Top hat In london?

[Guest]

I have not been in England in a 7 years. When I was there I was very young, but I do remember seeing one of the best dressed buisness men in my life. He wore grey chalkstriped pants wingtip collar. black and white rep tie, with 2 button black jacket and black vest with If I remember correctly 6 1/2 -7 inch silk plush top hat. I just bought a pristine black beaver, silk plush, bell crown, 7 1/4 inch top hat . It came in a wooden saddle case with red "satin" like interior made by James Locke from the early 1880's. When I go back to London is it appropriate to wear it on the nicer parts of streets like that man, or is it really only for royal functions and I should stick to my fedoras and homburgs? Thank you for your time.

[Guest]

does anyone have an opinion please?

[Guest]

Fedoras and Homburgs are really all you should be wearing except in the most specialized of circumstances. You will know when a proper silk plush topper is appropriate as you will also be in morning dress or tails. Wearing a topper with a dinner suit would, in my opinion, be verging on costume - with a lounge suit is simply silly.

[Guest]

Wearing such a hat with a town suit would be "theatrical" for most men. However, if you are either very young, or very old, you might get away with it.

[Guest]

Hats in general are not worn very much in London any longer.

If you wear a suit, then Homburg, Bowler or Fedora are appropriate. The Silk Top Hat is reserved for formal occasions to be worn with a frock coat, morning dress or white tie.

These formal attires will only be worn at specific occasions: balls, weddings, Ascot, state or court occasions. To wear formal dress outside such events is no longer common after WWII and the wearer risks to appear in "costume".

To mix a formal Top Hat with a business suit will make you look like a hotel doorman or tourist guide, as their uniform appears to quote freely but incongruously from the canon of formal dress.

If you wish to appear as a genuinely elegant man about town in the classic mold in London's better areas, I suggest a mid grey suit of military cut and an elegant brownish Fedora such as James Lock's "Chelsea".

[Guest]

I believe that stock jobbers on the London Stock Exchange used to wear top hats with lounge suits/ - perhaps the gentleman you saw was of this class? (Although what you describe sounds rather more like a morning jacket/stroller rig.) I suspect that most people who care about such things would consider wearing a top hat with a short coat a solecism; I would recommend homburg/fedora as you suggest.

[Guest]

Top hat is for formal dress, such as morning coat or tails. The tall hat counterbalances the long coat.

Top hat would be inappropriate with a business suit. The appropriate hat for a business suit is either bowler, homburg, or trilby.

[Guest]

The grey striped trousers with black coat, and the wing collar suggests to me a Queen's Counsel out of court.

Although, the topper seems incongruous all the same. I don't really know what to say, but it seems perhaps a bit costume-y.

[Guest]

THANKS, I will do what I have always done, keep the top hat for special occasions and the fedoras and homburgs for every day wear. I am not English so I have this preconcieved notion of the British being so proper(other than the soccer, I mean football hooligans). Thank you, I just love my to top hat. since I live middle class suburbia, I look for any excuse to wear it when the ocassion arises. Its good for my final year of prom. Black DB tails, low cut white vest, and wing tip collar with white bow tie. It will be very keen, plus I got the physique of Fred Astaire. Thanks again.

[Guest]

By the way does James Lock and Bates hats still live up to their name?

[Guest]

By the way does James Lock and Bates hats still live up to their name?

Both outlets remain splendid purveyors of hats. Bates is perhaps more eccentric and less costly.