Bowler hat

A hard felt hat with a rounded crown and narrow brim, traditionally worn by men in Britain and known as a derby in the United States.

Edward Coke: A British politician and landowner associated with commissioning the first bowler hat in 1849. He reportedly commissioned a low, sturdy hat to protect gamekeepers from branches.
Felt: A dense textile made by matting, condensing, and pressing fibers together. Felt gives the traditional bowler its firm body and smooth surface.
Victorian era: The period of Queen Victoria’s reign in Britain, from 1837 to 1901. The hat emerged and spread during the period that shaped its early associations.
Top hat: A tall, cylindrical hat with a narrow brim, traditionally worn for formal occasions. Its high, flat-topped crown contrasts with the bowler’s low rounded crown.
Lock & Co.: A London hatter founded in 1676 and among the oldest hat shops in the world. The firm made the hat commissioned for the Holkham estate.
Hat crown: The upper portion of a hat that covers the head. The bowler’s defining crown is rounded rather than creased or flat.
City of London: The historic financial district at the center of London. Bowler hats became associated with the formal dress of London businessmen.
Homburg hat: A formal felt hat with a lengthwise crease in its crown and a curled brim. The Homburg’s creased crown and curled brim create a more formal silhouette.
William Bowler: A London hatter associated with designing the hat that became known as the bowler. His surname became the British name for the finished design.
Hat brim: The projecting edge of a hat that extends beyond its crown. A narrow, curved brim completes the bowler’s characteristic silhouette.

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HatBroader topic: Its stiff, rounded shape is a distinctive example of molded headwear.