Panama Hats

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A Panama hat or just Panama is a traditional brimmed hat of Ecuadorian origin that is made from the plaited leaves of the toquilla straw plant (Carludovica Palmata). Straw Hats woven in Ecuador, like many other 19th and early 20th century South American goods, were shipped first to the Isthmus of Panama before sailing for their destinations in Asia, the rest of the Americas and Europe. For some products, the name of their point of international sale rather than their place of domestic origin stuck, hence “Panama hats!”

They're also known as a Jipijapa after a town in Ecuador once a center of the hat trade. The Oxford English Dictionary cites Jipijapa a term used as early as 1834.

Panama hat quality is a heavily disputed subject. There are two main processes in the hat's creation: weaving and blocking. The best way to gauge the quality of the weave is to count the number of weaves per square inch. Fewer than 100 would be considered low quality. There are many degrees of increasing quality, up to the rarest and most expensive hats, which can have as many as 1600–2000 weaves per square inch, and these hats sell for thousands.

The quality of the weave itself, however, is more important. A high weave count, even an attractive-looking one, does not guarantee a well-woven hat. It is said that a Panama of true quality (a "superfino") can hold water and when folded for storage can pass through a wedding ring.

Although the Panama hat continues to provide a livelihood for thousands of Ecuadorians, there are fewer than a dozen weavers capable of making the finest "montecristi superfinos" remain. The UK's Financial Times Magazine (Jan. 2007) recently reported that there may be no more than 15-20 years remaining for the industry in Ecuador, due to the competition of paper-based (Toyo) Chinese-made imitations, especially where a few giant hat producers dominate and manipulate the market.

Panama hats are often seen as the ideal accessory to summer-weight suits. Beginning around the turn of the 20th century, panamas began to be associated with the seaside and tropical locales, such as Brighton or the Caribbean. They are usually preferred over felt hats in such climates for they are light colored, lightweight, and breathable. The Panama is often preferred for travel because in rollable form, it can be easily transported and the Panama is often seen as the British hat for traveling to hot climates.

Glorified during the 19th century, the Panama has since been considered the prince of Straw Hats. Ecuadorian national hero, and emblematic figure, Eloy Elfaro, helped finance his liberal revolution of Ecuador through the export of panamas. In recent years, the Merchant Ivory film company, have used the Panama and it’s sometime rival, the Boater in many of its English movies of the period.

The reputation of the hat was established by Napoleon III and Edward VII who also championed many other hats including the Homburg. When President Roosevelt visited the Panama Canal construction, he wore a Panama, which increased its popularity.

Beginning in the late 1960s, hats in general were worn less often. However, the Panama seems to be one of the few hats to survive the tests of time. Men can still be seen sporting a Panama in the tropics.

Well-founded hat companies, such as Lock and Co., Stetson, Failsworth and Olney, produce a wide selection of genuine Panama and Panama styled hats.

In the never-ending Doctor Who series, the Panama was worn rarely by the First Doctor (William Hartnell), occasionally by the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davidson) in a rolled up style, and most frequently by the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester Mccoy).

1940s film actor Paul Henreid often wore Panama hats in his films. Most memorably as Victor Lazlo, in Casablanca. In the films of the 1930s and 1940s featuring the Chinese/Hawaiian detective, Charlie Chan; the lead character also often wore Panama hats, along with a matching white linen suit.