Over the last century heads have become bigger, so getting an antique silk hat to fit is harder to find as less large sizes were made many years ago. The average head size is now about size 7¼. When choosing your hat, not only is size important, the but the shape and also the style of hat must be considered. Above all make sure it is a comfortable fit.

To measure your hat size using a tape measure, follow your head circumference above the ears, approximately 1 inch above your eyebrows and 1/2 inch to 1 inch above the ears depending on how you wish to wear the hat (the brim should not touch your ears!). Then compare it on the table below. There is not always an exact match between cm to inches so the nearest has been selected. If your head measures between two sizes, select the larger size (you can place a small strip of felt behind the hat's sweatband to make the fit more comfortably).

Inches	Cm	US size	UK size
21 & 5⁄8	55	6 & 7⁄8	6 & 3⁄4
22	56	7	6 & 7⁄8
22 & 1⁄2	57	7 & 1⁄8	7
22 & 7⁄8	58	7 & 1⁄4	7 & 1⁄8
23 & 1⁄4	59	7 & 3⁄8	7 & 1⁄4
22 & 5⁄8	60	7 & 1⁄2	7 & 3⁄8
24	61	7 & 5⁄8	7 & 1⁄2
24 & 1⁄2	62	7 & 3⁄4	7 & 5⁄8
24 & 3⁄4	63	7 & 7⁄8	7 & 3⁄4
25 & 1⁄8	64	8	7 & 7⁄8

Be aware that the circumference of older hats may vary from the marked size as in they may have been re-conformed to fit a previous owner.

Hat shape

When dealing with stiff shelled bowlers and toppers, unlike soft felts hats and caps, the head shape is as important as the shape. Some people have round heads, other elongated ovals. The shape is calculated by measured from the front of the forehead to the back, and from side to side at the widest point. We recommend a full fitting prior to buying a hat as shape can only truly be measured using specialised tools such as our conformateur. Though for a small deposit refundable as a discount on your purchase of one of our antique top hats, we can send a portable Hatters Curve & tape measure with instructions so that you can measure your approximate head size & shape in the field.

Round oval is 5/8 inch longer than it is wide
Regular oval is 1 3/8 inches longer than it is wide
Long oval is 2 1/8 inches longer than it is wide
X-Long oval is 2 7/8 inches longer than it is wide