Building No 16

We'd also hoped, (following on from last post) somewhat naively, that the owners of this magnificent old hat factory in the same town might like to lend it for the weird jazz event that we failed to place in building No 15. In fact, I would have eaten my hat (what a charming turn of phrase that is) if they had said yes.
A true Mary Celeste, this building, still full of all the machinery, dust-covered paperwork in offices, hat moulds . . . as if the factory owner had turned to the workers and said: "sorry folks, that's it - no one wears hats any more."
I'd never thought about it before. Any news clip or film from the 1950's - a sea of Trilbies or Homburgs; why did men stop wearing hats? or at least those wonderful stylish felt ones.