How To Reduce The Size Of Your Hat

Earlier this month we talked about what you can do if your hat is a bit too small. However, this week we are going over the opposite problem, what you can do if your hat is too large. The first thing you should do is be honest with yourself and decide if the hat doesn't look funny on you. Wearing an oversized hat can be a bit more comical compared to a hat that simply is just too tight on you. But if the hat is just slightly too loose then there are a couple things you can do to get the perfect fit.

The Easiest Method: Hat Size Reducer Strips

If you need to get your hat size down 1 size or less we recommended purchasing a Hat Size Reducer Strip. These are simply foam strips with an adhesive backing that goes on the side of the hat behind the sweatband. Searching online will reveal a number of options. We recommend using a reducer strip that has denser foam and uses a gentle adhesive. Too strong of an adhesive will leave behind residue and can crack the straw, we highly discourage using foam weather strips for this reason. Applying the sizing strips are easy. Once you've sourced a reliable pair of sizing strips simply clean the area you plan to apply the strips and make sure the location is dry. For most heads, the optimal position for the strips is at the front and back of the crown. However, for long faces it might be more comfortable to apply the strips to the sides of the crown. Our recommendation would be to wear the hat once with the strips in place without applying the adhesive and noticing your comfort level. For hats that need significant size-reduction, we do sell sizing rolls which are great for several hats as well as significantly reducing the size. The sizing roll can be applied to the total circumference of the hat to lower the size up to 2 whole sizes. However, as initially stated, big hats can look comical so always take a look in the mirror first and decided if it is worth it.

The DIY Method

If you need to reduce size now for an event or you simply like to fix it yourself you can temporarily fix the size with the use of tissue paper or felt. Like a temporary reducer strip, you can cut felt or tissue paper to provide a quick size reduction. You will want to switch it out at the end of the night so that the sweat doesn't stay within your hat.

The Best Method

Nothing beats decades of experience sewing and making hats. The best way to reduce your hat size is to send it to a hat shop for a size reduction. What most hatters will typically do, and some advanced hat aficionados have taught themselves to do, is they remove the sweatband from the hat and either altering the preexisting hatband or replacing it with a new smaller one. We do offer professional sizing services if interested.

If Your Hat Has A Leather Hatband

And you only need to reduce a tiny bit, then a little water and patience can make this happen. Leather will naturally shrink when exposed to water. You can use this to your advantage if you need to reduce your hat's size