A collapsible hat design was patented in London on May 5th 1812 by Thomas Frances Dollman. After the patent expired in 1825, sprung hats proliferated, particularly as top hats worn for formal occasions. The horizontal planes at the crown and brim of the hat were stiffened, while the sides were of thin flexible fabric, usually silk, pulled taught when a system of springs and ribs was released. Collapsible top hats were practical for smart events after a day’s work, and gained popularity among the emerging middle class of the later 19th Century.

The Tender Opera hat is made from a wool felt blank (called a hood), but is blocked at the brim only. The crown is left unshaped and unstiffened, so that it can be inverted, leaving the depth of the hat at just over an inch. This means that it can be packed into a garment bag for storage and delivery, or put into a suitcase for traveling. The soft fold line of the inversion gives an impression of a hat band, without the need for decoration.

The hat is made entirely under one roof, in the US, from raw wool fleece to finished product.