Posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on January 05, 2001 at 10:26:17 from 205.188.195.33:
In Reply to: COOT CLUB - observations part TWO posted by Ed Kiser on January 05, 2001 at 06:42:57:
was a bowler hat. The bowler hat was invented in the ninteenth century, I think by Lock, the famous hatter in St James's, and was part of a middle class Englishman's "uniform" for going to the office, along with a tightly rolled black silk umbrella (made by Swaine, Adeney and Brigg, or some similar firm) until the 1950's. Mr Farland, a solicitor, would have worn this uniform to his office, and would wear a soft hat, such as a Trilby, for less formal occasions at the weekend. He might wear a cloth cap for playing golf, for example.
The bowler hat was deliberately hard to afford a measure of protection to the wearer.