Measuring, Fitting and Shaping your Cowboy Hat
When you are measuring for your hat size, you will need a soft tape measure. Place the start of the tape at the middle of your forehead above the eyebrows. Wrap the tape around your head just above the ears. This will give you the head measurement in inches. The measurement in inches can be converted into a hat size for you. The below chart that illustrates the conversion between inches and hat sizes.
Take note that all manufacturers have different size points in hats. This is a generalized chart.
Measure around the widest part of your head or where you intend to wear the hat.
| Head in cm | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 |
| Head in Inches | 19 1/8 | 19 1/2 | 19 7/8 | 20 1/4 | 20 3/4 | 21 1/8 | 21 1/2 |
| Hat Size | 6 1/8 | 6 1/4 | 6 3/8 | 6 1/2 | 6 5/8 | 6 3/4 | 6 7/8 |
| Head in cm | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 |
| Head in Inches | 21 7/8 | 22 1/4 | 22 5/8 | 23 | 23 1/2 | 23 7/8 | 24 1/4 |
| Hat Size | 7 | 7 1/8 | 7 1/4 | 7 3/8 | 7 1/2 | 7 5/8 | 7 3/4 |
Next you can choose which crown measurement best fits you. The hat crown is measured from the bottom of the hat band, located directly in the middle of the crease, to the middle dip of the crown. Changing the size to be either shorter or taller will depend of the stature of the person. Women tend to go shorter in crown height so the hat in not overwhelming in size. In general a crown measurement is 4 ½" and can be altered anywhere between 4" and 4 ¾".
Choosing the right size brim is determined by facial features. The brim size highlights and emphasizes facial features. Generally brims measure 4" and depending on the persons facial structure can vary between 3 ¾" and 4 ¼". The brim is measured from the bottom of the hat band to the edge of the brim. The measurement should be taken in the back of the hat at the flattest part.
Creases
Rod's offers a selection of hat creases to help you choose what is right for you. Let our hat shaping expert's custom shape your new hat (click here). We can custom crease your hat any way you choose but for ease of ordering, we offer three of our most popular creases: The Quarter Horse crease, The Cattleman's crease and The Cutter crease.
- The Cattleman's crease is a more traditional crease that is complimentary mostly to persons of larger stature. The sides are rolled and the back is dipped slightly.
- The Quarter Horse crease is the most popular crease among Rod's customers. The crown features longer vents, the front of the brim is squared and the sides are rolled moderately cupping the back.
- The Cutter crease is similar to the quarter horse crease with a wider squared front brim. Sides and back of brim are flatter. Cutter bumps in vents on crown are optional.
We offer free hat shaping for the life of all hats purchased at Rod's. The hat must be shipped or brought into our retail store in Columbus, OH. We do not honor this service free of charge at road shows.
We have a professional hat shaper available during normal business hours seven days a week that can answer any questions you may have regarding hats or hat creases.