Thread: looking for a decent top hat

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Does any one know where i could get a decent top hat. Not one that you can get at the party stores, But a actual top hat .
Thanks,
Eric

I got my vintage 1920's top hat from ebay. You might want to look there.

Ebay... more hits than you can throw a stick at.

try the village hat shop

I got my husband's top hat here for his Dracula costume - http://www.tuxgear.com/cart/mens-hats-fedoras-c-31.html

They certainly aren't cheap (though they are on sale right now!) but it was a VERY good quality. I couldn't find anything cheaper on eBay when I looked, at least not something that looked good.

I got mine for my costume last year (Voodoo priest - see my pics) from http://www.uniformalwearhouse.com. They have a decent selection, the hats are good quality & they're relatively inexpensive. I plan on using the same hat for my Mad Hatter costume this year.

For a semi-decent costume - http://www.top-hats.us/

For the real thing made with silk plush velvet on card - http://www.thetophatshop.com/default.asp
These are the vintage left-overs - the working machinery to make these aren't in operation anymore. This place has stores of hats made from about 80 years ago, and they go through that vintage stock to find your size if they can. Starts around 465 sterling, over 600 dollars right now.
It's an heirloom hat.

Watch Craigslist too. I just picked up what appears to be a gorgeous 1920's popper top hat for $15 yesterday (having it shipped, hence the "appears"). Authentic ones show up on Chicagol CL semi-regularly, at prices ranging from "much cheaper than the Halloween store" to "OMG". I still regret passing on an oh-so-politically incorrect one from the 1910's made of sealskin for under $20.

Here in Vancouver, Beaver-skin top hats were quite the rage in 1800's and early 1900's (can you say "fur trade"). If you end up looking at something like that, just beware that apparently a lot of them have mercury in them (can't remember the reason) and are only fit for decoration.

Thanks for the info. That never would have occurred to me. Fortunately only mannequins wear hats at my Halloween.