Outback Traders Australia — Fitting Room
Hat Sizing & Shaping Guide
A hat that fits right disappears on your head. A hat shaped right becomes yours alone. Here's how we do both — at home with a tape measure, or in store where we hand-steam every hat free of charge.
Step One
Measure your head
Take a soft tailor's tape and wrap it around your head where a hat naturally sits — about 1 cm above your ears and eyebrows, across the widest part of the back of your skull.
Keep the tape snug but not tight. You should be able to slide one finger underneath. Measure two or three times and take the largest reading — hair, angle and tape tension all shift the number.
No tape measure? Use a piece of string or a phone charging cable, mark where it meets, and lay it against a ruler.
Between sizes?
Always go up, not down. A slightly roomy hat is easily snugged with foam sizing tape (we fit it free in store). A tight hat gives you a headache by lunchtime — and straw won't stretch.
Quick Converter
Type your measurement, get your size
The Chart
Hat size conversion
Australian & UK hat sizes run one eighth smaller than US sizes for the same head. Stetson and American Hat Co. are marked in US sizing; Statesman, Outback King and Australian Hatters use AU/UK. When in doubt, trust the centimetres.
| Head (cm) | AU / UK | US | Fitted size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 6½ | 6⅝ | XS |
| 54 | 6⅝ | 6¾ | S |
| 55 | 6¾ | 6⅞ | S |
| 56 | 6⅞ | 7 | M |
| 57 | 7 | 7⅛ | M |
| 58 | 7⅛ | 7¼ | L |
| 59 | 7¼ | 7⅜ | L |
| 60 | 7⅜ | 7½ | XL |
| 61 | 7½ | 7⅝ | XL |
| 62 | 7⅝ | 7¾ | 2XL |
| 63 | 7¾ | 7⅞ | 2XL |
| 64 | 7⅞ | 8 | 3XL |
Fur felt
Moulds to your head over the first few weeks and can be stretched roughly half a size in store. Buy your true size.
Wool felt
Gives a little less than fur felt and can shrink if soaked. If between sizes, take the larger.
Straw & palm
Doesn't stretch. Fit must be right from day one — size up and pad the sweatband if needed.
Leather & canvas
Softens with wear but holds its size. A snug-but-comfortable fit out of the box is ideal.
The Craft
Hat shaping
Many premium hats arrive with an open crown — tall, round and uncreased — so the shape can be tailored to your face and your style. That's not a flaw; it's a blank canvas. Bring any hat bought from us into the Ringwood store and we'll steam and hand-shape it free of charge, the same way our Tacchino hand-shaped range is finished.
Classic crown creases
Cattleman
Three ridges down the crown, dents either side. The working cowboy's standard — balanced, traditional, suits almost everyone.
Pinch front / Teardrop
Two finger dents pinched at the front, teardrop or diamond on top. Sharper, more modern — slims a rounder face.
Gus
Crown slopes down toward the front with a deep centre crease. Old-frontier character, straight out of Lonesome Dove.
Telescope / Gambler
Low, flat crown with a circular rolled crease. A rodeo and vaquero favourite that also suits urban brims.
Brim work
The brim sets the attitude. A gentle rancher's roll at the sides keeps rain off and reads classic western. A flat brim is the contemporary look and standard on many Corral and urban styles. A deeper front slope — the cowboy curl — frames the eyes and cuts glare in the saddle.
Brims are shaped the same way crowns are: steam, gentle pressure, patience. Small adjustments hold; dramatic bends should be done by a hatter so the brim doesn't ripple.
Steam shaping at home — fur felt only
Hold the hat over a kettle's steam for 10–15 seconds until the felt relaxes, work the crease with your thumbs, then hold the shape as it cools. Repeat in small passes. Never soak the hat, and keep steam away from leather sweatbands. Wool felt is less forgiving, and straw should always be left to a professional — when in doubt, bring it in.
Keeping the shape
- Handle by the brim, front and back — not by pinching the crown. Repeated crown-pinching cracks felt and creases straw.
- Store it upside down on its crown or on a hat rack. Resting on the brim flattens the very curves you paid for.
- Let a wet hat dry naturally, at room temperature, sitting on its crown. Heat sources shrink felt.
- Brush fur felt anti-clockwise with a soft hat brush to lift dust and revive the nap.
- Travelling? A hat box or carrier is cheaper than a re-block.
Rather have it done by hand?
Visit us at 477 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood — open daily 10am–5pm. We'll measure your head, fit the hat, and steam-shape it to suit your face while you wait. No charge, no appointment.