Hat sizes? Do not even think about hat sizes. Seriously. Hat sizes just confuse everything. Hat makers and sellers do not agree what size head a “size 7½” will fit.

I visited 12 different hat websites. One site tells us a size 7½ is 23¾ inches. Another thinks it’s 235⁄8 inches. Others say it is 23½ inches. I expect if I look at enough websites, I’ll find some that say it’s 233⁄8 inches.

See the problem? If you look in your hat with a tag that says 7½ and tell me that’s your size, then I still don’t know what size your head is. Could be anything from 233⁄8 inches to 23¾ inches. That’s a big difference. A huge difference in terms of a custom fit.

If you want a perfect fit, forget about hat sizes. Think about head size. Your head size.

Yes, you really have to measure your head.

It’s your hat. If you want it to fit right, then you really do have to measure your head. It’s the only way. Don’t guess.

Don’t look at the size tag in a hat you own then try to convert it to a measurement.

Don’t try to measure the inside of a hat—that never works. It’s much easier to measure your head. Measure to the nearest one-eighth inch. Or one-fourth centimeter.

Don’t try to turn it into a hat size. An accurate measurement is better.

If you don’t have a tape measure, email your mailing address to bbb@brentblack.com and I will mail you a hat tape measure and instructions. Regular mail. It is a physical object. It cannot be emailed.

Please take the time to measure your head and to get it right. Especially if you’re in a hurry. Yeah, yeah, I know you don’t want to bother. But this isn’t horseshoes or hand grenades; close isn’t good enough. For a perfect fit and eternal happiness, you need to be within 1⁄8 inch.

When you order your hat, you will choose which type of sweatband you prefer. Highest quality sheepskin roan leather or black cotton twill.

If you include a measurement with your order, I will take a sweatband of whatever type you choose then size it to the measurement you specify. I will also make a sweatband 1⁄8 inch larger, and a sweatband 1⁄8 inch smaller. Then just to be safe, I will also make a sweatband ¼ inch larger, and a sweatband ¼ inch smaller. I will mail all five sweatbands to you while I am blocking your hat. You can try on all five bands and choose your perfect fit. My advice is to choose a very snug fit, not an “easy” fit.

If the largest band is too small, or the smallest too large, then you are probably a physician. They seem to have the most difficulty measuring their heads and the highest margin of error. Odd. Just let me know and I will send more bands.

For US orders, a pre-printed, postage-paid return label is included with the bands. Just put the bands back into the same box, attach the label, and send them back. It is not possible for me to pre-pay postage for other countries. But you should be able to re-use the same box to return the size test bands.

If you request a hat size tape measure when you place your order, then when you have a good measurement, email or call to let me know what you came up with. I will send you pre-sized sweatbands as described above.

While the bands are in the mail to you, I will start to block your hat. It takes longer to block a hat than to mail a band, so no time will be lost or wasted.

If you can push a band down below the tops of your ears fairly easily, then it is probably too big.

I know you still might be tempted just to give me a measurement and get on with it, without going through the various steps. Don’t do that. It takes a week or two for me to custom block and custom size your hat. You may as well use that time to your advantage by measuring your head accurately, letting me send you sized sweatbands to try on, and getting a hat that fits perfectly, instead of a hat you have to send back.

Every Montecristi Panama hat is custom blocked and custom sized. I don’t just reach over and take a hat off a shelf and ship it to you. I actually block, style, and size your hat for you.

I know you are impatient to have your hat. I consider that a compliment. I would be the same way. But imagine your disappointment after you’ve waited for your to-die-for, hand-blocked, custom-sized, Montecristi Panama hat to arrive and you open the box, put on your new hat, and discover that the size you gave me is actually Andre the Giant’s size, not yours. We start over. I’ve had clients get it wrong by more than an inch (physicians). That’s just not possible if you follow my advice and keep your head in the game, so to speak.

Remember—it’s all about you, it’s your hat. Be totally self-centered: get it right.

Your hat is very personal. Putting it on should feel like coming home. I don’t want you wishing it was just a little bigger or smaller every time you put it on. I much prefer to hear “This is the first hat I’ve ever had that really fits right.” That’s the plan.

We can absolutely get this exactly right, even long distance, but I need your help. Let’s do it. myhatsize@brentblack.com

I only do the size test bands for hand-blocked Montecristi hats.

Well, that’s about the size of it.