the 1880s, working men of both town and country would have been much more likely to wear a felt hat. Round-crowned and round-brimmed, such hats quickly became softened and shapeless in the rain, although their floppy appearance didn’t stop them being effective in keeping sun, wind and rain off a man’s head. By 1901, however, the urban working-class man had moved over, en masse, to the flat cap.
