Choosing the right hat color is an important decision that can dramatically affect your overall look. Your hat color should complement your skin tone, hair color, eye color and wardrobe. The color you choose for your hat also sends a message about your personality and style. Follow this guide to learn how to select the most flattering and fashionable hat colors for you.
Match Your Hat Color to Your Skin Tone
The first rule of thumb when picking hat colors is to match it to your skin’s undertones. Are you warm-toned, cool-toned or neutral? Figuring this out is key.
People with warm skin tones have yellow, peach or golden hues to their complexion. If you have warm undertones, you’ll look best in warm hat colors like ivory, camel, tan, orange, coral, gold or rust. Avoid cooler tones like icy pinks, blues or silver.
Cool-toned skin has pink, red or bluish undertones. Flattering hat colors include pastels like mint, lavender and light blue. You can also pull off jewel tones like emerald, sapphire and magenta nicely. Stay away from brown or terra cotta shades, which can wash you out.
If your veins appear blue, you likely have cool undertones. If your veins look green, you probably have warm undertones. If you aren’t sure, try draping different color fabrics next to your face in natural lighting. See which shades make your complexion glow for the best indication.
Neutral skin tones fall somewhere between warm and cool. Lucky you – this gives you more flexibility when selecting hat colors. Try out both warm and cool tones to see what you like best. Richer, bolder shades tend to suit neutral complexions well.
Consider Your Hair Color
Your hair color is another factor when determining the most attractive hat colors for you. As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want your hat to contrast slightly with your hair shade to create visual interest.
If you have dark brown or black hair, lighter neutrals like tan, light gray, camel and blush pink will give you nice contrast. Avoid matching your hat exactly to your super dark hair – this can create a hard edge.
For medium brown or auburn hair, select saturated jewel tones like emerald green, burgundy and sapphire blue. Black is another foolproof choice. Stay away from brown hats that are too close to your actual hair color.
Blondes look fabulous in darker hats that intensify their light locks. Think rich shades like chocolate brown, charcoal, wine red, forest green and navy. Avoid pale hats like cream, which can wash out blonde hair.
Redheads shine in blue-based greens, teals and cobalt blues that play up the red undertones in their hair. Coral and peach are pretty accent colors. Avoid reddish or orange tones that compete too much with red hair.
Gray and white hair is flattered by just about any color. Feel free to experiment with bright jewel tones, pastels or deeper earth tones. The one shade you may want to avoid is silver, which can blend in too much with light hair.
Consider Your Eye Color
Your eye color provides another handy guide for selecting the most flattering hat colors. Certain shades can really make your eye hue pop while others might clash.
For brown eyes, stick with richer, darker shades like chocolate or chestnut brown, charcoal, deep purple, navy or evergreen. These richer tones will intensify the warmth of brown eyes. Avoid washed out pastels.
Blue eyes look amazing with warm, complementary colors. Think camel, peach, coral, terra cotta, mossy green and golden yellow. Icy colors like silver can wash out blue eyes. Avoid matching or clashing with bright blue hats.
Green eyes shine with rusty reds, chocolates, dusty pinks, plums, emeralds and deep blues. Stay away from shades that are too close to the green of your eyes, like forest green.
Hazel eyes have two tones, which allows you to pull off both warm and cool shades. Experiment with rich berry hues, minty greens, camel, navy, magenta, gold and violet.
No matter your eye color, opt for darker, bolder shades rather than extremely pale hues when choosing a hat. Deeper colors add intensity and make eyes stand out more.
Consider Your Wardrobe Colors
When selecting a hat, you’ll also want to consider the colors you typically wear in your clothing. Choose hat colors that will seamlessly coordinate with the rest of your outfits.
If black, white, gray and navy dominate your wardrobe, go for a hat in a neutral earth tone like tan, brown or blush. Or opt for navy or black if you want something to match.
If you love wearing pastels like mint, lavender and baby blue, a straw hat in one of those hues will blend nicely. A crisp white hat is another option.
For those drawn to brighter jewel tones like emerald, sapphire and fuchsia, select a hat in the same color family, like a deep purple or bright teal.
When building a wardrobe, it’s smart to stick to 2-3 core neutral colors as your base. Then you can layer on pops of accent colors. Follow the same theory when adding hats to your rotation.
Choose Your Favorite Colors
When it doubt, you can always go for your personal favorite colors when picking out a hat. Select shades that make you happy when you look in the mirror. It’s your hat after all – have fun with it!
Confident, vibrant women can pull off almost any bold color. Don’t be afraid to go for that fire engine red wide-brim hat or bright turquoise fedora if it puts a smile on your face.
That said, sticking to colors you feel happiest and most confident in will ensure you actually wear and enjoy your hat. Buy colors that inspire you, not what’s on trend if it isn’t “your shade.”
The Message Your Hat Color Sends
Beyond flattering your complexion and wardrobe, the color hat you choose also sends a message about your style personality. Consider what vibe you want to give off.
A black hat signals a sophisticated, city chic vibe. Navy is a classically preppy choice. Bright red or leopard print makes a bold, daring fashion statement.
An earthy brown or tan hat gives off rugged, outdoorsy vibes. While a pastel pink or blue hat conveys a feminine, romantic style.
The style of hat also impacts the impression it gives. So pair your colors with the right hat silhouette to complete your look.
Best Hat Colors for Your Face Shape
Just like your skin tone, hair color and eye color, your face shape should factor into your hat color selection too. Follow these tips for choosing the most flattering shades:
Oval faces: Lucky you – oval faces can wear virtually any hat color. Feel free to experiment with cool and warm shades to your heart’s content. That said, oval faces look best in rich, saturated colors rather than pale, muted pastels. Go bold!
Long faces: Look for hat colors that create width to balance a long face shape. Think warm auburns, golds, burnt oranges, forest greens and deep plums. Avoid tall hats that elongate the face further.
Heart faces: With a wide forehead and pointed chin, heart-shaped faces look lovely in cool blues, greens, purples and pinks. These cool tones minimize width on top. Avoid orange and red, which add more fullness.
Round faces: Angular hat shapes in bold, dark colors like black, navy and charcoal work best to slim a rounded face. Look for rich jewel tones too. Avoid pastels, which can make round faces appear wider.
Square faces: Soft, rounded hat shapes and light, bright colors help soften the strong jawline of a square face. Think white, coral, peach, light pink, sky blue and mint green. Steer clear of boxy, rigid styles.
Best Hat Styles for Women
Now that you know how to select the most flattering colors, let’s explore the best hat styles for women of all ages. Consider your personal style, where you’ll wear the hat and your purpose for wearing it.
Wedding hats: Brides often opt for ornate white hats or veils. For guests, light pastels, metallics or saturated colors work nicely. Look for embellished headbands, floral fascinators, pillbox hats and wide-brimmed hats adorned with ribbon. Avoid casual straw hats or visors.
Church hats: Many churches require hats or head coverings for women. Look for classy berets, decorative pillbox hats, straw hats with ribbon, floppy disc hats and elegant headbands with netting or flowers. Steer clear of ball caps or casual sun visors.
Kentucky Derby hats: Picture big, dramatic brims in punchy colors with floral embellishments. The Kentucky Derby is the place for wide-brimmed silhouette hats in vibrant shades. Go bold with your colors and decorations.
Sun hats: Nothing beats a classic straw sun hat for the beach or garden. Opt for a practical cotton or paper shade with a wide brim to protect your eyes and face from UV rays. Neutrals like tan, black and navy work year after year.
Winter hats: When the temperature dips, grab a knitted beanie, soft cashmere scarf or earmuffs in rich neutrals like black, gray, camel and navy. Or opt for an eye-catching bright color as an accent. Faux fur hats add flair too.
Cowboy hats: This Americana silhouette works perfectly in earthy neutrals like black, brown and tan. Look for a quality leather or straw cowboy hat to embrace the Western aesthetic. Leave embellishments off – the simple style makes the biggest statement.
Newsboy hats: Channel old-school newsies with this fun, retro cap style. Tweed, wool and corduroy options look sharp for fall and winter. Black, gray and navy are sophisticated, while bold reds, blues and greens add whimsy.
Key Tips for Wearing Hats
Now that you’ve chosen the perfect hat style and color for your needs, keep these final tips in mind for looking stylish:
- Make sure the hat properly fits your head for the most flattering proportions.
- Angle the hat slightly rather than pulling it down too far on your forehead.
- Style your hair neatly underneath the hat.
- For wide brims, sweep your hair behind your shoulders to showcase the hat shape.
- Don’t overload on accessories competing with your gorgeous hat.
- Tie scarves, hair ribbons and hat bands in coordinating colors.
- Sit up or tilt your chin down slightly to avoid overshadowing your face.
- Exude confidence as you rock your showstopping hat style!
Conclusion
Choosing the perfect hat color involves considering a range of factors like your skin tone, hair color, eye color and personal style preferences. While following color theory guidelines is helpful, don’t be afraid to break rules too. Pick shades that you feel confident and happy in.
Some foolproof hat color choices include black, navy, tan, gray, brown, white, blush, camel and metallics like gold and silver. But again, you can pull off any color that you feel good wearing. Rock that purple wide-brim hat or mint green beanie if it speaks to you!
Now that you know how to select the most flattering and fashionable colors for your hats, it’s time to go shopping! Look for well-made hats in materials like wool, cotton, straw and leather that will last. Then start building your hat collection to take your outfits to the next level.
