^2)(3V/pi)=(1/r^2)(r^2h)
3V/pir^2=h} = 7.64

I think you're joking but that almost makes sense!

 

[Art Fawcett]

Can't read all the equasions Dick but the answer is right. You are a 7 5/8 or at least the hat is. 7.64

Welcome to the Lounge

 

[MDphoto]

heheh...
{24} x {(3/1)V=(3/1)(1/3pir^2h)
3V=pir^2h
(1/pi)(3V)=(1/pi)(pir^2h)
3V/pi=r^2h
(1/r^2)(3V/pi)=(1/r^2)(r^2h)
3V/pir^2=h} = 7.64

I think you're joking but that almost makes sense!

We've got some good will hunting going on here lol

 

[duggap]

heheh...
{24} x {(3/1)V=(3/1)(1/3pir^2h)
3V=pir^2h
(1/pi)(3V)=(1/pi)(pir^2h)
3V/pi=r^2h
(1/r^2)(3V/pi)=(1/r^2)(r^2h)
3V/pir^2=h} = 7.64

If there is gonna be some kind of quiz later, I'm out of here.

 

[carldelo]

New sizing method - try this

I had a weird idea for a measuring method and just checked it out on all of my hats:

Using a fabric tape, measure around the outside circumference of the hat at the bottom of the ribbon - go right over the bow, pin, whatever.

Subtract 1 inch, then divide by PI, giving the true hat size.​

Believe it or not, this seems to work perfectly. It worked on 2 Stetson felts, a Milan straw, an old Chrystie's Trilby (very thin felt), and 2 hipster stingy brims (one wool, one corduroy). It even showed that the Trilby, which is old and shrunken, is 1-1/2 sizes too small and showed that one of my Stetsons is about a third of a size bigger than the other.

Obviously it is much easier to make an outside measurement, e.g. at a flea market, and especially for a clueless seller.

Maybe some other loungers who have a fabric tape could do a quick check on some of their lids and see if it works for them too - especially on a range of sizes - it'd be interesting to see the results. If it works for all sizes, this would be a very useful method.

Cheers, Carl

 

[Lefty]

I'm trying that tonight and, if it works, I'm going to figure out how to nominate you for the Nobel Prize.

 

[carldelo]

I'm trying that tonight and, if it works, I'm going to figure out how to nominate you for the Nobel Prize.

Why thank you, I'll take that prize in cash or custom lids please....

BTW, I just double-checked: you can alternatively measure the outside circumference in centimeters and then subtract 2.5 cm to give the proper Euro sizing. Cheers