Top Hat

The Top Hat is a tall, flat-crowned, broad brimmed hat usually made of silk. It was popular from the late 18th Century right through until the middle of the 20th Century, when they continued to be worn by men in the City of London who had prominent positions at the banks and the stock exchange. They are still worn today for formal occasions such as weddings and royal events.

The first top hat in England is thought to have been made in 1793 by George Dunnage, a hatter from Middlesex and it went on to dominate male outdoor dress throughout the 19th Century being worn by all classes. However, they were frequently associated with the aristocracy and were used by social critics and satirists as a symbol of capitalism.

Famous wearers of the hat include Prince Albert who started wearing his in 1850, instantly establishing it as an item of respectability and Abraham Lincoln is particularly remembered for his type of top hat, known as the ‘stovepipe hat’ which had straight sides as opposed to convex ones.