Opera hat 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 in the same one moment fashion by an easy push from underneath. Its French name "chapeau claque" is a composition of "chapeau",
Top hat with models in wearable condition typically hard to find; price often varies with size (larger sizes are typically more expensive) and condition. In the past, top hats were made by blocking a single piece of wool or fur felt and then covering the shell with fur plush. Since the invention of silk plush a new method using "gossamer" was invented and used up to the present day though the older method is more common for toppers made today. A town-weight silk top hat is made by first blocking two pieces of gossamer (or "goss" for short), which is made of