(1741–1791). One of the earliest depicted prototypes of what became the top hat. In early prototypes, a sash around the crown was closed by a
buckle. This was later dropped, in the same way as shoe buckles for
male pumps were replaced by bow ties around the turn of the 19th century. According to fashion historians, the top hat may have descended directly from the
sugarloaf hat; otherwise it is difficult to establish provenance for its creation. Gentlemen began to replace the
tricorne with the top hat at the end of the 18th century; a painting by
Charles Vernet of 1796,
Un Incroyable, shows a French
dandy (one of the
Incroyables et Merveilleuses) with such a hat. The first silk top hat in England is credited to George Dunnage, a hatter from Middlesex, in 1793. The invention of the top hat is often erroneously credited to a
haberdasher named
John Hetherington. Within 30 years top hats had become popular with all social classes, with even workmen wearing them. At that time those worn by members of the upper classes were usually made of
felted
beaver fur; the generic name "stuff hat" was applied to hats made from various non-fur felts. The hats became part of the uniforms worn by policemen and postmen (to give them the appearance of authority); since these people spent most of their time outdoors, their hats were topped with black
oilcloth.
19th century Between the latter part of 18th century and the early part of the 19th century, felted beaver fur was slowly replaced by silk "hatter's plush", though the silk topper met with resistance from those who preferred the beaver hat. The 1840s and the 1850s saw it reach its most extreme form, with ever-higher crowns and narrow brims. The
stovepipe hat was a variety with mostly straight sides, while one with slightly convex sides was called the "chimney pot". The style most commonly referred to as the stovepipe was popularized in the United States by
Abraham Lincoln during his presidency; though it is postulated that he may never have called it stovepipe himself, but merely a silk hat or a plug hat. Lincoln often carried documents and letters inside the hat. One of Lincoln's top hats is kept on display at the
National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. File:Isambard Kingdom Brunel preparing the launch of 'The Great Eastern by Robert Howlett crop.jpg|
Isambard Kingdom Brunel,
William Harrison,
John Scott Russell and others at the launching of the
SS Great Eastern, London 1857 File:Lincoln's+hat.jpg|Top hat worn by Abraham Lincoln to
Ford's Theatre on the night of
his assassination, 1865 File:Cinque giornate di Milano.jpg|In this popular print of the 1848 "
Five Days of Milan", the Italian city's uprising against Austrian rule, several combatants are shown wearing top hats. During the 19th century, the top hat developed from a fashion into a symbol of urban respectability, and this was assured when
Prince Albert started wearing them in 1850; the rise in popularity of the silk plush top hat possibly led to a decline in beaver hats, sharply reducing the size of the
beaver trapping industry in North America, though it is also postulated that the beaver numbers were also reducing at the same time. Whether it directly affected or was coincidental to the decline of the beaver trade is debatable.
James Laver once observed that an assemblage of "toppers" resembled factory chimneys and thus added to the mood of the industrial era. In England, post-
Brummell dandies went in for flared crowns and swooping brims. Their counterparts in France, known as the "
Incroyables", wore top hats of such outlandish dimensions that there was no room for them in overcrowded cloakrooms until the invention of the collapsible top hat.
20th century Until
World War I the top hat was maintained as a standard item of formal outdoor wear by upper-class males for both daytime and evening usage. Considerations of convenience and expense meant however that it was increasingly superseded by soft hats for ordinary wear. By the end of
World War II, it had become a comparative rarity, though it continued to be worn regularly in certain roles. In Britain, these included holders of various positions in the
Bank of England and City stockbroking, as well as boys at some public schools. All the civilian members of the Japanese delegation who signed the
Japanese Instrument of Surrender on 2 September 1945 wore top hats, reflecting common diplomatic practice at the time.
comedy film Top Hat, featuring
Fred Astaire wearing a top hat and
white tie The top hat persisted in politics and international diplomacy for many years. In the
Soviet Union, there was debate as to whether its diplomats should follow the international conventions and wear a top hat. Instead, a
diplomatic uniform with peaked cap for formal occasions was adopted. Top hats were part of formal wear for U.S. presidential inaugurations for many years, beginning with
Franklin Pierce in
1853. President
Dwight D. Eisenhower spurned the hat for
his inauguration in 1953, but
John F. Kennedy, who was accustomed to formal dress, brought it back for
his inauguration in 1961. Nevertheless, Kennedy delivered his forceful inaugural address hatless, reinforcing the image of vigor he desired to project, and setting the tone for an active administration to follow. His successor,
Lyndon B. Johnson, did not wear a top hat for any part of
his inauguration in 1965, and the hat has not been worn since for this purpose. In the United Kingdom, the post of Government Broker in the
London Stock Exchange that required the wearing of a top hat in the streets of the
City of London was abolished by the "
Big Bang" reforms of October 1986. In the
British House of Commons, a rule requiring a
Member of Parliament who wished to raise a
point of order during a
division, having to speak seated with a top hat on, was abolished in 1998. Spare top hats were kept in the chamber in case they were needed. The Modernisation Select Committee commented that "This particular practice has almost certainly brought the House into greater ridicule than almost any other." Although
Eton College has long abandoned the top hat as part of its uniform, top hats are still worn by "
Monitors" at
Harrow School with their Sunday dress uniform. They are worn by male members of the
British royal family on State occasions as an alternative to military uniform, for instance, in the Carriage Procession at the
Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Top hats may also be worn at some
horse racing meetings, notably
The Derby and
Royal Ascot. Top hats are worn at the
Tynwald Day ceremony and a few other formal occasions in the
Isle of Man. In George Orwell's
Nineteen Eighty Four, the top hat features prominently in the propaganda of the book's totalitarian regime: "These rich men were called capitalists. They were fat, ugly men with wicked faces [...] dressed in a long black coat which was called a frock coat, and a queer, shiny hat shaped like a stovepipe, which was called a top hat. This was the uniform of the capitalists, and no one else was allowed to wear it." File:Winston Churchill verl sst das Geb ude der Admiralt t (1912).jpg|
Winston Churchill in a
frock coat with grey top hat, 1912 File:Crown Prince Hirohito in Oxford 1921.jpg|Japanese Crown Prince
Hirohito watching a boat race at
Oxford University, 1921 File:Atatürk silindir şapka, frak ve İstiklâl Madalyası ile bir törende, 1925.jpg|Turkish President
Kemal Atatürk, who
passed a law about male headgear and introduced it by himself, wearing a top hat and
white tie in 1925 File:JFK Inauguration from Capitol view.jpg|The
inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961, as seen from behind. Most men have their hats off; however a few top hats can be distinguished, some by the shininess of the hat's flat crown
21st century The modern standard top hat is a hard, black silk hat, characteristically made of fur. The acceptable colors are much as they have traditionally been, with "white" hats (which are actually grey), a daytime racing color, worn at the less formal occasions demanding a top hat, such as
Royal Ascot, or with a
morning suit. In the U.S. top hats are worn widely in coaching, a driven horse discipline, as well as for formal riding to hounds. The collapsible silk
opera hat, or
crush hat, is still worn on occasions, and black in color if worn with evening wear as part of
white tie, and is still made by a few companies, of the traditional materials of satin or grosgrain silk. The other alternative hat for eveningwear is the normal hard shell. In formal
academic dress, the Finnish and Swedish
doctoral hat is a variant of the top hat, and remains in use today. American rock musician
Tom Petty was known for wearing several types of top hats throughout his career and in his music videos such as "Don't Come Around Here No More." The British-American musician
Slash has sported a top hat since he was in
Guns N' Roses, a look that has become iconic for him.
Panic! at the Disco's
Brendon Urie is also a frequent wearer of top hats. He has been known to wear them in previous live performances on their Nothing Rhymes with Circus tour and in the music videos, "
The Ballad of Mona Lisa" and "
I Write Sins Not Tragedies". is held aloft on
Groundhog Day by a top hat-wearing member of the Inner Circle The members of the "Inner Circle" of the
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania Groundhog Club wear top hats on February 2 of every year when they perform the
Groundhog Day ceremonies with
Punxsutawney Phil.
Steampunk culture also incorporates the top hat into accepted headgear choices, though top hats worn in such a context are sometimes made of leather or similar materials and, now and then, even have simulated
gears or other adornments secured to them. A top hat, frequently colored red, white and blue, or with stars and stripes similar to those on the American flag, is part of the regular costume of
Uncle Sam, a symbol of the United States. For satirists and political cartoonists, the top hat was a convenient symbol of the
upper class, business and
capitalism. A character wearing a top hat would be instantly recognized by the viewer as a member of the
oligarchy. The character
Rich Uncle Pennybags in the board game
Monopoly wears a top hat. In addition, a top hat is one of the game's tokens, used by players to mark their position as they progress around the board.
Freemasonry Worshipful Master Bill Edgerton wearing his traditional top hat In
Freemasonry, as practiced in North American lodges, top hats are often associated with the position of
Worshipful Master as he is the only member allowed the privilege of wearing a head covering to signify his leadership within the lodge. However, the Master is not obliged to wear a top hat, and can wear whatever type of hat he deems appropriate for the occasion. This is because there are varying degrees of formality in different Lodges, from formal wear to everyday dress. It is also common for a Worshipful Master to receive top-hat-related trinkets and gifts on either the day of his installation or as a going away present. In other countries, especially in certain systems in Germany, top hats are worn by all members of the lodge.
Judaism In some
synagogues, the president and honorary officers may wear a top hat on
Shabbat or the great festivals. The custom of wearing a top hat, or
tzylinder in the
Yiddish language, originated in 19th-century England, replacing the
wig and
tricorn hat. The custom became widespread in Europe until
The Holocaust. In some traditional
Sephardi synagogues, members of the congregation may also wear top hats on special occasions. The custom is said to have started at the
Bevis Marks Synagogue in London on a hot day, when the
Chazzan was preparing for a service and decided that it was too hot to wear his wig, throwing it out of the window in a fit of bad temper. He then found that his tricorn hat was too big, as it had been made to fit over the wig, and so wore his top hat instead. == Description ==