Pam's Blog

Panama hats are made in Ecuador, specifically Cuenca and the surrounding areas. In the 19th and early 20th century, South American goods were shipped around the world via Panama, and they got the name “Panama Hats”. Many famous people have worn Panama hats including President Theodore Roosevelt, Napoleon, Edward VII, Jason Mraz, Sean Connery, and Anthony Hopkins. And, they are worn throughout Ecuador. This country and culture loves hats (or as they call them “sombreros”). All kinds are worn by men, women and children. Not only for the style, but also for function. The sun is strong here and wearing a hat is almost mandatory if you’re outside a lot.

The hats are still handmade. People make them in their homes and then send them to a “factory” for finishing. There’s a variety of styles and quality. The more expensive hats have a finer weave and can take many months to make and cost hundreds or even more than a $1,000.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 6:16 pm and is filed under Random Thoughts, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.