Top Hat Man One
Top Hat Man 2
What is the appropriate way to rest a top hat when not in use?
The two pictures of gentlemen above circa the 1860s 0r 1870s from CDVs give you the answer. Men were proud of their top hats and wanted them in the picture with them. These men knew how to put a top hat down correctly. By the way in other pictures of men in the period the subject might be be holding their hat rather than placing it close by. The rule was that when holding a hat only the outside was to be shown – no display of linings in photos or in polite company.
The definitive answer is provided by Baron Hats in Hollywood who have the following to say on how to put a hat down:
Never rest a hat on its brim for any length of time, particularly a light-weight fabric hat, and particularly if the hat is wet. Weight on the hat will cause the brim to flatten out. Make it a habit (especially with “cowboy hat” styles!), to place your hat on a wall rack, or if on a table or smooth surface, place it CROWN DOWN, with the brim sticking up. This is also very true of our silk top hats! (Emphasis Added)
By the way Baron’s top hats are great – check out the exact replica of Abraham Lincoln’s Stove Pipe top hat available from them. It was made from measurements of the original in the Smithsonian Museum.
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