Cool hats/headwear that don't make me look too elderly

[Epona]

I've got a bit of a thinning hair/alopecia thing going on so tend to wear hats - as protection from both the sun and from stares and for my own mental wellbeing and confidence when out and about.

However up until now I've been mostly wearing a couple of baseball caps that my baseball cap loving OH no longer wanted - and I just don't really think that's me.

I have an extremely small head - XS motorbike helmet size is still a little loose on me for example - which makes hats that have a stiff/millienered (if that is a word) shape or a brim really difficult, as they either slip down over my eyes or a slight breeze will carry them away - if I am down by the river doing my bird monitoring it is normally a bit windy and any breeze will snatch my stupid cap away, also the peak is annoying when I am also dealing with sunglasses and binoculars!

I think I might need to get into the beanie game for self-confidence and head coverage/protection. Any suggestions for those or anything I haven't considered would be welcome - needs to be available in xs sizes, as we are moving into summer I am looking into summer headwear rather than a wooly hat (in fact I am allergic to wool) and preferably very cheap (no £40 designer stuff please, I am definitely in the £5 price bracket)

 

[klang]

 

[Numbers]

FEB hat?

 

[8ball]

Just spitballing but have you tried ordering directly from Asia? Their sizes for a lot of things go much smaller.

 

[8ball]

Also, a friend of mine is tiny and she saves VAT by buying in children’s sizes. Not saying you’re microscopic or anything but could hats for young teens be an option?

 

[klang]

 

[8ball]

And Googling “hats for small heads” brings up plentiful results. Guessing you’ve tried that, though.

 

[Epona]

I hate all of you

EDIT: OK I don't know why the posts I quoted didn't end up in that post - that was in response to klang and Numbers

 

[Epona]

And Googling “hats for small heads” brings up plentiful results. Guessing you’ve tried that, though.

When I was in the big Asda recently I determined that age 4-10 hats are my best bet

 

[Numbers]

FWIW Mrs Numbers goes for a flat cap, there's some beautiful ones out there.

 

[8ball]

When I was in the big Asda recently I determined that age 4-10 hats are my best bet

Tried Decathlon?

 

[Epona]

Seriously though I do want something that doesn't make me look like a 90 year old granny (which a lot of women's hats without brims manage to do) and it needs to be affordable.

 

[Epona]

FWIW Mrs Numbers goes for a flat cap, there's some beautiful ones out there.

Yeah I tried on some but they are all generally too big and even if they more or less fit, they don't look good on me - I have a very short forehead like there's not much distance between my eyebrows and the top of my head - one reason I find it so tricky. I imagine Mrs Numbers looks amazing in a flat cap! Not something that works for me though

 

[hegley]

Ignore the shockingly dated looking website and the mention of chemo, but this place has some lovely bandanas, reasonably priced and quick delivery. UK Stylish Chemo Hats And Headwear For Cancer Patients.

 

[Epona]

Just as a slight aside, when I was doing some painting as a subcontractor, the contractor was quite controlling about what they wanted me to wear (and in fact other aspects of my life) when I was working for them and objected to me arriving on site one day wearing a hoodie - they gave me some sort of crotched hat to wear instead which they said was something that skateboarders were into and was quite trendy but made me look about 90 - That was honestly a horrific moment for me when I was working, if people need to have their head covered at work for whatever reason, do not be such an arse about it.

 

[Epona]

Ignore the shockingly dated looking website and the mention of chemo, but this place has some lovely bandanas, reasonably priced and quick delivery. UK Stylish Chemo Hats And Headwear For Cancer Patients.

No that's cool and affordable, thank you. There is no difference between someone wanting a head covering because they are undergoing chemo or have alopecia or to give sun protection to the scalp if they are spending all day out in the sun or just to look cool.

The mannequin heads are a bit scary mind

 

[Epona]

Also I saw 2 weeks ago in Age UK they had some small womens' beanies - not donated items, but their own range of stuff. £2.50 each, but they only came in pink and I am not fond of pink because I am a bit chubby and rosy-cheeked and a pink hat makes me look like a giant pink bald marshmallow, so I went and failed to find something elsewhere - but I did think OK that looks practical, will go back and get one - only to find they had removed their winter stock when I returned.

I don't know why stuff in smaller sizes for women in some places like this always has to be pink though, come on...

 

[ouirdeaux]

when I was doing some painting as a subcontractor, the contractor was quite controlling about what they wanted me to wear (and in fact other aspects of my life) when I was working for them and objected to me arriving on site one day wearing a hoodie - they gave me some sort of crotched hat to wear instead

Why would they do this? Do people paint better when they're wearing crotched hats than hoodies? I have seen many people engaged in painting over the years, and I've never noticed what they happened to be wearing on their heads, if anything. Or even if they all had heads.

I can't suggest anything sensible, as hats make my head itch, and frankly the only hat that would make me look good is a balaclava. But have you considered an outrageous wig, or several? I've never tried one, given my aversion to the sensation of having things on my head, but the idea of quick-change appearance has always been attractive.

 

[mango5]

Some kind of snazzy turban/head wrap thing came to my mind also. There are loads of ready-made ones and also online tutorials which means you can have loads of different ones quite cheaply.

 

[Epona]

Why would they do this? Do people paint better when they're wearing crotched hats than hoodies? I have seen many people engaged in painting over the years, and I've never noticed what they happened to be wearing on their heads, if anything. Or even if they all had heads.

Oh honestly this is whole other topic than what the thread is about, but she was incredibly controlling in a lot of ways, wanted me to wear a particular set of white painters overalls that were too big and dangerous going up a step ladder at work, tried to tell me I wasn't allowed to work for other people, wanted me to just be a subcontractor for her (I explained that this was what an employee was and I would be happy with that arrangement but HMRC would insist I was on PAYE and I'd get a work contract with hours and paid annual leave, and I'd still be able to do other work on my time off), she wanted me to stop using my own google mail and calendar and just use one that she set up for me and was in control of - it was absolutely insane and although I liked (no, I absolutely loved) the work I am better off out of it, her controlling what headwear I used while working for her was the least of it.

 

[killer b]

I have a leather newsboy cap in three different colours of leather (red, white and black I think) for a tiny head - if you think that's the kind of thing you might like I'll post it to you - pics when I get home if you like

 

[Epona]

Some kind of snazzy turban/head wrap thing came to my mind also. There are loads of ready-made ones and also online tutorials which means you can have loads of different ones quite cheaply.

You're talking to someone who finds brushing their hair too much effort in the mornings

 

[Elpenor]

I have two small beanies from marathons which I don’t tend to wear as I’ve got a massive spam. You’re welcome to either or both if you don’t mind the chance of someone asking you about an obscure race you’ve never heard of

 

[Epona]

I have a leather newsboy cap in three different colours of leather (red, white and black I think) for a tiny head - if you think that's the kind of thing you might like I'll post it to you - pics when I get home if you like

I have two small beanies from marathons which I don’t tend to wear as I’ve got a massive spam. You’re welcome to either or both if you don’t mind the chance of someone asking you about an obscure race you’ve never heard of

Thanks to both of you, that sounds really useful! I used to like a newsboy style cap when I was younger, killer b - I think it's a bit of an androgynous look for me which is good.

And Elpenor - that sounds fantastic, I don't think a marathon has ever been within my reach (EDS Hypermobility) but hats from such a thing sounds awesome And would be very practical when I am down by the river doing my biodiversity monitoring shifts

 

[killer b]

I would personally recommend against getting chemo hats fwiw - people will look at you pityingly on the tube if you take to wearing one cause they'll think you have cancer

 

[Boudicca]

How about a trilby:


This is in the Next kids range

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Measure your head so you know the UK and US size - short how-to vid here

I have a massive head, even Julian Clary said so! So knowing my hat size is useful when looking around.

Don't bother with Christy's hats - v.expensive. They're still selling top hats FFS

 

[dessiato]

Ignore the shockingly dated looking website and the mention of chemo, but this place has some lovely bandanas, reasonably priced and quick delivery. UK Stylish Chemo Hats And Headwear For Cancer Patients.

There's some great hats on there. Mrs D is going to a present.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I have a massive head

I guess my head is fairly big - remember having to get a large sized flat cap when I wore one in my teens. Will have to dig out a tape measure to see if my head has remained the same size over the years.

 

[Epona]

How about a trilby:
View attachment 321296

This is in the Next kids range

I think the brim on that is going to see it go flying along the Lea next time I am down there doing biodiversity monitoring and the wind picks up a bit