Bowler & Derby Hats

Few hats carry as much character as the bowler hat. With its round hard crown and short curled brim, it has been worn by city bankers, Victorian gentlemen, Charlie Chaplin, and Peaky Blinders alike. It is one of those rare styles that manages to feel formal and playful at the same time.

About Bowler Hats

The bowler hat gets its name from the London hatmakers Thomas and William Bowler, who created the original design in 1849. It was built to be tough - a low-profile hard crown that would not get knocked off by overhanging branches, unlike the tall top hats of the time.

By the late 1800s, it had crossed the Atlantic and become just as popular in the American West, worn by everyone from lawmen to gamblers. That is where the name "derby hat" came from, borrowed from the famous Epsom Derby race where the style was commonly seen in the crowd.

At HatsXCaps, our bowler hats are made from wool felt and traditional hard felt, with a small curled brim and that distinctive dome crown that makes the silhouette instantly recognizable. If you like the structured look, you might also enjoy our Top Hats or Trilby Hats for something with a similar vintage character.

Derby Hats FAQs

What does a bowler hat symbolize?

The bowler hat started out as a practical working hat for outdoor laborers in the 1850s before becoming a symbol of British middle-class respectability. In the US it became associated with the frontier West. Today it is worn as a style statement, with a nod to its long and varied history.

What are the different styles of bowler hats?

The main styles are the classic hard felt bowler with a stiff dome crown, the softer wool felt version which can be crushable and more everyday, and the taller stovepipe or coke hat variation with a straighter crown. Vintage derby styles tend to sit a little higher in the crown than the traditional British bowler.

What is the difference between a bowler hat and a derby hat?

They are the same hat. In the UK it is called a bowler hat, named after the Bowler brothers who made the first one in 1849. In the US the same hat is known as a derby hat, a name that comes from the Epsom Derby horse race where the style was popular. The design is identical.