What Is a Panama Hat?
Panama hats are woven by hand, made from a plant called the toquilla. Every hat is unique, created mainly in the Manabi and Azuay districts of Ecuador. Does this Spark an idea?
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Origin
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According to The Hat Site, a website devoted to the hat and headwear industry, the Panama hat dates to the 16th century, when the Incas began using straw from the toquilla plant to make hats.
The Name
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The hats became known as Panamas when the men employed in the building of the Panama Canal adopted the headwear as protection against the equatorial sun. Photographs of work on the canal show President Theodore Roosevelt wearing one of the hats.
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Military Wear
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The Panama hat became popularized outside Latin America when the U.S. government ordered 50,000 Ecuadorian "sombrero de paja toquilla" for American troops to wear during the Spanish-American War.
How They Are Made
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The making of Panama hats is a cottage industry passed from one generation to the next. Coarsely woven Panama hats can be made in a few hours, but hats woven by the best craftsman can take as long as five months to complete.
The Black Band
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Panama hats are traditionally trimmed with a black band. This style originated in England in 1901 as a sign of mourning for the death of Queen Victoria.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Mauren Veras
