Opera hat characteristic snapping sound heard upon opening a gibus suggested a third name, the "chapeau claque", "claque" being the French word for "slap". Opera hat An opera hat, also called a chapeau claque or gibus, is a top hat variant that is collapsible through a spring system, originally intended for less spacious venues, such as theatre and opera visits. Typically made of satin in black colour, its advantage is that it folds vertically through a push or a snap on the top of the hat, in order to be conveniently stored in a wardrobe or under the seat. Invertably, it opens
Top Hat The songs were written by Irving Berlin. "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" and "Cheek to Cheek" have become American song classics. It has been nostalgically referred to — particularly its "Cheek to Cheek" segment — in many films, including "The Purple Rose of Cairo" (1985) and "The Green Mile" (1999). "Top Hat" was the most successful picture of Astaire and Rogers' partnership (and Astaire's second most successful picture after "Easter Parade"), achieving second place in worldwide box-office receipts for 1935. While some dance critics maintain that "Swing Time" contained a finer set of dances, "Top Hat" remains, to this