At The Wam Bam Club we love fashion as much as we love a Burlesque show, so it doesn’t
really come as a surprise that we are all huge fans of the highest of all fashion statements:
The Top Hat!

Ever since cavemen felt the need to cover their heads with animal skins to protect themselves
from the elements, hats have played an important role in society and no other style of hat has
withstood the test of time with more aplomb than the fabulous top hat.

Top hats gained popularity towards the end of the 18th century and continued to reign
throughout the 19th century, a century that is also known as the century of the top hat.

Historian James Laver made the clever observation that the assemblage of ‘toppers’
looked a lot like factory chimneys, thus adding to their association with the industrial
era. Popular with all social classes, top hats were worn even by workmen in those days
- Talk about dressing up for work! Members of the upper classes wore top hats made of 
felted beaver fur imported from America – poor little beavers I hear you say - whilst
those worn by working men were made of rabbit fur. Argh, rabbits! Aren’t they just like
rats but with cuter ears and tails?

In 1797 a haberdasher called John Hetherington stepped on the streets of London wearing
a top hat in the shape of a stovepipe! A silk-covered variation of the traditional beaver fur
hats. His hat was made of a material that became known as “hatter’s plush”, a fine silk shag.
Hetherington’s hat caused such a stir that he was stopped by the police -ahem, by the collar-
and was charged and issued with a court summons on the grounds of disturbing the public
peace! Talk about fashion police… :S

“Hetherington had such a tall and shiny construction on his head that it must have terrified
nervous people. The sight of this construction was so overstated that various women fainted,
children began to cry and dogs started to bark. One child broke his arm among all the jostling.”
– were the words of an officer who was present at the scene.

“Hetherington’s hat points to a significant advance in the transformation of dress. Sooner or
later, everyone will accept this headwear. We believe that both the court and the police made
a mistake here.” – Wrote the London Times, and soon after that predicament came true.

Despite innitial opposition by beaver fur top hat wearers, silk top hats became more and
more the norm, and even more so after Prince Albert started wearing them in 1850. By
then top hats had developed from just fashion into a symbol of urban respectability.

One of the earliest imprints of top hat chicness is John Singer Sargent’s famous portrait
of Lord Ribblesdale in 1902. In the painting, Lord Ribblesdale – the epitome of the Edwardian
aristocrat; who was master of the backhands and lord-in-waiting to Queen Victoria – appears
as a study of refinement and self-assurance, which is exactly the attitude the top hat was
intended to convey. This is where the expression “high hat” comes from.

Top hats were also favoured by the masters of style of the époque, the school
of Brummell dandies in Britain and the “Incroyables” in France.

Abraham Lincoln popularized the stovepipe hat in America during his presidency.
It is said that he would keep important letters inside his hat. Who needs pockets
when you have a top hat hey Abe?

The good old top hat was also part of the ensemble of Uncle Sam and it became a symbol
of the American monopoly power.

Top hats are also associated with stage magic, thanks to the French magician Comte who in
1814 became the first conjurer on record to have pulled a white bunny out of his top hat. Ta-da, et voila, le lapin!

Eventually, with the advent of bowler hats and fedoras which were more convenient for city
life as well as being suitable for mass production, top hats stopped being used so often,
though they continued to be worn for formal wear by Bankers, stokebrokers, private school
boys, politicians and performers. So if you wanted a man with a top hat, you knew who to
give your number to…

Top hats made a fabulous come back with the 1930’s classic film ‘Top Hat’, in which the ever
so charming Fred Astaire, not only sang, swung and performed dressed in a top hat, white tie
and tails but he also managed to sweep women off their feet, contributing to the resurgence
of the classic fashion staple.

Back in those days, every gentleman made sure that they too had a top hat in their wardrobe
in the hope that by wearing it, they would also become lucky with the ladies. Like in the film,
in the 1930’s the words ‘White Tie’ on any invitation meant serious fashion business. A top
hat, white tie and tails were expected.

In the late 80′s and 90′s no one was cooler than Guns n Roses’ guitarist Slash, who made the
top hat his signature look, proving that the style doesn’t only work with noble aristocrats.

Today top hats continue to be seen on stage, as part of a cabaret show and on the catwalk,
as the epitome of sexy and cool.

Queen of pop Madonna donned one, so did Pink who rocks one too in the fabulous video
of ‘Lady Marmalade’ and who can forget Princess of pop Britney looking dapper as a circus
ringmistress on her video ‘Circus’.

John Galliano at Dior made top hats the star of his Spring/Summer 2010 collection…

…and Queen of showgirls Kylie appears dressed as a magician’s assistant, clad in a top hat
modelling handbags for Tous.

Proof that there is no true show girl that doesn’t own a top hat and Lady Alex – the fabulous
ringmistress, comedienne extraordinaire and sultry and exquisite Burlesque star at The
Wam Bam Club – is a lady that knows all about top hats. Now, isn’t she one hot lady in hers?

There is nothing in this world that we love more than a top hat and putting on a show
and whilst for dear Fred Aistaire it was all about top hat, white tie and tails, for us here
at The Wam Bam Club it is all about top hat and Burlesque!

So, why don’t you come over and see us sometime..?

Now, ladies and Gentleman, here’s a show…

… and here is an invitation:

Your presence is requested,
this Saturday,
it’s formal,
Top hat, White tie and tails, corset and stockings!

So if, like us, you love and own a top hat, there is no better occassion to wear it than to
London’s very own Moulin Rouge, The Wam Bam Club at Cafe de Paris. We’ll be very pleased
to see you, but not as pleased as you will be…

Book your Wam Bam Tickets here and ladies, don’t forget to book yourself on the free burlesque class before the show. Why not, add dinner to the ecuation and have the full
Wam Bam experience!

Pssst! A little bird tells me that the chocolate bavarois is to die for…

xoxo
Nonita