Of course, everyone watched films with one of the most brilliant comic actors of all time. And his image is very strongly associated with the appearance of his hero - at the same time a tramp and a gentleman - and especially with his headdress. But what was Charlie Chaplin's hat called?
Many immediately recognize it as a bowler hat - a symbol of Britain. This art masterpiece was created in the mid-19th century by two brothers named Bowler: Thomas and William. They made it specifically at the request of huntsmen, hunters and foresters who needed a special hat. He should not have flown off his head like a cylinder when branches clung to him.
When we talk about what Charlie Chaplin's hat was called, and why the great actor wore it, we must not forget that it was made of durable felt. Elasticity and stability were imparted to it by impregnation with a special mercury solution. When the first buyer checked the ordered headgear, he even got up on it to make sure its strength. But what was the name of Charlie Chaplin's hat originally? Coke - by the name of the first buyer. And then it was called by the name of the company, which was engaged in their mass production. This is "Bowler (in English" bowler ") and son."
This hat became the favorite headdress of bankers, then the military, who wore a civilian dress in the city. Until now, Her Majesty’s Royal Guard officers etiquette obliges them to wear a bowler hat. This type of hat itself has become one of the signs of all “truly English” - like tea at five in the evening, a London umbrella and spleen. Even some dandies faltered and switched from cylinders to bowlers. Women, too, were fond of this outfit - both horsewomen and suffragists, advocates for the rights of the “second sex”.
What was the name of Charlie Chaplin's hat in other countries, where it also became popular? In France and Germany - “melon”, and in the USA - “derby”. In America, a comfortable hat has become a favorite headdress for various social strata - “villains” and sheriffs, millionaires and laborers. And in Bolivia, it has become so fashionable that women of the Indian tribes - Quechua Aymara, for example - do not even go outside without it.
It is said that this headdress "arrived" in the Latin American country so that it was worn by workers from Italy. But the sizes turned out to be small and suitable only for Indian women. Since then they wear bowlers with pride. But in the
African country of Nigeria, only men wear these hats - perhaps in memory of British colonization.
The fashion for this headdress lasted until the 60s of the last century. Then she became more ceremonial than everyday. But the bowler does not give up! Chaplin's hat was even part of the uniform - the English female police officers wear her somewhat modified version. And some companies - regular participants in world haute couture shows, such as Hermes, have made it one of the glamorous accessories. And psychoanalysts claim that the bowler suits original and eccentric people. The original hat of Charlie Chaplin, along with the cane of the great actor, was sold for a lot of money at the Los Angeles auction in 2012. They were bought for 62 thousand dollars.