The Hats that Made Britain (A History of the Nation Through Its Headwear)

The world’s most famous hats have their origins in Britain. In fact, many of them were designed by James Lock & Co, the world’s oldest hatters, whose history can be traced back to 1676. Their shop at 6 St. James’s Street, London, their headquarters since 1765, has played host to an extraordinary clientele over the years, including Lord Nelson, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks Junior, Jackie Onassis, and, more recently, Jackie Chan and David Beckham. Iconic hats such as the bowler, Nelson’s bicorn, Oscar Wilde’s fedora, Queen Elizabeth’s coronation crown, and Winston Churchill’s homburg were created here, and British Tommies in World War I were even fitted for their Mark 1 tin helmets at Lock & Co before traveling to the Western Front. This book celebrates these as well as hats that have graced the screen, such as Oddjob’s steel-rimmed Sandringham in Goldfinger (designed at Lock & Co) and, more recently, the flat cap worn by the infamous Shelby clan in Peaky Blinders. This is the first book to tell the history of Britain through its headwear.