Men With Hats

Today we look at what was commonly called the "coachman's hat".
This hat, while at first appearing to be a top hat, is anything but. It was a working man's hat and, while showing a bit of the fashion of the top hat or silk hat, is more practical and rugged.
First, note that the crown of the hat is a straight taper without the upper flare that one usually sees in a top hat (especially the Victorian top hat) and that the crown is not as tall as a topper. Also note that the felt used to make the hat is heavier and rougher than the normal top hat.
The reasons for these differences are obvious. A coachman needed a hat with less wind resistance than what was produced by a top hat. And since a coachman spent much more time suffering the effects of the climate (sun and rain) than the gentleman in a top hat, he required a durable hat. The brim offered a gutter for rain that allowed the water to fall away from the coachman's eyes, and the heavy felt offered a lot of warmth.
Because of the class system at the time of its popularity, the coachman's hat was often considered the head gear of the disreputable, as is illustrated by the drawing of Bill Sykes and his poor dog on the upper right.
The hat really is not suited for contemporary use because the crown is too high to be worn in an automobile, as well as seeming to be a rather unfinished hat.