At California Tailor we are huge fans of the bowler hat!  It is after all half of the California Tailor logo and a reminder of our tailor inspired London roots.

The Bowler hat was created back in 1849 by the London hat makers Thomas and William Bowler.  The brief was simple.  Create a low fitting crowned hat to protect one’s head from low hanging branches while riding on horse back.

The Bowler hat went on to become the uniform of the savvy business man in the City of London during the 1950’s and 60’s. The bowler was made famous as the must have accessory to finish off the look of a tailored shirt, suit and bow tie.

The Bowler Hat has been used as a fashion statement by many over the years including The Beatles!

Some of my favorite images of the Bowler were taken recently by Tim Walker.  The series entitled Circus Maximum celebrates the 40th anniversary of Monty Python’s Flying Circus.