Hat - How to enlarge/reduce its size?

Hat too small: discomfort that can be avoided

Whether it's a gift, a purchase mistake, or an old headwear that you particularly cherish, it's important to understand that you won't be able to radically change the size of your hat. While it's not about drastically changing its head size, you may need to gain a little space with a few millimeters essential for your comfort. The same applies when your fittings in the hat shop are a source of hesitation between two sizes. You can then opt for the smaller of the two and slightly enlarge your hat for a perfectly adapted fit. Your cap or straw panama can then benefit from an effective treatment to widen a bit, while preserving its original shape and the charm that appealed to you so much at purchase.

Effective methods to enlarge your hat

While using a hat stretcher is a safe and effective way to widen the head size of your headwear without deforming it, other methods can also help you regain real pleasure when wearing it. First, moisturizing allows you to maintain the flexibility and shape of the fibers that make up your hat. You can take advantage of the steam from your shower or spray your panama, wide-brimmed hat, or fedora.

Indeed, some moisture allows the fibers to relax. You should therefore let your hat rest on a suitable support so that it does not become deformed while drying. A wider wooden head or a hat stretcher ensures a slightly larger headwear. The operation may need to be repeated several times depending on the hat material. To guarantee a result that meets your expectations, you will need to wait for the hat to become perfectly dry after each spraying before working on enlarging it again. This way, you can fully measure your needs without risking an overly intensive treatment that could damage the aesthetics of your hat.

How to steam your hat to enlarge it?

A few simple steps allow you to slightly relax the head size of your hat so you feel perfectly comfortable when wearing it:

• Fill a spray bottle with lukewarm water only
• Lightly spray the crown of your hat, both inside and outside, as well as the inner band. Be careful not to soak the fabric, as this may cause discoloration.
• Dry your hat using a hair dryer, leaving it slightly damp.
• Place your stretcher inside the hat, or your hat on a suitable support to help it expand a bit while drying. You can also place it directly on your head for a custom treatment.

Daily use of the stretcher 

You can use it when storing your headwear, the conical part should go into the hat: place the central handle aligned front and back. Then, turn the handle until it fits snugly. Store your hat on the crown with the brim up.

This hat stretcher consists of two cedar wood parts. It can also enlarge caps as well as special hats; It is made of robust and durable materials. Conical wooden blocks that you put against the leather or fabric band to absorb moisture and maintain the proper shape and size of the hat once stored. If you cannot keep your hat in a dry place and stored in warm conditions, regular use of the stretcher will be beneficial. You can also use cork shims that are placed on the inner grosgrain of your hat.

To enlarge a hat, whether it's made of felt, fabric, or for caps, you can use a stretcher (also called a stetcher).

Why use a hat stretcher?

• Extend the use and maintain a good fit and better comfort of your headwear.
• Maintain your hat or cap size when it is damp. Indeed, it helps prevent your headwear from shrinking.
• Maintain comfort and fit.
• Enlarge the size of your hat/cap/beret

Hat stretcher, available on the Traclet website. 

Chapellerie Traclet: by your side for the maintenance of all your hats

As a renowned specialist, Chapellerie Traclet accompanies you in the maintenance and treatment of all your headwear. Whether you want to enlarge a panama, shrink a bowler hat, or store a wide-brimmed hat, our team and our products allow you to offer the best care to these fashion accessories that you cherish so much. Don't hesitate to consult our advice pages, as well as our dedicated articles such as hat boxes, head size enlargers and reducers, or reinforcements. Whatever your desires or needs, you can enjoy quality products on our online store.