London police hat

myminifactory

The custodian helmet has been the standard headgear for male police officers in England and Wales since 1863. It replaced the traditional stovepipe top hat worn by British bobbies since 1829. In that same year, London's Metropolitan Police Force modernized their uniforms, ditching white trousers, swallow-tailed coats, and top hats for dark blue pants, a more streamlined button-up tunic, and the pioneering helmet design featuring an upturned brim in the front and a distinctive raised spine running from bottom to top. This innovative helmet became known as the "cockscomb."