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Short blog posts, journal entries, and random thoughts. Topics include a mix of personal and the world at large. 

Big hats for big heads

As a dude with a sizable head, the one-size-fit-all hats that tend to be given out as freebies annoy the heck out of me. Because obviously those hats never fit my enlarged noggin. One size fit all is blatant false advertising! There are dozens of us!

I didn’t realize my head size is abnormally large until hats started to irrecoverably squish down my hair into an unsightly shape after wear. Why doesn’t my hair bounce back up like most other people do? Well, not when the hat is effectively putting a tourniquet on my dome.

Fitted baseball hats solved my problem. (They are individually sized, much like a shoe would be.) Finally, a hat that comfortably and completely covered my head. But there was a problem: I didn’t want to be a guy that wears baseball hats outside of a baseball stadium. I’m simply not of that age anymore.

A good thing about this online shopping era of ours is that you can find absolutely anything. If there’s a need, someone probably already solved it. Major clothing retailers aren’t likely to cater to the ends of the bell curve like me. An online shop that’s dedicated to a specific kind of clothing is where it’s at. (Long ago, I found appropriately-sized glasses frames for my large head.)

A Google search for “hats for large heads” gave me Oddjob Hats, so kudos to their marketing team for excellent SEO execution. Oddjob is a purveyor of headwear targeted specifically towards folks with larger than average head size. Finally, I am able to wear a “regular”, adjustable cotton hat without it looking ridiculous. I too can, on a bad hair day, quickly put on a cap and look somewhat stylish with it.

Do I still wish my head isn’t out of proportion with the rest of my body? Of course. Since head-shrinking surgery isn’t (yet?) a reality, I have to make do with what I’ve been given. Thanks, mom and dad!

High altitude play.

Hats for big head

All my life I’ve always had a larger than normal head. That in it of itself is no great bother. It would look better proportionally if my head were smaller vis a vis my body. But that’s not something I had control over. Though I guess I can be mad at my parents and their genes. 

Anyways, what is a bother with my atypically large head is when it comes to hat wearing. You know those one-size-fit-all hats? The ones you get for free just for visiting a booth at a street fare? Yeah, those never fit my giant melon. Which is I why I always decline those giveaways. Even at the most widest position, those one-size-fit-all hats will simply sit atop my head like a Jewish yarmulke.

The only hats I’ve been able to comfortably wear are the bespoke fitted hats that baseball players wear. Those I can actually buy in the size that fits, all the way up to even larger sizes for heads bigger than mine. However, the problem with those hats is that they are made of either wool or polyester. On a particularly hot day, it’s rather uncomfortable to wear those for long periods of time. Conventional hats made of cotton has more breathe. 

I’ve long suspected there’s apparel companies out there that cater to dudes with big heads. I’ve just been procrastinating on actually searching for them. Last week I finally did the google search, and the first thing that came up was an ad for the company called Oddjob Hats. The company offers all sorts of hat styles, specifically designed for large noggins. Oddjob did well on the advertising buy, because I end up purchasing two of the “Dad Hats” to try. 

The hat is made of 100% cotton, which is exactly what I wanted. Quality feels good to the hands, and I’ve been wearing it all day with no comfort issues. For the first time in my life, I actually have to adjust down on a hat to fit my head. So that’s what that feeling is like! I should have done this way sooner.  

A hat that fits.