Top-hat

Vaudeville character actor Charles E. Grapewin wearing a top hat

A top-hat or top hat is a kind of tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat worn by men and was especially common in the 19th century. They were made from stiffened felt made from beaver fur or from silk.

Later on, top-hats were sometimes given an internal hinged frame, making them collapsible. Such hats are often called "opera hats", though the term can be synonymous with any top-hat, or any tall formal men's hat.

See Top Hat for the movie starring Fred Astaire.