The top hat has a few names like the topper, cylinder hat, or a high hat! It is tall and has a flat crown. Traditionally, the top hat got linked with formal attires, in the Western dress codes, indicating morning dress, white tie, or the frock coat. Conventionally, it got made using grey or black silk. Also, the top got inspired by Western fashion towards the 18th-century end. There was a collapsible version of the top hat, which got developed in the 19th century and was called the opera hat. Even though the top hat had declined by the 1960s, it is still a popular formal fashion accessory.
Today, several hat enthusiasts take an interest in top hats. They might not sport it on any occasion, but they would like to add it to their collection. Hence, it is necessary to take care and clean the hat so that it stays like new for several years. In this article, we are going to highlight some of the easy ways in which one can care for and clean their top hats.
Simply put, if there is any dust on your new-age or antique top hat, you can remove it by brushing the hat using a pure bristle brush. However, when you are dusting your antique silk top hat, make sure that you brush towards the direction of the hat’s nap so that it is smooth. If it is required, you can also use steam to clean it. Here are a few essential questions that are essential to address.
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How Should You Polish An Antique Silk Top Hat?
It would help if you remembered that the antique silk top hats got designed to get buffed. Hence, you should follow this from time to time so that the hat maintains its polished appearance. So, you can make use of a velvet pad and then sweep on the surface towards the direction of the nap a couple of times. It would help if you did this till the time hat gets it glossy, deep shine.
How Should You Dry Your Top Hat?
It’s essential to know the correct way of drying your top hat! For instance, you might get drenched in the rain, which caused your top hat to get wet. It would help if you allowed the top hat to dry in an airy, natural, and warm environment. You shouldn’t over direct heat, for instance, use a radiator as that can cause the hat’s shape to distort. It might damage the hat, and you will have to get a new one for yourself.
How Should You Store Your Top Hat?
Make sure that you keep the top hat in a box so that it’s away from insects. Also, cover your top hat in silk and secure it. You can even keep your hats in the top hat buckets. The top hat boxes get made using cardboard and that can secure your hat as you travel or as you are storing the same. Make sure that the hat fits the bucket or the cardboard box comfortably. There shouldn’t be excess movement during the transportation.
How Should You Care For Your Hat When You Are Out?
When you wear your antique top hat, you should exercise special care as you settle it on a flat surface. Make sure to set the hat down in an upright position and keep the brim down. It helps to maintain the crown position that is susceptible to damage. If your hat’s crown gets worn, it can’t get repaired. One can only blacken it to reduce the impact of the damage.
How To Care For Your Silk Plush Top Hats?
Today, several people love to own a silk plush top hat. It is necessary to know the ways to care for it. There are times when the silk hat can get caught up in the rain. The vintage hats usually come with a gossamer shell that should be able to make you stay waterproof. However, it’s only possible that the hat hasn’t been damaged or has developed cracks. That is not all! Even if it doesn’t rain before the storage, you need to enable the hat to get dry naturally because it can get damp due to sweat. Here are few other things that you should keep in mind:
- Always make sure to dry the silk top hat naturally in a warm ambiance. Never make use of a heater or a blow drier, as that can deform your hat.
- Once your silk top hat dries, you can clean the hat by dusting off any particles that might be there on the surface by making use of a brim brush so that you can get to the brim curve. It’s a good practice to use one brush for every different color hat.
- Once you are done with brushing, you can polish the hat making use of a velvet pad that will provide a high-gloss shiny finish to your top hat. You can also use the velvet pad to touch any hat areas when you are out. Make sure you to polish in the right direction.
- Make sure to keep your silk top hat in an upside-down position in a hat box. You can use the box that you got from the hatmaker from where you purchased or customized the hat. Usually, they provide you with the conventional hat case, which is perfect for most top hat sizes.
- Last but not least, you should refrain from storing the silk top hats in a humid ambiance. You can add a small pouch of silica you get with the hat that can provide good storage. Also, the cedar anti-moth balls can prevent the moths from flocking to the hat. Make sure you take other precautions to keep insects away from the top hat.
These are some of the easiest and simple ways to take care of and clean your top hat. It’s also an intelligent call to ask your concerned hatmaker for any suggestion that you can add to this list.