"Wide Awake"?

[Pat_H]

"In the middle decades of the nineteenth century, top hats were required in cities and were sometimes worn by workers with their work clothes (Severa 1995: 106, 225). During this period, the "wide-awake" (a black hat with a broad, stiff brim) was very popular in the western states (106)."

From http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/117987.html , which I've posted a thread on below.

What style was the Wide Awake?

 

[scotrace]

This has to be associated with "The Wide Awakes." They were a Republican organization during the US Presidential campaign of 1860, and were known for their costume, including a "black, glazed, stiff hat."

 

[deanglen]

Seems like an organization I'd join now, for the hat...of course.

dean

 

[LocktownDog]

"In the middle decades of the nineteenth century, top hats were required in cities and were sometimes worn by workers with their work clothes (Severa 1995: 106, 225). During this period, the "wide-awake" (a black hat with a broad, stiff brim) was very popular in the western states (106)."

And just 20 years earlier, a man could be arrested for wearing top hats (shorter versions with curved brims) ... as they were considered to be an affront to society itself. Funny how popular fashion can overrule laws and how status quo is constantly changing.

Richard

 

[Pat_H]

In trying to look it up, I've seen several references to the Quakers. This isn't what I would have expected. Is the hat depicted on the Quaker Oats box a type of Wide Awake?

 

[Dinerman]

I just googled it too, here's what I got
http://www.historyinthemaking.org/catalog/menhat.htm
Looks like the quaker oats guy hat is right on the nose.

 

[deanglen]

Found this little cartoon on-line:

dean

 

[Topper]

The article if full of extracts from other people books - the problem here is quotation without verifiication often leads to misnomers and fables.

"The top hat, which appeared in England at the beginning of the nineteenth century"....Actually the tall hat was many centuries before that. The beaver or felt Topper, was used many decades before the silk.

"By the 1870s, top hats made of silk were worn in cities by prosperous businessmen but were not worn in the countryside (Brew 1945: 291)"...The Silk hat was first made in Florence in 1760ies! First documented in England in 1790ies and in mainstream by 1830ies!

They do pick up on the social difference between countries, later on in the article , but the first part of the article they quote many countries at once. Fashions took time to propogate across the world, and also the upheavals in countries could radically change style.

The Topper was highly used in 18C France by the upper echelons, it was a symbol of upper class - along came the revolution! As such it became a status symbol and somewhat dangerous to wear one! Hence probably why not so much material about it during the 19C from France, untill the latter half of 19C.

In other countries - It was worn by many classes, from coachman, to dustmen, to postal office worker, to police. For over a hundred years there has been a flourshing "2nd hand" - actually , 3rd, 4th 5th possibly 10th+ Hand sale of toppers, Some people could afford the best other just a basic felt topper..... Which is exactly the same as it is today - the market has not changed that much! Some of you will have silk toppers, other just a felt.

Topper
p.s. Yes wide awake is like the Quaker's one

 

[dhermann1]

Is the Wide Awake also what Wild Bill Hickock wore in real life and Wyatt Earp (as portrayed by Hugh O'Brain) wore on TV?