3 tips to really wearing a hat

3 tips to really wearing a hat

Ever heard somebody say, "I just don't look good in hats."? Yep, me too. In our humble opinion there is a hat for every head. Read on for some tips.

Even Walter White found a hat style

1.  Shop around for different hat styles

The hat you wear to work, to Ponsonby or Panama Street for a night out with friends should make a bold statement about who you are.

You've got the outfit, you're ready to go, now is not the time be timid. The high street is fine if you want to look like everybody else but if you want to make a bold statement, you need to shop at a boutique. Sure, we'd love you to buy a hat from our website but the truth is we'd be happy just to know that Kiwis are getting out there and being individual.

2. Choose the hat style that fits your head shape

We've talked a lot about getting he right hat size but what about the right hat shape? There's a hat for every head but not every hat suits every head.

Let's take me for example. I have got a fairly large head (it keeps all the brains in) particularly at the nape of my neck.

So, the best hats for me to wear are newsboy hats and cadet hats. They both have a generous amount of space at the back to cover the nape of my neck. Flat caps (or cheese cutters) and trilby hats less so as they tend to have a higher cut.

Our hat style guide on www.prohibitionhats.co.nz and detailed product information should help.

3. Accessorize people!

Don't just have one hat for every outfit. Think about how your hat will complement your look.

A baseball cap is great for an afternoon at the park but is it right for a night out? A trilby is undoubtedly cool and will make you stand out from the throng at the Viaduct  but is it doing you any favours in the cinema?

You don't wear the same shirt every day do you? Don't wear the same hat every day then.

There you have it and remember, buying the right hat for you is easy with Prohibition Hats NZ. We offer hassle free returns on all hat sales and we welcome queries for sourcing alternative styles and sizes.

Now, get out there and make a statement about your head wear!

Laurie
Prohibition Hats NZ
www.prohibitionhatsnz.co.nz

A hat for autumn

Hats fit on people of all shapes and sizes

"Chur bro." he says as he crashes down beside me. I give the kid a nod. But this kid isn't a kid at all. He's a six foot odd giant of a man sporting some pretty sweet looking Bose headphones clamped around a mean pinstripe flat cap. This is a man who takes his choice of head wear seriously.

And his music; which he clearly wants to share with the rest of the carriage. I can't quite place the band he's listening to but it sounds a bit like a cross between Shapeshifter and Slipnot.

He does look cool in that hat though. I smile as he acknowledges my Goorin Brothers Gingham Newsboy Hat from Prohibition Hats NZ. A fellow hat lover.

Soon cotton and straw hats will turn to wool

It's a pretty chilly morning and looking across the train carriage I can see people are starting to wrap up a little warmer than the previous few weeks of dry perfect NZ summer has demanded.

Straw hats and floppies are giving way to warmer head wear that sits a little lower on the brow. Cotton flat caps and baseball caps are taking more prominence. And in the coming weeks, cotton and straw will turn to wool and polyester as the Summer wardrobe is shelved for another year.

The perfect hat for Autumn

For many, the fighting Kiwi spirit prevails, and they bullishly hold on to their t shirt and baseball cap combo into Autumn (and often Winter). But just as many more will start thinking about keeping their heads a little warmer and their brains a little more insulated as they commute to work.

This requires a little bit of pre-meditated hat selection. Straws and paper hats are no good. Not enough insulation for that walk to the train station. Beanies or ear flaps - too hot. You'll be sweating through that hat before you know it.

The answer lies with the humble cotton hat or cap. A great material that is as breathable as it is warm. There are many styles to choose, from newsboy hats to cadet caps, flat caps to bucket hats.But, let's hope that the Summer holds out a little.

Laurie

Prohibition Hats NZ

www.prohibitionhats.co.nz

The hat compliments your work attire

What you wear to work makes you feel good! (Who would have thought?)

Justine Jamieson wrote a fantastic article about how what you wear in the workplace affects how your feel and are perceived (read the article here). She talked about the importance of accessories but what about the humble hat?!

If, like me, you are follicly challenged, wearing a hat to the offîce is a must in Summer. But I, like many city folk am in my thirties and a baseball cap is an absolute no go! So how do I make sure I look the part and keep the harsh sun off my shiny pâté?

Find a hat that suits your style

It's surprisingly easy to narrow down your selection of your preferred office head wear. 

1. What colour hat is right?

 Answer - conservative colours are usually the way to go (unless you work for an advertising company or similar then go for your life!). Look for blacks, dark greys and blues as they will most likely match your outfit. If you wear Jeans and a shirt rather than a suit, you're still on to a winner. The trick is to have a conservative colour but with a little flair of design to give it an edge. Check out there Moretti Fedora Hat: a traditional Fedora with a white gosband for a distinctive edge.

The Moretti is a traditional blue pinstripe
but the white band adds a touch of flair 

2 Flat cap, Fedora, Straw or trilby? 

This is a difficult call. The best advice I could give would be to look at yourself and pick a style that complements your personality (see my blog on how to choose a hat perfect for you. 

The flat cap is the most versatile: go for a cheese cutter style and you have yourself a formal yet laid back hat. Ramp up the individuality with a newsboy hat and now we're talking baby! Get that tilt on and swagger your way to the next meeting.

Fedora or trilby hat? Again difficult and all about who you are as a person. A Trilby has a stingy brim and smaller crown than a Fedora Hat (check out my previous blog for more on the difference) so makes it a little bit more funky. The traditional Fedora is often seen to be a little bit more 'old school'. Personally, I love them - but my wife thinks they make me look old(er) so I stick to trilbys.

The Fedora is the way to for max impact

3 Where should I buy the hat?

OK, let me have one shameless plug. www.prohibitionhats.co.nz has a great range of hats each with its own distinctive style. We love hats (have you noticed?) and feel very passionately about making premium designer hats available to New Zealanders without the premium price tag. If you feel like supporting a small local business, check out our website. With your help, we can only get bigger and better.

4 How premium is premium?

Okay. Like beauty, premium quality hats and caps are in the eye of the beholder. One person's Mitchell and Ness is another's Goorin Bros. One thing to do is to take a look at the price tag. 

If the hat is a 'one-size-fits-all, made in Taiwan special' and costs $30, it's likely that it isn't going to a) fit you properly b) look particularly good and c) last as long as it should (well constructed hats and caps should hold together when you wash them). 

Take it from me, as a retailer, after you've covered manufacturing costs, freight, import tariffs and fees, distribution and marketing, you're not going to see a whole lot of profit out of your $30 RRP. (For the astute readers, this should give you a fairly good indication of the materials and per unit cost - ergo, what the hat is actually worth versus what you're paying.)

Thankfully, it actually isn't all that hard to separate the wood from the chaff. A good quality, individually designed, premium hat like the hats we sell online aren't all that expensive. In most cases, you're talking $60-$75 (often less if we're feeling generous :-) and you're getting a whole load of hat for your money.

You know what? I feel energised enough to write a blog entry dedicated to the debate: when is premium, well premium. And, more importantly, how much we think the great New Zealand public should have to pay!

Laurie Turnbull
Founder, Prohibition Hats NZ
www.ProhibitionHats.co.nz
www.facebook.com/ProhibitionHats

How is a Fedora hat different from a Trilby?

How is a Fedora Hat different to a Trilby?

The answer to this often asked question is they are both Fedoras. The trilby is simply a narrowed brimmed Fedora.  

The Trilby has a shorter brim which is angled or 'snapped down' at the front and slightly turned up at the back. The trilby also has a slightly shorter crown than a typical fedora design.The classic Fedora on the other hand has a wider, flatter brim which is more traditional. 

Here are a couple of examples of a Trilby (notice the stingy brim):

The Moretti Fedora Hat

Mr Doyle Trilby Hat

Here are a couple of examples of a Classic Fedora (notice the flatter brim):

When to choose a Trilby or a Fedora Hat

The question of whether to go for a Trilby or a Fedora hat is very much about personal taste. The trick is to make the hat unique to your own style and personality. Read my blog entry 3 tips to choose the right hat for you for some helpful tips.

Some people think the Trilby is funkier than, the more formal, Fedora. To be fair, I personally prefer the fedora as I have a fairly large head and the stingy brim of the trilby doesn't quite sit right. The generous brim on the fedora hat gives the hat more balance (and lets me look mysterious when I tilt it down).

Goorin Brothers do Fedora Hats very well

Goorin Bros are our favourite hat makers at Prohibition Hats (Check out the range of Goorin bros hats). Here is a fantastic video from Goorin Bros talking about the classic snap brim Fedora hat shape and how to make it your own.



As always, if you have any comments or questions, just leave them here and I'll get back to you.

Laurie Turnbull
Founder, Prohibition Hats NZ
www.prohibitionhats.co.nz

3 Tips for choosing the right hat

3 Tips for choosing the right Hat for you

So many hats but which to choose?

I often get asked “there are so many styles of hats; which hat is the right one for me? The truth is, finding the right hat for you is a uniquely personal experience.  There are a range of styles available from Fedora hats to Newsboy hats to Cadet hats (to name but a few) and it can feel a bit like a minefield. The good news is that there are some simple tips to follow to find the perfect hat for you.

Tip #1: Find the right hat size

In New Zealand we are, unfortunately, awash with a sea of ‘one size fits all’ hats Now, don’t get me wrong, this is all well and good for the casual hat wearer, but what if you want it to look good? That’s why you’re wearing a hat in the first place right? There are some really helpful tips on how to measure your [hat size] on our online store at http://www.prohibitionhats.co.nz/page/hat-size-guide

Tip #2: Match your hat to your outfit

The next step is to think about the kind of outfits you typically wear and then match a hat accordingly. Maybe you’re going casual, like jeans and a tshirt - so think about a cadet hat. It’s casual, funky and comfortable. Maybe you’re looking for a hat that is a bit more formal, say, to go with a shirt and trousers – so look at a Newsboy hat or Flat cap. Still room for a bit of style, not as formal as a fedora or trilby but more sophisticated than a base ball cap.

Tip #3: Look for hats that are a little bit different

The hat might maketh the outfit, but it’s the person wearing it that matters the most. Your personality should sing through the hats you wear and be as unique as you are. Try and avoid going for the ‘One Size Fits all’ high street specials (we’ve all seen the faceless pinstripe trilbys on the heads of the Ponsonby elite that never fit and all look the same). Pick out something that stands out a bit and makes people actually say “where did you get that hat?”.

I guarantee the difference in price between a well fitting, individual hat that matches your outfit and complements your style and personality and a scuzzy mid market Asian import comes down to a matter of $30!

That’s not a lot more for a hat that really works for you.

Laurie Turnbull
Founder of Prohibition Hats NZ

England is a darted panel ivy in a subtle seersucker cotton fabric. Buy this hat online today

Rope Swing is a sloped cadet in a custom grey pinstripe fabric. Buy this hat online today