Help keep the sun off of my giant head.

April 20, 2016 11:27 AM

I'm having trouble finding hats to fit my size 7 1/2 head. Translated into general hat sizes, that is an XL. All "one size" hats perch on the top of my head like steampunk fascinators. i'm a woman, and would prefer not to exclusively wear men's hats which is what I've been doing. The main purpose of the hats are sun protection, so they would ideally have a brim that goes all the way around. Extra points if you can recommend an actual store in the NYC area!
posted by defreckled to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (12 answers total)

Is there a Goorin Bros. location near you? Not all of their women's styles go up to an XL (7 5/8, by their size guide), but there are some cute ones.
posted by sparklemotion at 11:39 AM on April 20, 2016 [3 favorites]

Tilley has hats for women in a variety of sizes. I've found ordering off the website worked pretty well, and their sizing info. pretty accurate, but their website also has a storefinder feature to locate stores near you that sell some of their product line.
posted by gudrun at 11:56 AM on April 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

Tilley would seem to be able to accommodate you very easily : http://www.tilley.com/us_en/catalog/product/view/id/10343/s/toh1-women-bucket-hat/category/166/

That is one example of many, and a 7 1/2 seems to fit into their women's L category which suggests you will not be limited for choice.

There are several choices in NYC it seems for a store.
posted by Brockles at 11:57 AM on April 20, 2016

I'll second the Goorin Bros. recommendation. My heart-shaped face is not flattered by large brimmed hats, but I get pretty good sun coverage with their cute straw cloches. My head is pretty monstrous, based on trying on women's hats in many locations, but I wear a large in their sizes.
posted by janell at 12:03 PM on April 20, 2016

My head is larger than yours, and I was able to find a straw hat that fit me at REI. I'm not sure if it was technically a women's hat, but it had a navy blue ribbon and I don't feel like I'm wearing a men's hat.

Also, when I had surgery that involved shaving my head, I discovered that there's a whole world of custom hat makers for women dealing with hair loss for medical reasons. I ended up just having a small patch shaved, so I made do with scarves, but I seriously considered ordering a hat from this site. If you don't mind putting some money into it, I would think there would have to be custom hat makers in the NYC area.
posted by FencingGal at 12:27 PM on April 20, 2016

I ended up shopping at higher end "resort lifestyle" stores. I soooo hear you on the big ass head problem.
posted by tilde at 12:47 PM on April 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

n-thing Tilley Hats. I've got an LT5B (color: stone), which is made from breathable nylon. The sizing info was accurate for me too, the size I ordered online fit perfectly. My husband has had a Tilley for years, it has been through the wash often and is holding up very well.
posted by amf at 1:12 PM on April 20, 2016

REI also sells Tilly hats, although they've never had my size. They're really, really great hats, and they have great customer service. They even give you a 50% discount on a new hat if you lose it.
posted by Huck500 at 1:15 PM on April 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

I was just in the Campmor store in Paramus last week and they had a pretty good assortment of ladies' sun hats from various brands (though I didn't check sizing). I'd think it would be worth a call; their store employees are super-helpful and would be happy to help you find what you want.
posted by workerant at 1:20 PM on April 20, 2016

REI! I have the same head and they have beautiful, beautiful ladies hats that fit me.
posted by corb at 3:40 PM on April 20, 2016

Eponysterical! (I also have a giant head so watching this thread with interest.)
posted by purple_bird at 4:03 PM on April 20, 2016

I also am a woman with a big head, plus most hats with brims give me headaches, but the Outdoor Research Revel Cap works for me despite being "one size." The only drawback is the big logo on the front, which I covered with a sticker of Sasquatch (so, maybe you shouldn't get fashion advice from me).
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:01 AM on April 25, 2016