The top hat dominated the 19^th century and when it was first seen in London it was said to have caused a riot.

The perpetrator was haberdasher John Hetherington, who designed it, made it, and was the first person to wear it into the street.  According to a newspaper account,  passersby panicked at the sight.  Several women fainted, children screamed, and an errand boy’s arm was broken when ne was trampled by the mob.

Hetherington was taken to court for wearing “a tall structure having a shining luster calculated to frighten timid people.”  Hetherington had concocted a silk-covered variation of the contemporary riding hat, which had a wider brim, a lower crown, and was made of beaver.  There was some initial resistance but in 1850 Prince Albert started wearing top hats made of “hatter’s plush” (a fine silk shag) and that settled any questions, it was now the century of The Top Hat.

Men wore top hats for business, pleasure, and formal occasions – pearl grey for daytime and black for day or night.

The height and contour of the hat fluctuated with the decades.  By 1902 the top hat was nearing the end of its century long primacy and was soon to be replaced by the more compact Homburg.

Now, the top hat is a piece of history, not really a part of the contemporary wardrobe despite its occasional uses.