Possible Clues:

• Out-of-date headwear?
• Bowler getting out
• Out of date like ancient headgear
• Had worried an awful lot about being outmoded
• Quite trite
• Tediously familiar like outdated headgear
• Tediously familiar or outdated, like obsolete headgear
• Stale - out of date
• Something out of date worn by Dolly Varden perhaps?
• Familiar for too long