Panama Hat
It has graced the heads of Winston Churchill, Nikita Khrushchev, Humphrey Bogart and Michael Jordan - and many more...
by Manpreet

In mid 1800, gold seekers rushed to California taking the route of the Isthmus of Panama. There they purchased hats imported from Ecuador. At that time, the hats came to be known by the name of their point of their purchase rather than their place of origin. In any event, the Panama hat became very popular.

In 1849, Ecuador exported more than 220,000 of them. Then, in 1855 a Frenchman who lived in Panama introduced the hats to the world's fair in Paris. The fashion-savvy French were impressed with the delicate material, some even describing it as "straw cloth." Soon it was virtually unthinkable to wear any other style.

The popularity of the Panama hat soared at the start of 20th century when a photograph of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt sporting a stylish fino appeared in the world press. The demand of the Chic hat rose. Prominent companies around the globe began distributing them. In Turkey, modernization laws banned the traditional fez in 1925 and mandated the use of Panama hats. In 1944 the Panama hat had become Ecuador's primary export item.

By the second half of the 20th century, the popularity of the hats declined. But the Ecuador's finely woven Panama Hat's maintained its mystique. Expert hatters throughout the world compete for premium-grade specimens. Famous people from bygone eras and present days have been captivated by the elegance of Panama hat. It has graced the heads of Winston Churchill, Nikita Khrushchev, Humphrey Bogart and Michael Jordan - and many more.

The genuine Panama is light and airy, and it lasts for a lifetime. Each is hand-woven and therefore is one of its kind. Prices range from a few dollars for coarser hats to over $1000 for the rarest, the superfinos of Montecristi. Quality is determined by  the fineness and regularity of the weave as well as the consistency of color. Of course there are mass production of imitations, but these doesn't last for long many of these imitations crack and others do not breathe.

Making of Panama Hat
Panama hat is made from a Palm like plant. It provide the supple yet resistant fiber called Toquilla. Ecuador's coastal lowlands provide ideal conditions for the growth and regeneration of this plant. The Ecuadorian hat artisans are considered to be among the world's finest weavers. It can take them six months or more to weave the high-quality Montecristi superfino hat. The length of each fiber in the hat is quite short, but in a genuine Panama hat, one can hardly tell where one strand ends and the next one begins. Furthermore, the strands are so tightly woven that even water will not seep through.

The town of Montecristi is renowned for its excellent hand woven hats. The masters of the Montecristi area weave in the early morning or late afternoon so that the equatorial heat does not effect the pliancy of the fiber. They begin the crown by meticulosly weaving circle upon circle of complex laced fiber until the desire diameter is achieved. Then the crown is placed on a cylindrical wood block so that the artisan's hands can deftly spiral downward as he weaves the sides. After many weeks his weaving proceeds at a right angle to form the brim. A thorough trimming, washing, and bleaching along with sundry finishing techniques produce the famed Panama Hat.