Bowlers appeared for the first time in 1849 to solve the thorny problem of top hats, that used to knock off while riding. Being shorter and tighter, the bowler hat adheres better to the head and is more comfortable to wear. The success of this hat was enormous to the point where its use spread from the upper class to the working class in Britain and as far afield as America, and the Andes where the Quechua women still wear them today.
