Figure 1.--This is a photograph of a roll call at Eton in the 1930s with most of the boys wearing top hats. toppers.

The boys probably most associated with wearing top hats are the students at English public (exclusive private) schools. We do not know any other countries in which top hats were worn. We know the boys at Eton and Harrow wore them. The images we have noted are all of Eton and Harrow. Both schools had official photographers in the nearby high streets where such formal portraits were taken. We do not know how common the top hat was a a school uniform style. We do not know if they were worn at any other public schools. We are not sure when they were adopted as part of the school uniform. They were phased out as part of the austerities during World War II. The top hat has not, however, disappeared entirely from British schools. The senior prefects at Harrow still wear toppers.