No hats match all of those filters. Try removing one.
Top Hats questions
What is a top hat?
A tall, flat-crowned hat with a narrow brim, a Western fashion staple by the end of the 18th century. Wikipedia says it reached its most extreme form in the 1840s and 1850s, with ever-higher crowns. Classic versions are silk or felt. Today you'll also see leather top hats, like the ones in our feed, made for festivals, steampunk and western events.
How tall is a top hat?
There's no single height. The tall Victorian stovepipe shape had straight sides and ran tallest. In American Hat Makers' feed, top hat crowns are listed between about four and six and a half inches, and brims at about two inches. A shorter crown is easier to wear and less likely to hit a doorframe.
How do you wear a top hat?
Level, sitting down on your head just above your ears, never tipped far back. Match the formality: a black or gray top hat with a morning suit or tailcoat for formal events, a leather one with a vest and boots for a festival or steampunk night. Remove it indoors at the table and during ceremonies, as with any hat.
Who invented the top hat?
Nobody knows for sure. The story that a London haberdasher named John Hetherington invented it is widely repeated, but Wikipedia calls that credit erroneous. It instead credits a Middlesex hatter, George Dunnage, with the first silk top hat in England in 1793. The style itself was already around by the end of the 1700s.
When do people wear top hats now?
Formal weddings, funerals and balls, plus horse racing in Britain: Wikipedia names the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot and the Queen's Stand at the Epsom Derby. Leather top hats are popular for Renaissance fairs, steampunk events, Halloween, magic shows and western-themed parties. A top hat at a backyard barbecue is a choice, and we respect it.
How should a top hat fit?
Snug and level. A tall crown magnifies every wobble, so a loose top hat tips and slides with each step. Measure your head where the hat sits and match it on the store's chart. Several top hats here run from SM up to 3X, and American Hat Makers suggests sizing up between sizes and using its foam insert.
A top hat has a tall, flat-topped crown and a narrow brim, often curled at the sides. It was everyday wear in the 1800s and now shows up at weddings, formal balls, the races and costume events. The top hats in our feed are cowhide leather with brims around two inches and crowns of about four to six and a half inches. Fit matters, so measure first.
What is a top hat made of?
Traditionally silk plush or felt. The top hats in American Hat Makers’ feed are cowhide leather, mostly midweight, with a few heavyweight and top-grain versions and a couple of vented ones. Leather makes a top hat sturdier and more casual than the silk kind you’d see at Ascot. It’s built for long days on your feet at a fair or festival, not for a white-tie gala.
How tall should your top hat be?
Taller reads more dramatic and more formal. Shorter is easier to wear, fits in a car and survives doorways. Crowns in our feed run from about four inches to six and a half, with most around four to four and three quarter inches. If you’re tall, a shorter crown keeps you from scraping ceilings. If you’re short, a taller crown adds presence, as long as the brim stays narrow.
What do you wear with a top hat?
For formal events, the old pairing still works: a morning suit or tailcoat in black or gray. For a leather top hat, think vest, boots and a long coat, or a corset and lace for the steampunk crowd. A band, feather or pin makes it yours; American Hat Makers sells hat bands and pins that fit most crowns.
How do you get the fit right?
Measure just above your ears and about an inch above your brows, and check our size chart. Several top hats here come in SM through 3X, which is rare for the style. Between sizes, size up and add an insert. If you want the same formality with less height, look at fedoras, and the hat types page draws every style side by side to scale.
