I say, jolly good, old boy: a history of the Bowler Hat 

I'll add that the villain Oddjob in the James Bond movie "Goldfinger" had a deadly bowler hat

I proudly wear my Bowler from Sept. 15 to May 15, when I switch to the Boater for hot weather.

This channel is underrated, and should be seen by more people.

I own a bowler. I wear it when horseback riding. In fact did you know that the bowler was more popular among cowboys on the plains than the iconic western hats we know today? How cool..

For me, the exemplification of the Bowler Hat was by Old Etonian Patrick Macnee in the rôle of John Steed, both in The Avengers and The New Avengers. Thanks for mentioning him!

I wore a bowler during the cold winter mornings while walking to work in Adelaide South Australia. It never blew off and it kept my head warm and dry. My grandfather wore one every time he went pruning. He was many times a local champion. He was known as the man in the bowler hat, at competitions. As for me in modern Adelaide, I enjoyed wearing one. Never saw anyone else with one.

Hats really should make a comeback

I am a mobile notary public living in the PNW. A brown bowler had is my daily driver, so to speak. I always get compliments on it, and I’ve come to prefer its stiffness to the relative floppiness of a fedora. I’m going to invest in an homburg hat very soon, I think.

One of the things I remember from watching "Are You Being Served?" is how the bowler hat was reserved for the higher ranks of male staff, and the junior members were only allowed to wear a trilby hat(similar to a homburg?).

Bowler were also a sign of rank in English dockyards. These were for the tradesmen only, workers wore flatcaps, management wore top hats, the taller the higher in rank or position. Good video BTW 😊

Viddy well my brother, viddy well

In Portugal it is known as "chapéu de coco" = "coconut hat".

My Grandfather (of the working class, btw) wore a bowler till the day he died in 1965.

I am impressed that you pronounced Coke of Holkham's name correctly so we can forgive your attempt at Englishness!

Splendid video, I must say, people in my experience underestimate the strength of a bowler hat. Additionally, you mentioned that retired British calvary members wear Bowler Hats on formal occasions, however, I merely wished to point out that to my knowledge Grenadier Guards and a majority of retired Household regiments wear Bowler hats rather than just the calvary.

In Norfolk, where the hat originated, it is still called a "Billy Cock hat" after Sir William Coke and is still accepted dress when showing stock at the Royal Norfolk Show.

I would add Malcolm MacDowell as Alex Delarge and his Droogs in the A Clockwork Orange Movie by Stanley Kubrick.

I'm in my 60's. I have been wearing the same brown bowler for about 12 years. I started admiring the look when Steampunk came into popularity, so my family bought one for me for Christmas. I have never worn any other kind of hat except for insulated ones in extreme cold weather and a boonie hat to catch the sweat while working outside. It's getting a little bit frazzled now, and I'm contemplating a new one. (It came from a place called Hats in the Belfry.) I'm one of only about three people in my small community who wears a bowler, and I frequently get compliments on it. "Hey, I like your bowler hat. You don't see many people wearing those any more."

I’m very very glad that John Steed made it into this video.

I was thinking of saving up for a Lock & Co. Bowler. I was inspired from a clip of a man in his 90s filmed in the 1920s. He was wearing a frock coat and top hat, and looked like the most Victorian man you've ever seen. I thought he was rich, but he was actually middle class. He said he saved up to buy his top hat when he was a young man, and it was the only hat he ever needed after that.

One factoid I've stumbled across that seems tangentially relevant today (April 14th, the anniversary of the Titanic's sinking): In many British industrial sites of the early 20th Century, especially shipyards, yard foremen and similar lower management positions could be distinguished from the ordinary workers by wearing bowler hats rather than the more popular flat caps. This was so prevalent that it entered shipyard slang, referring to the foreman as "The Hat".

I love how the French title for "The Avengers" manages to be both oddly specific and tangentially vague.

I wouldn't be without my Bowler. It is absolutely my favorite hat. Versatile, in both weather and engagement. Black for formal and brown for everyday wear. Capital video!

The old working class version was the Billycock hat which had a much higher crown. Allegedly high enough to carry his lunch.

The Bowler and Derby are slightly different. The Derby is taller and not nearly as robust. The original Bowler was functionally the predecessor of the industrial hard hat.

In the 1996 computer games Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego & Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego, some of the male bystanders wear bowler hats & bow ties with their suits. Two of these characters in the games are two of Carmen’s crooks, Ben E. Ficiary & Art Schrival. Carmen’s crooks have pun names in these games.

I'm American and I've never heard of "Derby". I've only heard it called a Bowler. I'm surprised with some of the hat's associations. I've only ever associated it with gangsters and the Italian American mafia, for some reason. Not exactly sure why. Although now that you mention it, I do notice that a lot of wild west people wore them.

You didn't mention its part of the dress of the orange men during the marching season in Northern Ireland.

The hats worn by the working classes of Britain were generally known as a billycock and can be recognized by the brim being noticeably curled up at the sides as opposed to the 'traditional' bowler which has an even brim. 😊 Excellent English accent - !

👍Thank you for video. In the UK, I remember some older businessmen wearing bowlers in the 1980s.

It’s amazing to me. I’ve never given the history of headwear much thought. But I find these videos fascinating. They’re almost addictive.

I don't wear hats, I thoroughly enjoy this channel.

In the original Ulster Defence Force it marked the social divides of the day with the men parading in flat caps, the senior NCOs in bowlers and the officers in soft brimmed hats. In the shipyards the foremen wore bowler hats and the workmen flat caps.

My father worked in the City of London and would have been thrown in the Thames if he was improperly dressed. He became sufficiently respected to the stage he could dispense with separate collars and cuffs which were delivered to our home on Friday afternoon (ready for work at the Royal Exchange on Monday morning). You seem to forget the most famous Bowlers worn by a Mr. Oddjob and Mr. Steed (the perfect Englishman) of course played by an Irishman.

I love my bowlers and love to wear them. I also love to juggle them. It can be beautiful manipulation to music.

Well thank you. You have answered a question that has been on my mind for a long time, specifically why women in Panama wear bowler hats.Ain't it a funny world.

I like hats and I like your videos. They are really very interesting.

Nicely done, even the English accent.

Thanks. ✌🏻👊🏼

Your other video was right, the Stetson won the west. I love your videos. I feel bad even mentioning it, but this is my heritage. Having grown up in historic Montana in the U.S. I was surrounded by the history of the wild west, cowboys, farmers, prospectors, and pioneers. People owned bowlers in the civilized eastern U.S. but I've seen hundreds of photos of working cowboys. Unless someone out west was dressing up for a special occasion almost no one wore a bowler. The photo you showed really was of famous western outlaws, Butch Cassidy and the Hole in The Wall Gang. But, it was taken in the east. They were dressed for the city. They didn't look like that back home. I love your work, keep it up.

Excellent! Informative and amusing. My first job was in the City of London in 1968 and nearly all the men wore bowlers, with a few top hats. But when that fashion ended I don’t remember another hat taking over - hatless became the norm. Maybe because hair got longer. I love hats, particularly men’s hats (I’m female) and I have neat caps for the winter, a Panamá for the summer, and a bowler for fun.

Dear Hat Historian, I adore your work! In the German version of "The Avengers," the Bowler hat is referred to in the vernacular as, "Melone," a melon, in allusion to its shape: "Mit Schirm, Charme, und Melone," which translates as, 'With Umbrella, Charme, and a Melon."

Fun fact, Thomas and William Bowler were from Denton, near Manchester. One of the centers of hat production in the 19th Century.

Loves the opening gag!

Very intersting. I think the one Show you mentioned in French has "Mit Schirm charm und Melone" as its german title. "with Umbrella, Charm and a Bowler hat" I think

Can't go wrong with a classic

I appreciate someone who knows the difference between the British and American pronunciation of "Derby". Also, did you know that Holkham Hall is in Norfolk and not Leicester (confusingly)?

Of all the rabbit holes I've fallen into in the last fours years, your channel has captured a lighter more youthful memory lane for me. i have a lot of episodes to catch up on, but so far every one has had a hat that i can personally associate with, whether by relative, friend or just simply "the neighbourhood". Fascinating channel. Tks.

TIL bowler hats were the original hard hats.

Very good. Super interesting.

In the UK Civil Service you can still request funding to buy a bowler hat.

'The only thing I'm sure of is that they're wearing bowlers.' - Beckett on the characters in 'Waiting for Godot'.

Another well-researched and well-presented program. Thank you.

Please dont forget its impact in the art world depicted frecuently in the paintings, self portraits and used by Rene Magritte. nice videos , cheers!

Hâte de voir le Fedora et le Bolsaniro dans une future vidéo. Très bonne continuation à toi, old chap !

Can you do the Australian slouch hat, Barmah hat and Akubra hat

Fantastically informative and entertaining 🎉

I took the 1st place trophy in a talent contest for my Charlie Chaplin impression back in 1972, thanks in no small part to the bowler from a costume shop.

Thanks for your blogs but you said in one of you podcasts that you did a history of the 'Slouch' hat but I don't see it.

If I had to pick a hat, it would be this. Maybe one day Ill walk into a store and try one on.

You are correct about cowboys wore Bowler hats more than Stetson hats.

Love these Blogs. And a Yank that talks proper English ! Refreshing !!

The 'bowler' is said to be one of the most efficient rail channels. But the other thing about it is because of it's rigidity it is ideal for 'doffing'. But for that, in my experience, you don't hold it purely by the brim, because it can flop over, as it does in the video. It's thumb and forefinger on the brim with other fingers forming a brace against the dome.

Amazing video! Now that you mentioned the cowboy hat I would love a video on that.

Love your channel. Great concept.

Thanks for the video 👍

I have several but my favorite is a cork-bodied riding version whereas my others are stiff felt. Nice viddie.

It's also worn by guards on campus in Cambridge (the ones who look out for non faculty members going on the lawn).

Hat's off great video, well delivered and full of information.

Wonderful channel, Christ bless.

Love you videos... Bravo 👏👏👏

Superb. I’ve been enjoying all of your stuff. Thank you.

Judges and officials at country shows in the UK often wear them too.

I really enjoyed this. A lot.

Very interesting as usual.

Your presentation was superlative . Immediately subscribed.

Splendid video 👌

My favorite brand of gin (Brokers Gin) comes with a little plastic bowler hat on the cap. I also wore one all throughout college (this was before hipsters were a thing) often paired with a beat to heck old Army bdu jacket.

You left out mention of the most renowned derby of all, the Kirwood Derby. Brought to the world's attention by Rocky and Bullwinkle.

I used my grandfather’s bowler hat as a cycling helmet before they really existed. It was brilliant, especially in keeping the rain off whilst still giving me all round visibility.

😊George Atzerode wore a bowler...

Does the Earl give a brand new hat every year to each game keeper, (so they get a new one every year)...or did you mean (more unlikely) that they didn't get a hat issued to them until they did one year of service first?

THANK YOU

Love a bowler, but get few opportunities to wear one. Fun flag fact! Generally a flag is displayed against a wall, the canton should appear in the upper-left corner unless otherwise indicated by the region of origin.

I love your videos. You answered a lot of my questions. I have wondered for years what was the name of the flat hat. Even a gentleman I dated who wore a flat hat didn't know what it was called. As a knitter, I have written my own pattern for the tam. As a lady who loves hats in general, thank you.

Spooky the naughty ghost in Casper the ghost cartoons wears a Bowler hat. This is my literary reference.

Another great video. Will you do one on the other famous French hat, the beret and how it became a military hat.

Coincidently watching this on St Patricks day....

I would like to add kudos to you for the mention of John Steed, possibly the first celebrity crush of my life. The Avengers aired on television when I was literally an infant. 🤗

One surprise to me is that the bowler lasted as long as it did along with the fedora. It seems like a hat for a far older time vs the fedora which seemed more contemporary.

Fascinating. From Worker to Lord style hat.

Bowlers are still seen today at agricultural shows around the UK, typically worn with green tweed blazers.

I always think of the movie "A Clockwork Orange"

05:20 in german "Mit Schirm, Charme und Melone" 😀

Coincidentally I am currently reading “The Lady in Waiting” by Anne Glenconner, who is the eldest daughter of the 5th Earl of Leicester. She writes of her father’s ancestral home, and got a kick from seeing Holkham referenced in this video. (Being a female, she could inherit nothing from her father’s estate so I do not know to who owns it now). Thank you for your enjoyable hat lessons.

Great video. I would like you to do one on the Pork Pie hat ,very much.

nice bro

In North East England a bowler hat is called a dut. Haven't seen one for decades.

Bowlers, or derbys were worn by locomotive engineers and firemen because the hat was aerodynamic and had a small chance of blowing off when looking out a cab window.

... A Spiffing Hat Indeedy Old Bean 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 0:33