A ghostly epitome of elegance

[Costi]

Flying saucer?...



A black hole!?...



Royal by birth, majestic by distinction...


… the silk collapsible top hat, of course.



A venerable centennial piece of headwear, still going strong!



The strange-looking conformateursneeded to shape rigid hats (conjuring a chimerical image of an “offspring of a homburg and a manual typewriter”, as they have been described) are museum pieces these days and so obscure that they may give rise to the most hilarious interpretations.


I wonder… does anyone still make these masterpieces today, or is it just another “extinct species”?

[JamesT1]

Your last link was very interesting. It makes me wonder about all those ancient tools found in archiological sites, and how wrong we may have been in assuming their usage. Due to the fact that this "ancient device" had been assumed to be everything from an astrolabe to a musical instrument to some kind of biological tool.

James

[leiter]

I've a collapsible top hat from Oberwalder on Karntnerstrasse in Vienna about two years ago. It's invaluable for traveling.

Off topic, there are a whole bunch of interesting shops with friendly and knowledgeable people around the opera house in Vienna. The area is well worth a visit.

[Incroyable]

I understand that the traditional silk used for top hats is no longer made.

Apparently the last remaning factory, located in France or Belgium, threw their machines into a river.

[Étienne]

I understand that the traditional silk used for top hats is no longer made.

That was also what I heard, but if there is somebody out there still manufacturing those, I would be curious to know about it (central Europe maybe?).

[TVD]

There is a big difference here: the top hat is non-collapsible, and made out of silk plush, which indeed is no longer available. The collapsible opera hat is still being manufactured. I believe there is somebody in the Black Forest doing them. It is covered in a different fabric.

[Incroyable]

I find it interesting how most of the top hats are being manufactured by shops in what would be called Central Europe.

Aside from England, of course.

[ccffm1]

There is a big difference here: the top hat is non-collapsible, and made out of silk plush, which indeed is no longer available. The collapsible opera hat is still being manufactured. I believe there is somebody in the Black Forest doing them. It is covered in a different fabric.

I think the firm TVD is referring to here might be aleisa:

http://www.aleisa.de

I have to admit that their website is not particularly appealing; there is no English version either. But to say it in a nutshell: They claim to be the only manufacturer left still producing collapsible top hats made of shellac, satin and silk rep.

[ConstableENGEL]

I think Guerra hats still makes silk plush top hats because you can use such silk shag and not have to resort to the highest quality of fur felts such as mole skin or black beaver but other types of beaver and fur can still be done in a silk plush as far as I know. Anyways its still going to be very expensive.