How to Measure Your Head for a Cowboy Hat

A proper-fitting cowboy hat isn't something you guess about. Whether you're dressing up for a night out in Nashville or preparing for serious ranch work, getting the right size matters. A hat that sits wrong on your head will work its way loose, slide down into your eyes, or worse—end up in the dirt. We're going to walk you through measuring your head the right way, so when you settle on that hat, it stays put.

What You'll Need

Grab a soft measuring tape. Not a rigid ruler. Not a piece of string you'll have to measure afterwards with a ruler. A soft measuring tape is what you need. If you don't have one sitting around, most places that sell western wear keep them handy. You can pick one up cheap enough. You might also use a piece of string if that's what you've got, then measure the string against a ruler or tape measure afterward, but a soft tape is cleaner.

Taking the Measurement

Wrap the tape around your head about a half-inch above your eyebrows and ears. Don't pull tight like you're trying to squeeze information out of someone. Just snug enough that you're measuring where the hat will actually sit. The tape should run straight around, parallel to the ground. This is the circumference of your head at the widest point.

Most hat sizes run in quarter-inch increments. If your measurement comes out to 21.5 inches, that's a size 6-7/8. If it's 22.5 inches, that's a 7-1/8.

The standard sizes you'll see range from about 6-5/8 all the way up to 8, though custom sizes exist for those who need them.

Double-Check Your Work

Measure twice. You're not building a fence li