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",
Pamela hat stage adaptation of "Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded", written by François de Neufchâteau. For the role Lange wore a straw hat which became known as a "chapeau à-la-Pamela", and she is credited with popularising the style. Straw hats "à-la-Pamela" were popular for informal wear and widely worn well into the 1810s. In August 1815, "La Belle Assemblée" reported on the continued popularity of the "chapeau à-la-Pamela", worn far back on the head with a tulle and lace cap underneath. The Pamela hat, which first emerged around 1837, was a version of the gipsy hat with a smaller brim. Gipsy hats were