The history of the Panama hat, a classic

A hat, a legend!

This elegant hat has been produced in Montecristi, Manabi Province, Ecuador, since 1630. A true marvel of dexterity, it is woven from the fine fibers of a special palm species called "Paja Toquilla." 

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

And not only that: since 2012, the artistic hat weaving has even been part of UNESCO’s “intangible cultural heritage”.

 

The Panama hat – a fashion statement!

There is perhaps no hat more noble and refined than a genuine Panama hat . ||Because the fine craftsmanship often lasts a lifetime.||At the same time, the hat simply looks good and represents style, class, and elegance.

Montecristi

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Never say “straw hat” to a “Panama”

Especially not a Fino Fino Montecristi ! The straw used for this comes exclusively from the toquilla palm. In a painstaking process, approximately two million threads are spliced by hand – as thin and fine as silk.

Made from the Toquilla palm

This very special palm tree only grows in the fertile coastal strip of Ecuador.
The hats are made from the straw of the Toquilla palm, 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 boiled several times for about 20 minutes and hung up to dry until it has reached a constant color and size.
Through intensive beating, the resulting straw becomes pliable. It is now 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?

This elegant hat has been produced in Montecristi, Manabi Province, Ecuador , since 1630. A true marvel of dexterity, it is woven from the fine fibers of a special palm species called "Paja Toquilla."

Where does the Panama hat actually come from?

What's true is that, contrary to popular belief, Ecuador is the only true home of this airy, light, and supple headgear. It's made from the toquilla palm, which is endemic, meaning it only grows on the west coast of the Andean country. In the villages surrounding the small town of Montecristi, 200 kilometers north of the port city of Guayaquil, the world's most famous hats have been woven from the palm's fibers 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

On November 29, 2011, the Ecuadorian Institute of Intellectual Property (IEPI) registered the name of origin " Panama Hat Montecristi " as a trademark. This means that only hats made of toquilla straw produced in the canton of Montecristi may be called "Panama Hat Montecristi."
With this, the Ecuadorian government aims to legally preserve a centuries-old tradition and a globally unique quality, while simultaneously protecting it from misuse of the name. Just as only sparkling wine produced and aged within the official borders of the Champagne region may be called Champagne.
We work with a state-authorized hat workshop. With certification from the Ecuadorian Institute of Intellectual Property (IEPI), we can guarantee that the hats from this workshop are genuine "Montecristi" Panama hats, as they were manufactured and finished in the Montecristi region.