A Guide To Top Hats, By Oliver Brown's Kristian Ferner Robson (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between black and grey top hats? ›

For formal occasions, black top hats are traditionally worn with a black morning coat, while grey top hats generally partner with a grey morning suit. The 'conformateur' head measuring device is often used at Lock & Co. to determine the correct size and shape of a hat.

The popularity of the top hat reached its peak towards the end of the 19th century. It takes on more reasonable proportions, stabilizing around 12 cm to 15 cm in height. All gentlemen are still expected to wear a top hat at formal and/or important events.

The hats, remarkable for their sturdiness and ability to repel water, quickly became a fixture atop the heads of status-conscience Europeans. Demand for the hats was high, and by the early seventeenth century, beaver were trapped to extinction in Western Europe.

The Beginnings of the Top Hat

In 1968 the only factory that produced silk plush ceased production, hence today there is a finite supply of silk top hats in the world.

Green Hat: creative thinking. Red Hat: feelings and instincts. Yellow Hat: benefits and values. Black Hat: risk assessment. White Hat: information gathering.

Start with your complexion. A general rule of thumb when decidingwhat color is best for a hat is to identify your undertones. For skin with yellow or red undertones, warm colors like brown, tan, or maroon will complement your face. For those with cool undertones, matching cool colors like grey or blue is the way to go.

Hats off. The top hat was the height of fashion from the mid-19th Century right up to the Second World War, but instead fell out of favour afterwards. Today, top hats are still worn and are part of the white tie dress code, only seen on those formal occasions which require it.

1814 first record of a white rabbit being pulled out of a top hat, by a French Magician named Louis Comte. The American financier J P Morgan loved wearing top hats so much he had his cars made with a high roof so he could ride around wearing his beloved hats!

As part of traditional formal wear, in popular culture the top hat has sometimes been associated with the upper class, and used by satirists and social critics as a symbol of capitalism or the world of business, as with the Monopoly Man or Scrooge McDuck.

When the factory burnt down, the looms burnt with it, all the information, all the technology went with that one factory. So, from the mid-60s onwards silk is no longer available. Today all the silk top hats we own are vintage silks which we then buy in and refurbish.

Did Abraham Lincoln wear a top hat? ›

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was known for his iconic top hat. Lincoln was often seen wearing the tall, black hat, which became a symbol of his presidency and is now considered an important piece of American history.

The tricorne or tricorn is a style of hat that was popular during the 18th century, falling out of style by the early 1800s, though not called a "tricorne" until the mid-19th century. During the 18th century, hats of this general style were referred to as "co*cked hats".

It's well known that mercury, a toxic heavy metal, was used to prepare the animal fur, often beaver, used to make top hats.

Top hats first became fashionable for men in the 19th century and are still popular today for both sexes. These days they are worn as a trendy fashion accessory or at formal occasions.

Top Hat's main headquarters is located at 151 Bloor Street West 200 Toronto, Ontario M5S 1S4 CA. The company has employees across 6 continents, including North AmericaEuropeAsia.

James Lock III invented the grey top hat and we christened it 'The Ascot'. This was only worn in the royal enclosure at Ascot, so the aristocracy could separate themselves by being the only ones wearing grey top hats! In 1790, originally, they were made from beaver fur which is similar to a top hat made of rabbit fur.

According to morning suit etiquette, the finished look should be accessorised with a black or grey top hat and gloves. Shoes should not be slip on – only highly polished lace up black shoes are acceptable, and these are to be paired with black socks.

There exist two types of top-hat transform: the white top-hat transform is defined as the difference between the input image and its opening by some structuring element, while the black top-hat transform is defined dually as the difference between the closing and the input image.

And besides sunscreen, what better way is there to shield us from damaging UV rays? Although we normally expect to see summer hats in neutral to lighter shades, if you really think about it, black absorbs the sun's rays rather than reflecting them onto your face and neck. Besides that, a black hat just looks cool!