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Bowlers & Derby Hats ... Vintage Trash or Treasure?
Many people may not be able to automatically picture what a 'bowler' hat looks like. However, you have seen them quite often. The bowler is the fedora off-shoot that was made popular by Charlie Chaplin. This hat is also often referred to as a derby, popularized by affluent British men in the 1900s.
Protecting Hunters from Evil Branches
This hat was created by London hat makers in the 1840s, with the goal being to create a hat that would prevent hunters on horseback from being assaulted by low-laying branches on nearby trees. Quickly, the bowler hat replaced the “dangerous” top hat, and the hat companies were successful in eliminating the great British Low Laying Branch pandemic from the UK, after taking nearly seventy five billion hat lives (this figure is a gross estimate.)
Reaching the peak of popularity near the close of the 19th century, the bowler hat was used as a middle-ground alternative to the classy top hat and working classes’ flat cap.
From Coke to Charlie Chaplin
The hats are known for their strength, and it is believed that entrepreneur William Coke purchased a bowler after stomping on it to ensure its strength. After that incident, the hats began being commonly referred to as "coke hats." One can only wonder how this occurred. Did Coke just walk into his local hat shop, grab a nearby hat, and begin beating it like it owed him money? And did the shop owners nod in approval, saying "Well, there goes a brash chap. I say good sport, let's name these caps after Lord Coke!”?
The bowler has been worn by many popular stars and iconic figures. Besides Charlie Chaplin, it has also been seen on the heads of Laurel and Hardy and the main characters in "Waiting for Godot." Don’t worry – we are not too familiar with who those people are either. Mostly, however, the bowler was made famous to Americans through silent screen legend Chaplin's frequent usage of the accessory. If nothing else, the hat is symbolic of one of the most beloved film stars and earliest of comedians.
Equestrian Style
The bowler is still worn occasionally in equestrian circles, but is practically extinct otherwise. This is unfortunate because the bowler is certainly a charming and sharp style head wear. Eventually, hipsters and gothic enthusiasts will probably pick up on this trend and begin wearing the bowler, which they will inevitably re-name as something trendier, such as "dark hat of doom and sorrows." For the most part, however, the bowler remains an iconic symbol of 1900s British affluence.
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