# Any idea on how I can stretch my hat?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-idea-on-how-i-can-stretch-my-hat/202869>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 20, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-idea-on-how-i-can-stretch-my-hat/202869 "2003-09-20T23:42:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-idea-on-how-i-can-stretch-my-hat/202869/1 "2003-09-20T23:42:00Z")

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I bought one of those fitted baseball hats. I really loved the design, and really wanted it. It fit, but varely. I mean I can wear it, but it would be perfect if it could be just a smidge bigger.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could stretch this hat ever so slightly?

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**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-idea-on-how-i-can-stretch-my-hat/202869/2 "2003-09-21T00:17:18Z")

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Wet the cap first and then find an appropiate size bowling ball to stretch it over.

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**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-idea-on-how-i-can-stretch-my-hat/202869/3 "2003-09-21T00:26:08Z")

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I thought about wetting it right away, but then thought “Isn’t that how laundry shrinks?”

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-idea-on-how-i-can-stretch-my-hat/202869/4 "2003-09-21T00:34:45Z")

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Put it on, then we’ll all say _really_ nice things about you. 😃

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**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-idea-on-how-i-can-stretch-my-hat/202869/5 "2003-09-21T00:35:28Z")

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Not sure what it is made of but many materials will stretch if you hold them over steam and then apply pressure while it is still hot and wet.

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**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-idea-on-how-i-can-stretch-my-hat/202869/6 "2003-09-21T14:42:34Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by NoGoodNamesLeft \*  
> \*\*I thought about wetting it right away, but then thought “Isn’t that how laundry shrinks?” \*\*

Not as long as you have a rigid form inside of it to keep it from shrinking.

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**Author:** ![Mame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Mame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mame)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-idea-on-how-i-can-stretch-my-hat/202869/7 "2003-09-22T09:37:41Z")

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There is a gizmo called a “Hat Jack” specifically for stretching hats. I got mine in the US, and have used it on a couple of straw hats that’ve shrunk. It works fine. I suggest you google “hat Jack” .