How to Keep a Vintage Hat in Place

 

I wear a lot of hats. I hope by now that is not a surprise. So how do I get them to stay in place? Well, depending on the hat I will use a variety of methods from bobby pins to hat pins to elastic bands and sometimes the features of the hat itself. It all depends on the hat, the weather conditions, and even the condition of the hat itself. 

Many of the hats I wear have little combs in them, like this one. The combs are on small elastic bands that help offer some "give" but also do a great job on keeping this hat in place. I do not need any additional hat pins or bobby pins. 

This hat has a unique feature at the back of the hat - the webbing that sits at the back of the head and is great for hat pins. This hat also has an elastic band that can go under the hair at the back of the head to stay in place. This hat is a great example of a tilt hat and is small in size, to get this one to stay in place take a little more effort. I will use hat pins or even bobby pins through the green webbing or netting at the back which is really strong and sturdy material. I have a few vintage that are like this one - they have a feature of some sort at the back or pins and an elastic band. If you have an elastic bad that has dry rotted, these can be bought online and easily replaced. 

Hat pins. This red hat is another great example of a 1940s tilt hat and has a matching hat pin. Hat pins do a nice job keeping hats in place, they really do. But I have found that hat pins work best when they have the right hair style for the pin to go through. If you have a hat pin that will not keep a hat in place, then you may have the wrong hair style for that. You also may not have enough hat pins. For me, I will use up to two hat pins for larger hats but one for the smaller ones like this. 

Some hats have bands, like this one, that have a little stretch to them. These bands are meant to help keep the hat in place but only to a certain point. This hat has a band that has kind of worn out so I use it gently. I place the band at the back of my head and then use bobby pins to pin (carefully) the hat to my head. I also use a hat pin to keep this one in place. 

For extra-large hats, I am a hat pin and a bobby pin person. Many vintage hats can be held in place with both, like these below. All of these hats have a structure feature that extends towards the back of the head like a cap, and I will bobby pin that to my head. Then for good measure I will use hat pins - one through the back and then another through the front sometimes. A lot of times it will actually depend on the weather - if it is breezy, I will add extra bobby pins as I think it's needed and even carry extra with me. Of course, there are times when it is just TOO WINDY! Then I choose something smaller and something that will be less of a sail. There are times when it is not realistic to wear big hats.  . . no matter how many anchors you try to use. 

These hats all have features - elastic bands or by design - that do not need extra help in staying in place. But it does not hurt to use hat pins or bobby pins for extra security. Starting to the left, this one stays in place well alone, but I do add a hat pin. The next one has a felt bad that does well alone, but I will use bobby pins to keep in its place. The last two all have elastic bands that go at the back of the head under the hair. They do not need any extra help, but I will add hat pins.