In this comedy of errors set in a Parisian environment, the story revolves around a calm man named Fadinard, who finds himself in the midst of a marital crisis. It all begins when his wife, Anaïs, suggests that they should attend a party. However, there is a small problem: Fadinard has accidentally destroyed a woman’s straw hat in the garden. To avoid a scandal, he is forced to replace it before the owner finds out.
Things get complicated when the hat turns out to belong to a very attractive young woman who has a mysterious jealous boyfriend. In his desperate attempt to get the hat back, Fadinard becomes embroiled in a hilarious game of confusion and misunderstandings, pursued by a cast of eccentric characters. From romantic intrigues to irritable high officials, each attempt to resolve the situation seems to lead to even more trouble.
As the hours go by, the tension mounts, and hilarity reaches a peak in a world where courtesy and romance clash with reality. The film, with its distinctive visual style and physical humor characteristic of silent cinema, takes us from laughter to despair as Fadinard struggles to maintain his honor and save his marriage, all over a simple straw hat that becomes the epicenter of his calamity. The plot culminates in a dazzling conclusion that leaves the audience with a smile.