Is it a bowler... or a homburg..? Or something else...?

[Mulceber]

Yeah, the proper name for it is a Cambridge Bowler, although they're incredibly difficult to find. At this point, your best bet if you want one would be to contact someone who specializes in custom bowlers (they do still exist, particularly in the UK) and provide them with pictures asking for what you want. I'd love to be able to wear one myself, but while I dress better than most people of my generation, I'm not THAT fancy.... -M

 

[bowlerman]

Just found this-- everything is wool, but they have the bowker/Cambridge bowler/Flat-top bowler:
http://ushist.com/victorian_mens_clothing_f.shtml

the straw version is pretty inexpensive-- maybe worth a try to see if you like the style, I suppose.

 

[English_Gent]

I may be totally wrong here but is this a close approximation of the Bowker/Cambridge Bowler?

If so it appears you can get it from DelMonico, though there is no illustration on their actual site.

Unfortunately it only comes in black.

Google shopping pic from first link:

 

[Daze]

http://www.darcyclothing.com/shop/hats/high-crown-derby-bowler-hat-ha113.html

Not quite, but close 8)

http://www.tophatfancydress.co.uk/accessories.php?category_id=12 has something if you feel like recovering a cheap thing

 

[bowlerman]

That's the thing-- the Bailey Speer pictured in English Gent's post has corners that are too square and angular, and the link to darcy's clothing shows basically just a modern wool bowler. It's hard to find one that splits the difference.

 

[Oldsarge]

An interesting hat, indeed, but one must wonder where in the world you would have occasion to wear it? It certainly is out of place in 21st Century SoCal. Ah for the days when men knew how to dress!

 

[jlee562]

Giving this thread a bump because I stumbled on this site whilst looking for a suitable Oddjob costume hat:
http://www.top-hats.com/1021.htm

Not too ridiculous for a wool hat. But hard to see any detail with the low res images.

 

[randooch]

Jared, check this out.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...at&hl=en&sa=X&gbv=2&tbm=isch&prmd=ivns&itbs=1

 

[jlee562]

Jared, check this out.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...at&hl=en&sa=X&gbv=2&tbm=isch&prmd=ivns&itbs=1

Thanks for that! Too bad there's not more pictures. I would love to see the details of that hat. I do find it a little odd that Cambridge Bowlers are so hard to find. I would think that there would at least be one British company making them based on the association with Churchill.

 

[bowlerman]

Glad this thread got bumped. On my recent tour to D Bar J hats, I saw several variations on the bowler crown, including a Cambridge. Check out http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...promptu-tour&p=1475057&viewfull=1#post1475057

and their website: http://www.dbarjhat.com/

In my photos of the bowler section, I believe the grey one at the bottom of the pic is a Cambridge, according to their description. slightly taller and more square, though not so sharp to make it a topper or a bowker.

 

[ofcoursemyhorse]

They're very few and far between but they really are great hats.

Lock and Co.



Soon to be arriving from France.

 

[mayserwegener]

Super! Looking forward to seeing more of the French one.

 

[hatsRme]

WHAT a find, OCMH!! You really sniff them out. Amazing, rare, and great condition... Congrats, man!!