Top hat

Melton

ca. 1875 · silk · Costume Institute

The silk top hat became an essential component of the gentleman's wardrobe in the mid-19th century. During the reign of Queen Victoria in England, where this example was made, the gentleman who wore such a hat also followed a prescribed code of etiquette, such as raising or tipping the hat or touching the brim to acknowledge his social peers or superiors. Such attention to detailed social protocol also meant that hats made of silk plush, as this is, required frequent brushing to ensure the hat and the gentlemen looked polished at all times.

Artist

Melton

Date

ca. 1875

Medium

silk

Culture

British

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Frederick Miller, 1960