With smartphone in hand, a woman walks beneath a poster for the Charles Tyrwhitt menswear outfitters in Eldon Street in the City of London, the capital's heart of its financial district - and a good location for suits and businesswear. A pair of Englishmen raise their bowler hats in a gesture from a previous era, a bygone gentlemanly tradition. when hats said much of your social standing, a summary of your position in the class system. In the 21st century though, the hat is largely an item of clothing to wear only for extreme cold or heat.