Top hats have been worn for hundreds of years since the 17th and 18th century and originated in Britain, and was an “every day” type of hat that men wore at the time.
Here Are Examples Of When Top Hats Are Still Worn Today:
To answer this simply men only wear Top Hats at formal events E.g Royal Ascot or a Wedding. A top hat is not worn in a normal setting any longer these days.
In this article we are going to go over the history of tops hats, and whether they will have a come back in the 21 century or not.
Are top hats still worn?
Hats in general are not as popular or worn as frequently as they used to and this changed in the 1960’s period. This includes the Top Hat.
Top hats are a very dressy hat, so people naturally want to wear them either at:
Weddings: A top hat finishes off a suit or a tuxedo nicely, and you find that men like to wear them at a celebration of a marriage.
Races: The three main race events around the world is the British Royal Ascot, Kentucky Derby in the USA and the Melbourne Cup in Australia. All of these Race events you will see Top Hats being worn by the general public and also celebrities who attend these events.
Steampunk Events: Top hats are a popular hat within the steampunk era as it is focused on the 19th century clothing mixed with powered machinery. The top hat is normally featured with goggles.
It is pretty unusual to see Top hats worn outside the above events, I can’t remember seeing anyone in the past 5 years just generally wearing a Top hat on the street, it is always a baseball cap!
Can you still wear a top hat now?
If you are considering wearing a Top Hat out and about, then here are some points to consider.
Are you a extroverted person? If so then you are a confident person and don’t care what people think, then it won’t matter. You will be able to wear this stylish hat and people looking at you (because this is what people do when you look good!)
Are you a introverted person? Then expect that you will receive looks and people noticing you on the street. As most people like to look the same, so anyone that stands out you will be noticed!
Top hats are a beautiful and stylish hat and if you like it then flaunt it.
Will top hats ever come back?
We live in a generation where all looks are recycled, so the top hat has been worn for 2 centuries now. So it is possible it may make a comeback at some stage, but so far in the past 30 years the Top hasn’t come back fully in style yet…..
Top Hats were popular in the 1920’s because:
The height of the Top hat showed off social status at the time (showing your wealth) These days people can be rich and be not always looking the part!
Comfortable in all seasons of the year, Top hats were good to wear for winter and summer time. Giving you both sun protection in the summer and keeping the rain away in the winter.
Having a sense of fashion, a top hat was indeed a look of the time, as most men wore suits and ties, wearing a top hat matched the outfits at the time.
Top Hats are not so popular in 2021 because:
It is acceptable worldwide to dress however you want, there is no “dress code” as there was back in the early 1900s
People have access to motor vehicles and public transport now, so people don’t use hats to protect from rain whilst walking etc.
