How to Stretch a Hat?

It is quite common to find your new hat a bit tight to wear, or the fitted hat size does not match your head size perfectly. Some natural fibres like cotton can shrink after washing, and the hat could reduce its size over time because of sweat, humidity and weather. Therefore, the hat needs to be stretched to maintain its optimum shape and achieve a prolonged comfortable fit.

There are many different ways to stretch a hat like using a hat jack / a professional hat stretcher or wearing a hat before it dries. Most hats can be stretched when handled with patience and proper procedure.

Here is a simple way of stretching a hat, just using things that you can easily find in your house.

Step 1	Find a cylinder planter or a cooking pot that has a similar circumference to your head size.
Step 2	Cover the cylinder with a towel or a cloth (a T-shirt is fine) to add volume and adjust the circumference of the mould.  Layer them up as necessary.
Step 3	Use a tape to measure the circumference of the cylinder after covering layers of towels or cloth on it to make sure the cylinder is larger than your head size. *It should be a few centimetres bigger than your head size so as to get a good fit.
Step 4	Cover the cylinder with a plastic bag or a freezer bag.  It becomes easier to put the hat on with a slippery surface.
Step 5	Fill a spray bottle with water and lightly spray the crown and the inside band of your hat.
Step 6	Put the hat on the mould while it is still damp. Make sure the hat sits on the mould tightly, i.e. there is enough tension between the hat and the mould. If it is too loose, the hat won’t get enough tension, and it won’t be stretched. If this is the case, you need to put more layers of towels or cloth over your hat stretcher. Wait for a few hours or one or two days, until the hat is totally dry, or the elasticity of the hat loses enough resistance.

If a hat has an elasticated back, it takes a few days for the hat to lose some of the elasticity. In this case, your patience will prevail.

Hope this article can help you to stretch your hat without too much effort. A hat should always be comfortable and snug to wear. With this easy tip of stretching your hat, get ready to enjoy the perfect size.