Top Hats

A top hat should sit straight across the head, approximately two fingers above the brows, ensuring the crown is level and the brim remains parallel to the floor.

Traditionally paired with formalwear, morning coat or evening tails, a top hat should be worn squarely on the head, brim level. It complements formal attire, adding grace without overstatement

Historically, a hatter blocks either fur or wool felt, then covers it with silk plush. Modern high-end construction involves forming two “goss” layers (stiffened cheesecloth with shellac), moulded over a wooden block. After a curing period and brimming, the shell is varnished with shellac, then trimmed and lined.

Classic toppers feature a shell of silk plush (hatters’ plush) or fur plush, stretched over a gossamer-coated form called a conformateur or “goss” shell. Grey felt and wool variations also exist.

Absolutely - while not everyday wear, top hats remain iconic for the most formal events: white-tie occasions, weddings, funerals, high-level horse racing like Royal Ascot and Epsom, plus select professional, diplomatic, or ceremonial uniforms.

A top hat is not mandatory but is traditionally expected in the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot, especially when wearing morning dress. Over at Lock & Co., we call it “the Home of Hats” for a reason.

Yes, at very formal weddings, particularly those calling for morning dress, a top hat is customary. It completes the elegant silhouette of tails and waistcoat.

The story of why silk top hats are no longer manufactured is unclear. Silk top hats, once a symbol of elegance and refinement, are no longer manufactured. Silk top hats were crafted from a unique fabric called silk plush, whose long nap gives the hat its high shine, and this fabric was carefully stretched over a rigid
gossamer shell. In the mid-60s the silk plush was made in France in only one factory, owned by two brothers who eventually had a falling out. Legend has it that one brother burned the factory in spite, destroying not only the building but also the looms and all the knowledge of weaving silk plush. Since they were the only family who owned these looms, no one else in the world can weave the silk for these hats. So, from the mid-60s onwards silk top hats are no longer available.

Today, all the silk top hats owned by Lock & Co. are made from vintage silks that we source and lovingly refurbish. Modern top hats, by contrast, are made either from wool or fur felt, or crafted using a method similar to that of vintage silk hats but finished with melusine fabric, which lacks the same lustrous sheen.