Bowler Hat Day

As should be obvious to any of our readers, The Monarchist suffers from an advanced case of Anglophilia (some might even call it Anglomania). And while the roots of this affliction go far back, there are certain milestones that can be ascertained. One of the earliest was discovering the noble and romantic concept of a gentleman (a most English invention) at a very tender age, the realisation that there once existed a certain superior standard of conduct that reached its high temple moment around the time the bowler hat came into style.

And here I must apologize to our readers for missing Bowler Hat Day, which took place on February 11th. For those who don't know, the bowler was devised in 1849 by the London hatmakers Thomas and William Bowler, who were commissioned to design a close-fitting, low-crowned hat to protect gamekeepers' heads from low-hanging branches while on horseback. The keepers had previously worn top hats, which were easily knocked off and damaged. It was also hoped that the new style of hat would protect the keepers if they were attacked by poachers.

Contrary to popular belief, it was the bowler and not the cowboy hat that was the most popular hat in the American West, prompting Lucius Beebe to call it "the hat that won the West." Source: Wikipedia