You're the Top! A History of the Top Hat 

My first RU-vid video! I'm so excited!

Hat Historian? This was necessary for the world.

Lots of RU-vid content creators pretend to be “average” but are not. But you sir do all your own work. I find this admirable.

I have owned a topper since I was a kid in 1972. I bought an antique one when I lived in the UK back then ( it cost me a pound and the junk shop keeper thought I was a crazy American kid to want it) and I still have it. Its a black beaver fur ( not felt) one with a fitted case, both hat and case are monogrammed with the original owners initials. It has always been too small for me to wear but love it anyway.. yet another great video, thanks !

The top hat was responsible for reshaping the wilderness of N America. The growing popularity of top hats in the 19th Century caused the over trapping of beavers. A greatly reduced Beaver population meant a greatly reduced number of dams. Beaver dams create wildlife habitats that support a great number of varies species, plant and animal. All of the animals who were reliant on beaver ponds had to scramble to find alternatives to survive.

When Lincoln was out and about, he referred to his hat as his office. Because of his use of it as you noted to carry letters and other papers.

I would like the top hat to make a comeback. Maybe for Groundhog Day would be a start.

In my hometown in Lower Saxony, the chimney sweep wears a top hat with his work clothes.

Hey Ho! Fun Fact-- opera house seats in the USA had metal hat holders under the seat base.

Found this video while im making my first top hat. Thanks algorithm

At last! A history video of the top hat, excellently done. Thank you. I've been collecting top hats since I was ten when I wrote a letter to Moss Bros (UK clothes hire company) asking if they could let me have an old top hat which which they had retired from use. The ten year old me actually said that I was a collector of curiosities but despite this they posted a lovely hat to me with a polite letter wishing me well.

"If I ever get married, I'm going to wear one..." I'm sure this video has made any number of women swoon and you have gotten much interest from the fairer sex. I'm watching this video at the two year mark according to RU-vid, so who knows? You may have had a chance to wear your top hat already! I tip my hat to you as well. Video idea (if you haven't done it already): a presentation of the tradition of tipping one's hat.

The giant stovepipes of 1840s and 1850s are the best

Thank you for this very interesting and informative series. Extra praise for Scrooge McDuck mentions.

"And a hat. That hat. An oversized, green, top hat. People could never be sure if Hatter wore such a ridiculously large hat to downplay the size of his enormous head or to emphasize it. Maybe it was just another way for Hatter to torment a person's mind, as so many of the things he did were." -excerpt from the book/story, "No Place For Time" by Daniel Vain.

I've always been fascinated by hat wear of many types and eras. Watched the tricorne episode and subscribed. Looking forward to more content. Best wishes and success.

And chimney-sweeps - you omitted to mention them.

The algorithm just led me here. So glad to find you. You deserve to grow.

Really great. I came across your videos recently and then chanced upon this - your very first one. Your work is excellent. I do have a small hat collection (more like an accumulation), but didn't know the origins and backgrounds of some of them until now. As an amateur magician of over five decades, I also appreciate the tribute you gave to us at the end of this video. Thank you very much.

some years ago the French stopped making the headers plush which is the silk long fiber material used to cover a real gossamer top hat or high hat and they have had to supplant it with long nappy wool which they brush to try to simulate it. Bishops in the church of England wear a top hat with a black silk rose right on the front on the headband. I spent three days in the Sydnee Patey hat factory and Lundin documenting every step of making top hats in 1986.

I've seen wood carvings of 17th century gentlemen wearing hats that are _extremely_ similar to the Top Hat, including the smaller brim, the height, and the overall silhouette and straight edges.

Jolly good show

Watching this video with my tophat on

In german it´s called "Zylinder", we also have a "chapeau claque", which is a top hat that you can fold flat und unfold when necessary.

During the early 19th Century, Royal Marines wore a shorter version of the Top Hat known as a "Round Hat" unlike the army who wore Bicorns or Shakos. The Royal Marine version had white or black stays & edging depending on if they were Grenadiers, or Line Company troops. Royal Navy Petty officers also wore Round Hats

Very well done! I'm enjoying all your videos. Thanks.

In the U.S., the showman and bandleader Ted Lewis began wearing a battered version of the top hat in his stage act in 1917.

I'd always wondered about the collapsible top hat after first seeing one in Assassin's Creed Syndicate. As the game's story is set in London in the year 1868, one of the main characters Jacob Frye has an opera hat that he can quickly pull out of his jacket when he needs to blend into a crowd.

Welp. Looks like I've found myself a new favourite channel.

The power puff girls reference was epic❤

Hats off to your new channel!🎩🥳

I didn't know this but apparently in theaters they started to make racks that you could slide your top hat to hang on while you enjoy the performance.

Greetings from Germany. This was very informative video. I’d like to add that one the first things that comes to my mind thinking about top hats is chimney sweeps because it’s part of their traditional uniform in Germany and they are usually depicted in caricatures with such a hat.

My father had for his wedding a foldable tophat ( in Saarland/Germany we call this hat the chapeau claque) in 1951 and it would be hard to imagine, that he would not have one for this occasion. Even at the holy communion of my eldest brother in 1960 he wore one and at the time this was common use. My family is not a part of the upper class. We are normal ordinary people: my father used to be a craftsman (electrician with a little shop), my both grant fathers worked at the coal mine. Politicians down to small ranking mayors of towns had this hat at official events. For funerals it was as well very common to wear a chapeau claque. So it vanished not before around 15-18 years after the II. WW.

As a historical reenactor I finally got a top hat . I saw some where that it was in a form wore by French post riders . Liked your program

The top hat was the "mascot" of my high school where our athletic teams were dubbed "The Hilltoppers", since my hometown was colloquially called "The Hill".

I wore a top hat when I got married!

Très bien, monsieur.

The London New Metropolitan Police Force men wore Reinforced Sturdy style top hats which were strong enough for standing on to look over people's heads & walls. Was it the year of 1863 when the top hats were replaced to the Helmets?

You forgot to mention goths, lots of goths like me wear Top Hats and it doesn't have to be a special event. I have two top hats, and when I go into town I sometimes wear them.

Brilliant sir

In Portugal that kind of hat is called "cartola". It is extremely rare - unless you're a magician. 🤔 Most people that use them are college graduates at their graduation ceremony and later on a sort of raucous parade (like Juvenalia) to mark the end of the school year. Those top hats are not black, but in the traditional colour(s) of their degree: red for Law, yellow for medicine, dark blue for humanities, light blue for natural sciences, etc.; some degrees have two colours (e.g. yellow and white for veterinary medicine), and in that case the first colour is for the hat itself, the second colour is for the satin band.

Excellent! Very informative and entertaining. Thank you.

I've seen a picture of Pocahontas from the 17th century and she's wearing a hat that looks just like a top hat alongside European style clothes.

I've only seen a top hat once in my life and that was at a wedding many years ago.

When you were taking it off, I was alsomst sure that there would be a rabbit on you head. Great info, thanks!

The tricky Part about collapsing Top Hats is making them pop up again.

Well done.

I've watched quite a lot of your hat videos and am always surprised at how well you present your subject. Dressing in related fashions or uniforms just add to your excellence of presentation. JJS

My son refused to attend his prom unless he could wear a top hat, so I got him one. But the posh ones were hundreds of pounds, so he got a costume version. He did look good, though! Your videos are wonderfully entertaining, by the way.

Very good, thank you 😃

The many dramatizations of A Christmas Carol shows this history. During the Christmas Past episodes, men tend to wear stockings and Tricorn and in the "present" men wore top hats.

I don't know why, but you remind me of my uncle, he's a lot like you, which is what encouraged me to subscribe!

Great information.

Considering the prices of Top Hats nowadays they're still for wealthy people. ;-) Somehow this hat makes me think of the Versailles conference and especially Woodrow Wilson. I'm glad to see that you included an appropriate photo in your video.

This is so Awesome ❤🧡💛💚💙💜

Ahh..aparently I am watching your first video. Congratulations on the subsequent video’s. They are really informative and fun. Love what you are telling learned a lot. I watch your video’s both in English and French…and I must say..both are excellent! Keep going…but perhaps you run out of stories quickly. Can’t think of another way of ending my comment…from the top of my head…yes pun intended!

Loving your hat videos. Looking forward to more.

Love the Video! For my 1812 Michigan Militia impression, our unit wears round hats which are in the family of top hats. I never thought id like wearing one as much as i do until I finally got my hands on one! ( in addition, our unit is part of the French speaking population of Detroit/SE Michigan during the war of 1812. So our unit does our command calls in both English and French, as some officers/ members of the unit historically only spoke one of the two languages. As a bi-lingual individual, I hope you can appreciate )

Very informative! Thoroughly enjoy all the videos that you have poured your time into. Thank you good sir.

I love this channel!!!!

I am loving your channel. I love history and especially the history of things. You’re doing an excellent job… even on this first one. Keep it up.

Oh my goodness this is perfect! I’m doing a speech on tophats, and this is super informative :) Great vid my dude

The endangerment and protections of beavers was a big reason for the disappearance of the high end top hat. However they were so valued they were often passed down from families and a few London hatters to this day sell and refurbish older top hats. Trains even stopped for people whose top hats were blown out of windows.

Up through the 1960's, my father would wear a collapsible top hat to the Opera.

Well done, sir; I am researching your back catalogue.

Lovely informative video! I collect and restore antique top hats. And wear them from time to time.

A shout-out from Atun-Shei films sent me here. This is everything I have wanted in a RU-vid channel. You're doing god's work, good sir.

Novel idea for a channel! I like hats. Subscribed!

Great channel sir, fascinating. I am currently lamenting the loss of a hat that I had for many years, it was a present from my wife and now it's gone. Very upsetting.

My favorite hat .. goes with the name .. Lol

I have just found your channel and instantly recommended it to a friend of mine, absolutely loved the videos that have been put out.

I ❤Top Hat 🎩🎩🎩🎩The Most !

Bravo sir, and a hearty congratualations on yoru anniversary - Just a few years ago my quartet doing the Christmas Caroling walk through town, donned top hats - not practical for northern winters

The very first!!! Awesome, in a growing library of entertaining and informative features.

Very interesting and well put together video, you’ve earned a sub : )

The upper classes wore beaver which was called silk but wasn’t silk. The beaver came from the US and was sent to France to be shaped then to Russia and then back to England and France for finishing.

At Eton, top-hats have been de rigueur for hundreds of years.

Hat Historian, you forgot the one man who has worn a top hat off and on for 54 years- Alice Cooper

Great video

Great channel

My favourite hat, I own a few, their is a British Pathé video about the making of this beautiful hat

Excellent video if I do say so myself🎩

"It also looks similar to the fez.".

I'm lucky to have inherited a really nice top hat in excellent condition, and perfect size (my grandfather and I have the exact same size in shoes, suits and apparently, hats. He wore it to ceremonies at the Odd Fellows lodge but judging by the condition of it, that did not happen very often. I've worn it to some occations together with a long tail jacket. Makes me look like a vampire. Top hats are just a bit too eccentric to be worn seriously in my opinion, but they are striking, and I do enjoy wearing something spectacular from time to time.

Great and informative video! 🎩

It is often the hat of choice for leaders of Masonic lodges, the Worshipful Master, who wears it when presiding in the East.

German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich also liked to wear a top hat with the suits she favoured over dresses, and her character Lola in her break-out hit "Der Blaue Engel"/"The Blue Angel" wore a top hat combined with a for the time very skimpy and risque outfit. Dietrich was claiming the attributes suggested by the top hat - masculine high status, wealth etc - for herself, while her character Lola, a singer/sex worker who seduces a respectable professor into a life of debauchery and crime, subverts them and exposes them as vain pretensions.

Top video about a top hat

Also worn by TotalBiscuit. GNU TotalBiscuit.

I’ve always liked top hats for some reason. Where can one buy a good quality one? Funny thing is I was thinking to wear if I get married and you said the same thing 😂 Thanks for the video!

Where can I buy a tall top hat? Just like yours!

I want one

I'm pretty sure the Japanese Parliament still wear Top Hats for some events.

The top hat is definitely my "top hat." You are right that the Hetherington story is a complete myth, it originated in a magazine story in the 1890s. I don't think he even existed. Nobody would have been shocked by the first top hats of the 1790s as there were already similar more conical hats appearing a few years before it did. The other thing is people nowadays don't realise how high they were worn on the head, so they often say antique large size top hats are rare, whereas they are actually wearing them far too low, they should be about an inch above the ears, sometimes an inch and a half.

I found a brazilian newspaper about the japanese diplomats surrendering and it mocks them for using top hats and morning dresses saying that they are stuck in "grandpa era", showing how out of fashion these itens were in Brazil back then

Reportedly, Fred Astaire hated the way he looked in top hat (also white tie and tails), with which he was permanently associated due to that famous number from the movie and song of that name. Never ever wore one to a social occasion, and in his final Hollywood Musical, Silk Stockings, he wore the outfit in the final number, The Ritz Roll & Rock, which he concluded by gleefully smashing the hat flat on the floor. (He did wear them a few times on his television specials, later--have to give the people what they want, whether you want it or not. That's Entertainment.)

Are you ever going to do a video on John "Towering Pillar of Hats" Booth? Seems like it would be a relevant video for your channel.

I must tell this story: I was making a video and needed a top hat. In one day, at two costume hire shops, I was served by someone who did not know what a top hat is. I am still wondering about it, especially these two questions - when so many people are so interested in clothes why would employers hire such staff, and what do those people think when they see the cartoons like the Monopoly man or Scrooge McDuck? Alas, we'll never know.

Top o'the hat to you.