The history of the Panama hat, a classic

A hat, a legend!

Ursprünglich wird der edle Hut seit 1630 in Montecristi, Provinz Manabi – Ecuador hergestellt. Ein wahres Wunder an manueller Fingerfertigkeit, geflochten aus feinen Fasern einer speziellen Palmenart, genannt “Paja Toquilla”. 

Today, the Panama hat in its characteristic nature has long since achieved cult status.

Und nicht nur das: seit 2012 ist das kunstvolle Hutflechten Teil sogar des “immateriellen Kulturerbes” der UNESCO.

 

The Panama hat – a fashion statement!

There may be no hat more noble and distinguished than a genuine one Panama hat||Because the fine workmanship often lasts a lifetime||At the same time, the hat simply looks good and stands for style, class and elegance.

Montecristi

shop now

Never say “straw hat” to a “Panama”

Certainly not to a Fino Fino Montecristi! The straw for him comes exclusively from the Toquilla palm tree. In the most elaborate manual process, approximately two million threads are spliced from it – thin and fine like silk.

Made from the Toquilla palm

This very special palm tree grows only in the fertile coastal strip of Ecuador.
The hats are made from the straw of the Toquilla palm tree, which may only be harvested after 2.5 years.

Only the best hearts of a palm tree are used for the hats.
However, only the young shoots are suitable.
The palm fiber is obtained from the vein that grows in the shoot of the Toquilla palm.
The palm fiber is cooked several times for about 20 minutes and hung to dry until it reaches a constant color and size.
Intensive tapping makes the resulting straw supple. Now it is ready to be woven.

The weaver first spins the circular centerpiece and then continues with the brim.
The straw is placed in a mold in which the top is formed.
The woven straw is fixed to the mold with a leather strap.
The hat is pulled out of the mold and the edges are braided together.
Without damaging the structure of the cap, the protruding stalks are cut off at the edge.

The hat blanks are now washed to remove any possible impurities.
Depending on the desired color, the hats are prepared accordingly. White hats are bleached, and colored ones are dipped in a dye bath.
The color palette includes 32 colors and ranges from white to red to black.
The hats now dry for a few hours in the Ecuadorian sun, are then pressed into shape and further processed.

After the quality check, the final inspection follows. Any final defects are corrected, and the hat receives its final touches. Then, the sweatband is attached inside and the hatband outside. The hats are stored and shipped worldwide if necessary.

A hat for the true connoisseur – the famous original, the Panama hat and the false name?

Ursprünglich wird der edle Hut seit 1630 in Montecristi, Provinz Manabi – Ecuador hergestellt. Ein wahres Wunder an manueller Fingerfertigkeit, geflochten aus feinen Fasern einer speziellen Palmenart, genannt “Paja Toquilla”.

Where does the Panama hat actually come from?

The truth is: Contrary to rumors, Ecuador is the only true home of airy, light and supple headwear. It is made from the Toquilla palm, and that is endemic, meaning: it only grows on the west coast of the Andean state. In the villages around the town Montecristi, 200 kilometers north of the port city of Guayaquil, the most famous hats in the world have been woven from the fibers of the palm tree for more than 300 years.  

The Panama hat became famous through its shipping to Europe, the 1880 World Exhibition in Paris and its sale to gold prospectors on their way to North America.
The name "Panama" comes from the construction of the Panama Canal. At that time, traders from Ecuador sold their hats in Panama, primarily to the canal workers. They wore the airy and light shade to help them endure the sweltering heat.

While visiting the construction of the Panama Canal in November 1906, American President Theodore Roosevelt adorned and protected his head with one of these hats. His photo went around the world, and the Panama hat became a symbol of modern and famous people. French Emperor Napoleon III wore one, as did politicians like Harry S. Truman, Winston Churchill, and Erich Honecker. For Atatürk, it was the symbol of the modern man. The writer Ernest Hemingway loved it, and the actor Paul Newman was rarely seen topless in the summer.

In Germany, the hat with the wrong name probably made its most prominent appearance on June 20, 2006. In the west stand at the Marathon Gate in Berlin's Olympic Stadium, a few thousand South Americans hoped for a miracle. It didn't happen. Schweinsteiger and his team won 3-0. What remained was the image of thousands of fans wearing light straw hats with wide brims and black ribbons: Ecuador's tourism minister had flown in 30,000 for the biggest media spectacle in the Andean country's sports history.

“Panamahut Montecristi” is a registered trademark

Das Ecuadorianisches Institut für Geistiges Eigentum (IEPI) trug am 29. November 2011 den Herkunftsnamen “Panamahut Montecristi” als Markennamen ein. Das bedeutet, daß ausschließlich Hüte aus Toquilla-Stroh, die in diesem Kanton von Montecristi hergestellt werden, sich auch “Panamahut Montecristi” nennen dürfen.
Damit will die Regierung von Ecuador eine jahrhundertalte Tradition und eine weltweit einzigartige Qualität rechtlich bewahren und gleichzeitig vor Namensmißbrauch schützen. Ebenso wie sich nur der Schaumwein Champagner nennen darf, der innerhalb der offiziellen Grenzen der Champagne vinifiziert und gelagert wurde.
Wir arbeiten mit der staatlich autorisierten Hutwerkstatt. Mit der Zertifizierung des Ecuadorianischen Instituts für Geistiges Eigentum (IEPI) können wir garantieren, dass es sich bei den Hüten aus dieser Werkstatt um echte Panamahüte “Montecristi” handelt, da sie in der Region Montecristi hergestellt und endgefertigt wurden.