To style a fur hat without looking like a costume, make it the only statement in your outfit: wear it with a simple, well-cut coat, stay in one colour family and leave every other fur piece at home. A fur hat looks costume-y when it competes with other dramatic pieces, and effortless when everything around it is plain and good.
That is the whole secret, but there are a few more details that make the difference between “off to the Bolshoi” and “just looks great”. Here they are.
What makes a fur hat look costume-y?
Usually it is too much at once. A fur hat with a fur collar, a fur bag and a long scarf reads as fancy dress. So does a hat in a colour that has nothing to do with the rest of the outfit, or a hat perched high on the back of the head.
A fur hat looks modern when: – It is the only fur near your face. – Its colour links to something else you are wearing. – It sits low, with the brim around your eyebrows. – The coat underneath is clean and simple.
How should a fur hat sit on your head?
Low and level. The fur should sit around your eyebrows at the front and cover the tops of your ears, which is also where it keeps you warmest. Pushed back, it looks like it is about to fall off.
Our Svalbard Hat is built for exactly this: a thick ring of fox fur around a panelled crown, with the brim landing at the eyebrow and covering the ears. At the back there is a strap with a buckle, which lets you adjust the fit, and two cords finished with small fur pompoms. It is a wide, generous hat, so if you have a small face you may like to wear it slightly further back to show more forehead. It is rated 4.9 by 43 customers.
How do you wear your hair with a fur hat?
Your hair should help the hat sit low.
- Down and loose: the easiest option. Let a little hair fall at the sides of the face, which softens the fur and frames the cheekbones.
- Low ponytail or low bun: neat and polished. Keep the bun at the nape, not on the crown.
- Short hair: tuck it behind the ears so the fur meets the skin cleanly, or let a fringe show under the brim.
- Avoid: high buns, top knots and big claw clips, which push the hat up.
A simple trick: put the hat on before you style the front of your hair, then pull a few strands loose. And spray any hairspray before the hat goes on. The Fur Institute of Canada notes that hairspray and perfume dry fur and dull its lustre.
Which fur hat suits your face shape?
Most faces suit a fur hat. The trick is balancing the width.
- Round face: let hair fall at the sides and wear the hat level, not pulled down over the ears completely. A V-neck or open collar below the face helps lengthen the line.
- Long or oval face: you can wear a wide, full hat easily. Pull it down low; the width balances length.
- Heart-shaped face: a full hat balances a narrower chin beautifully. Add earrings that sit at the jaw.
- Square face: softer, fluffier fur such as fox suits you better than a stiff, structured hat. Loose hair at the sides softens the jaw.
- Small or petite frame: a very big hat can overwhelm you, so keep the coat long and lean to carry the volume.
How do you match a fur hat to your coat?
Pick the hat colour from the coat or one shade away from it.
- Camel or brown coat: Natural fox, with its golden tone and darker tips, ties it all together.
- Black coat: Black for a graphic look, or Silver for a softer contrast.
- Grey coat: Silver is the most elegant match.
- Ivory or cream coat: White, worn as a full winter-white look.
- Pink: a pale Pink hat looks fresh over grey, ivory or camel, and is the one colour that can play the playful role.
The best coat shapes are long and clean. A belted wrap coat that falls to the lower calf, a straight double-breasted coat or a hip-length wrap jacket all work. A short down jacket is good for the mountains and weekends. Avoid coats with a fur collar or a fur hood, because two big fur pieces near the face make the outfit heavy.
What should you not wear with a fur hat?
- A fur collar or fur hood at the same time.
- A chunky scarf wrapped high. Choose a fine scarf or none at all.
- Big statement earrings. Small studs or hoops only.
- Sporty technical gear in the city, unless you are on a ski holiday, where a fur hat with a ski jacket is part of the fun. Our après-ski hat guide is all about that.
- Sunglasses pushed up on the head, which fight with the brim.
Three fur hat outfits that always work
Winter city: camel wrap coat, cream roll-neck, dark straight jeans, brown leather boots, Natural fur hat. Brown leather gloves.
Grey day: charcoal coat, grey knit, grey wide trousers, black boots, Silver hat. All the interest comes from the fur.
Evening: black long coat, black knit dress, sheer tights, heeled boots, Black hat, one pair of gold earrings.
Can you wear a fur hat in the rain or snow?
Light snow and drizzle are fine on fox, because the long guard hairs shed water. The Fur Institute of Canada says that if your fur “has lots of guard hairs, don’t fear the rain”. When you get home, give the hat a gentle shake and leave it on a bowl or a hat stand at room temperature, away from radiators, and never use a hair dryer. Store it somewhere cool and dark with air around it, in a cotton bag or a box, not plastic. More in how to care for real fur.
Which fur hat is worth investing in?
If you want one hat that does city, mountains and the odd night out, the piece we keep reaching for is the Svalbard Hat. It is full and light, with fox fur all the way round, a quilted lining and an adjustable strap at the back. Choose the colour from the coat you wear most. Natural for camel and brown, Silver for grey, Black for black. You can read how fox fur behaves on our fox fur page, and how the hat fits into a whole outfit in how to look expensive in winter.
