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",
Claque an agency in Paris opened to manage and supply claqueurs. By 1830 the claque had become an institution. The manager of a theatre or opera house was able to send an order for any number of claqueurs. These were usually under a "chef de claque" (leader of applause), who judged where the efforts of the "claqueurs" were needed and to initiate the demonstration of approval. This could take several forms. There would be "commissaires" ("officers/commissioner") who learned the piece by heart and called the attention of their neighbors to its good points between the acts. "Rieurs" (laughers) laughed loudly at