Laird Lessons: The History of the Topper
From the cobbled streets of 18th-century London to the regal lawns of Royal Ascot, the Top Hat (also known as the Topper, Opera Hat, Gibus, or High Hat) has endured as a symbol of status, sophistication, and style.
While everyday wear has evolved, the Top Hat continues to command attention at formal events and ceremonies. But how did this most aristocratic of hats rise to prominence?
Join us as we chart the fascinating journey of the Top Hat — from public outrage to cultural icon.
A Bold Beginning: The Rise of the Top Hat
Source: https://www.thejamesmadisonmuseum.net/single-post/top-hat-riots
By the late 18th century, the Top Hat began to replace the once-dominant Tricorne as the hat of choice for fashionable gentlemen. The first silk top hat was created in 1793 by hatter George Dunnage, but it was John Hetherington who truly caused a stir.
In 1797, Hetherington strolled down The Strand in London wearing a tall, gleaming hat never before seen. The public reaction was dramatic: women fainted, onlookers jeered, and a young boy reportedly broke his arm in the chaos. The Times noted that Hetherington was fined £50 — the equivalent of over £7,800 today — for wearing a hat that "frightened timid people."
Despite its controversial debut, the Top Hat quickly gained favour. Within twenty years, it was worn widely across the social spectrum, from aristocrats to working-class grooms at weddings.
Materials and Early Design Evolution
Originally, top hats were made from luxurious beaver fur felt, a material prized for its natural sheen and durability. As demand grew, rabbit fur felt became an acceptable, and more affordable, alternative. These early versions were associated with status and ceremony, often reserved for the upper classes. We use rabbit fur felt in our top hats.
Sir Robert Peel’s newly founded police force even adopted the Top Hat as part of their uniform, believing the added height would convey authority. Their hats were reinforced and topped with oilcloth to withstand the rigours of the street.
In time, beaver became rare and expensive, giving way to silk plush, also known as Hatter’s Plush. Its lustre and stiffness gave the Topper a more theatrical elegance. A look that soon defined the Victorian gentleman.
The 19th Century: The Topper’s Golden Age
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During the 1820s and 30s, styles such as the Wellington emerged — tall hats with slightly concave sides. By the 1840s and 50s, the Top Hat reached new extremes of height, curvature, and brim shaping, with exaggerated engineering that turned heads. One variation, the Stovepipe Hat, was tall and straight-sided with a narrow, curled brim. It became iconic when worn by Abraham Lincoln, who reportedly stored documents inside it.
Prince Albert’s adoption of the Top Hat solidified its place among the middle classes as a mark of respectability and aspiration. It was no longer the preserve of the elite — it had become the hat of modern civilisation.
The Opera Hat and the Ingenious Gibus
In 1812, Frenchman Antoine Gibus developed the collapsible top hat, patented in 1837. Known as the Gibus or Chapeau Claque (after the snapping sound it made when opened), it was designed for the opera and evening wear. Its spring mechanism allowed it to flatten for easy storage, solving the cloakroom dilemma of oversized hats. This ingenious innovation brought a sense of drama and modernity to the classic design.
A Tale of Two Cities: English vs French Style
As with much of 19th-century fashion, the Top Hat developed slightly differently in England and France. In Britain, dandies preferred flared crowns with curled brims that dipped elegantly at the front.
Across the Channel, their flamboyant French counterparts — the Incroyables — embraced ever-larger hats, creating issues for theatres and cloakrooms until the Gibus offered a solution.
A Changing Tide: From Rebellion to Refinement
At the height of its popularity, the Top Hat also became a symbol of establishment authority, prompting a reaction from working and middle classes. As the 20th century approached, alternatives such as the Bowler, Fedora, Trilby, and Homburg began to replace it in everyday wear. These styles were more practical, less formal, and better suited to industrial-era lifestyles — and crucially, they were easier and cheaper to mass-produce.
Top Hats, which require meticulous handcrafting by a master hatter using a five-piece wooden block, remained a luxury item — and still are today.
The Topper Today: A Symbol of Ceremony
Source: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a41132923/charles-proclaimed-king-ceremony/
Despite no longer being part of daily dress, the Top Hat has never truly disappeared. It remains an essential part of formal British attire, worn at weddings, Royal Ascot, state occasions, and ceremonial events like the State Opening of Parliament.
At Eton College and other traditional institutions, the Topper is still part of full dress uniform for special occasions. In historical reenactments and horse-drawn carriage rides through places like Bath or St James’s Park, the hat adds authenticity and grandeur.
And in modern fashion? It continues to inspire, sometimes reinterpreted by designers and stylists for the catwalk or alternative fashion scenes.