During the Victorian era, all men were expected to wear a hat and cover their heads as a sign of respect. Even poor, working class men wore a cap or saved up for a derby. Hats were available in a wide variety of styles. Top hats were usual for parties and formal events for the upper classes and expanding middle class throughout the century, but were also worn during the day by the gentry and aristocratic classes. Wide-brimmed style and the flat-topped “pork pie” were also popular, as well as derbies or bowlers. These short-brimmed toppers with their rounded crowns became the style during the 1890s and were common for the merchant classes and the skilled tradesmen.
Image courtesy of Cam Evans
Geek Girl Gothic 