Flat Cap - British Popular Culture

British Popular Culture

In British popular culture the flat cap has been associated with older working class men, especially those in northern England, and the west country, as personified by Fred Dibnah and comic strip anti-hero Andy Capp. The flat cap's strong connection with the working class and the East End of London is illustrated by Jim Branning of EastEnders and Del-Boy Trotter of Only Fools and Horses. Taxicab and bus drivers are often depicted wearing a flat cap, as comedically portrayed by Norman Hale and Gareth Pace's (Hale and Pace) "London cabbies" sketches. A working class native of Newcastle in north east England, AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson customarily wears a flat cap on stage and frequently off.

The popularity of the flat cap also remains strong with fans of English country clothing, rural and agricultural workers, the country set or those who simply find them practical, though it tends to be associated with an older generation of wearers it's not restricted to that age as its an all age style. Charles, Prince of Wales, is often photographed in a tweed or tartan flat cap at his various country residences.