It was US President Teddy Roosevelt who brought “Panama hats” to the attention of the world. The above photo was taken about 120 years ago when the President visited Panama, where the U.S. was undertaking the challenging project of building a canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He found these white hats to be comfortable in the sunny hot climate — and probably he just liked the look of them.
His distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, continued the family hat tradition….
Panama hats actually don’t originate in Panama, but in neighboring Ecuador. During the 19th century these hats made their way from Ecuador through Panama (which was a trading hub) and on to global markets. It was because of this trade route the term “Panama hat” originated. The hats were said to be very popular during the California Gold Rush in the 1840s.
Panama hats were and still are made in Ecuador from the toquilla palm, which grows in coastal regions. During our one day visit to Manta, we attended a demonstration on the making of Panama hats. Here is some of what I learned at this demonstration.
The hats are made of the young inner shots of the toquilla palm, the only part of the tree which is harvested. These are pulled apart into workable strands….
The fibers are then boiled to remove their green color (chlorophyll)…..
… and are then left to dry. The resulting fibers are a creamy white color.
The hats are woven by hand, a time-consuming and labor intensive process. The weaving begins at the crown and is performed on a custom “bench” on which the weaver leans. It’s performed in the shade, which with the humidity keep the palm fibers soft enough to work.
The quality of a hat is determined by how fine and dense the weave is. If you hold the hat to the light, a quality hat will completely block the light. If you can see light penetrate it, it is of lower quality. Some weaves are as dense as 2,000 per square inch, which is tight enough to be impervious to water.. A hat of the highest quality can take weeks and even months to complete.
Once the hat has been woven, it is washed and placed on a mold to help shape it into the fedora style, with the pinched crown. The hats are finished by trimming the edges and placing a sweatband.
Hats are then sold, like these were at a neighboring market in Manta. The photo above was last weekend’s One Clue Mystery photo, andvwas recognized by George G and Graham S. Most of the hats you can buy in markets like this are of the cheaper variety and generally sell for about a hundred dollars. For a hat of the highest quality you might pay several thousand dollars.
These fibers can also be used to weave baskets and other handy items, also available for purchase.
So these are Ecuadorian hats, not Panama hats. Buy why mess with a good thing?
