bowler hat

Stiff domed headwear

A bowler hat is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown and narrow brim, traditionally black.

Originally designed for British gamekeepers in the mid-nineteenth century, it became standard attire for businessmen in London's financial district.

Americans call it a derby.

Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp character wore a bowler hat.

Related

Charlie Chaplin · chapeau · brim · British · stiff upper lip · English gentleman · homburg · gentleman · City of London · felt · iconic · Oddjob · millinery · banker · classic · old fashioned · lid · formal

Categories
Opposites
formality/class register

bowler hattop hat

Tall formal headwear

flat cap · cloth cap · opera hat · silk hat · newsboy cap

hat structure/silhouette

bowler hattop hat

Tall formal headwear

sombrero · beret · cowboy hat · fez · pillbox hat

cultural/temporal context

bowler hatbaseball cap

Soft hat, stiff brim

snapback · beanie · trucker hat · bandana · bucket hat

Family

hat, hats, bowler, hatted, bowlers, hatter, hatless, hatband, hatmaker

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G