The Evolution of Hats From Form to Fashion

There is something about straw hats that inexplicably attracts us.People can hide balding, frizzy hair or a poor dye job beneath the folds of a lovely hat. They can use the colors of the fabric to bring out their eyes, match their outfit or call attention to the structure of the face. Lastly, through their choice of clothing apparel style, they can show their personal taste.
Montecristi Panama hats are made by master weavers from the town of Montecristi, in the coast of Ecuador. Very thin straw is used to obtain a sharp and tight weave that produces the finest straw hat in the world! Depending on the fineness of the weave a Montecristi hat can take several two months to weave. The result is a hat with a soft texture and an elegant natural straw color.Cuenca Panama Hats come from the highland town of Cuenca. They are made of thicker straw that allows a hat to be woven in a couple of weeks. These hats are usually bleached or tinted beige. They are regarded as affordable hats of good overall quality.

Straw hats became popular from 1880 to 1920 as the perfect piece of apparel to keep the hot sun off one's face. The brimmed straw hat was perfect for men and women who spent a lot of time in boating, taking road trips in uncovered cars through the countryside, picnicking and playing tennis etc. One variety was called "the boater," which was seen as the perfect addition to a striped blazer or flannel trouser outfit. Today they can be worn with western apparel, dress suits and leisure wear. Popular and fashionable straw hats are made by Dobbs, Stetson, Borsalino, Biltmore, Scala and Bailey.

Many different style hats are available for womens also. At first, women wore headgear to blend in with men, hiding their true identity so they could have equal opportunities with males. However, once discovered, hats were seen as a very beautiful addition to a strong woman.

Foe more information and to buy panama hats and straw hats visit our website: http://www.panamahatshop.com/

Panama Montecristi Fino Hats

Many people know that these panama hats are woven by hand and around the small town of Montecristi, Ecuador. The locals know the plant as "paja toquilla". The "fino" quality can be quite expensive - even into the thousands of dollars, so it is no surprise that potential hat buyers want to know as much as they can before purchasing. Further complicating questions about the panama hats itself is the fact that these hats often come to the North American market in their most basic state - unblocked, without a sweatband, and without a decorative trim. Buying the hat this way has advantages and disadvantages. I have traveled around the world with my basic unblocked Montecristi Fino Panama Hat and it has served me very well. But because most hats in North America come to the retail market in a more finished state, the hat requires some explanation.

Panama hats can be rolled like fine linen and stored in a balsa wood box, often with the Ecuadorian flag decorating the box.This is true, but the owner must understand that this will create a crease in the crown of the hat.For many this is no problem - the crease becomes a style point, not dissimilar from the "optimo" style crown.Half the hat is folded into the other half and it is carefully rolled from there.The big cigar shape is then held in place by double or triple looping the grosgrain trim and slipping it around the rolled hat. Panama hat can be stored in the box, packed in a suitcase, or put in the pocket of one's trousers when walking about and choosing not to wear the hat.When the hat is unrolled, it may take some minutes for the material to relax and expand so that it is again "a hat".Regularly rolling and unrolling your Panama hat will shorten its life span, as the straw will eventually crack. If you are a stickler for getting the absolute most time of service from products that you purchase, we recommend not rolling your hat.

We include two options with a panama hat purchase.1. The traditional grosgrain ribbon. Place the hat on your head. Run the ribbon around the base of the crown and pull it so that the hat fits snugly, not too tight, on your head.Tie a knot or make a bow at the point where the fit is most comfortable. Typically this knot or bow is slid to the left side for man and to the right side for woman.2. The elastic trim. During a trip to Ecuador, we discovered some upscale boutiques sold trim that was elasticized so that the hat wearer could simply stretch the trim onto the hat. When we returned to California, we purchased the material and now make these ourselves. We include one, as an option, with a purchase.

If owning an unblocked hat, without a sweatband and fixed trim, is not your priority, you can either purchase a finished Panama hat or have your hat blocked and finished yourself. Visit our web site, http://www.panamahatshop.com/, for many examples of finished Panama hats in various qualities and styles.We included care instructions with a purchase.

Panama Hat History

Do you know that Panama hats were made in Ecuador probably by the Incas in the 16th Century? Panama hats became popular in Panama during the construction of the canal when President Theodor Roosevelt visited the canal as popularizing these hats in Europe and the United States.There was a time when all well dressed men in the tropics wore a Panama hat.Light weight and airy straw hats were perfect for keeping the hot sun off your head when working or visiting in the tropics.

The hats made in Panama are woven from plant fibers.The most famous about the Panama hand-woven hats is, They are made in Coclé Panama and called a painted hat. These hats are made of junco or bellto plants and sewn with pita, and come in a variety of patterns and designs depending on the weaver.Plants to make these Straw hats grow close to rivers and have to be harvested stripped, boiled and bleached.The fiber is then braided and the braids wound, sewn and shaped on a hat mold. The color of the fiber and the pattern and weave of the braid is unique to each weaver.

The Fedora is perhaps the most famous Panama Hat model. This classic model is creased lengthwise down the crown and pinched in the front on both sides. It comes in 4 model, all of them in straw natural color. The finer the weave, the higher the quality of the hat, and it’s price.