What is the right size for a hat?
'Cappello' — cap-PEL-lo. Double 'l'.
Ask in hat shops or when buying a structured hat (fedora, panama, beret) as opposed to a knit cap. Hat sizing in Italy uses centimetres of head circumference.
Italian hat sizes are expressed in centimetres of head circumference: common sizes are 56, 57, 58, 59, 60cm. 'Misura' is used for hats (not 'taglia'). A cloth tape measure around the widest part of the head gives the size. Shops usually have a tape measure available.
Come misuro la testa per un cappello?
How do I measure my head for a hat?
Asks about the measurement method.
Porto il cinquantotto.
I take a fifty-eight.
States the head circumference size.
Può misurarmi la testa?
Can you measure my head?
Asks for assistance.
Italy has a long tradition of hat making — particularly panamas (made in Ecuador but finished and sold by Italian brands), fedoras from Borsalino (Alessandria), and traditional Sardinian and Sicilian regional hats. A quality Italian hat is a lifelong purchase.