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Photo courtesy DJ Scammell

A Panama Hat

By Douglas James Scammell

Published 12:09 PDT, Fri August 1, 2025

Fashion For Men

During the hot summer days one way to keep cool and still look stylish is to find the right hat that would compliment your wardrobe. Linen fabric flat caps are perfect, but there’s another hat that is beyond iconic and that is the Ecuadorian hat, or Toquilla or Jipijapa straw hat better known today as the Panama Hat.

The traditional Panama hat is often light colored, light weight, breathable, and often worn as an accessory to your summer suit, but it can also be worn as a more casual look, with a nice linen shirt and shorts.

The Panama hat has a bit wider brim than a fedora hat which makes it more appealing if you prefer better coverage from the sun for your head and neck.

History

The Panama hat origin began in Ecuador as far back as the year 1526. As the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Ecuador where the inhabitants Inca people and the native people of the coastal areas were wearing a brimless hat resembling a toque, which was woven from the fibres from a palm tree that the Spaniards came to call toquilla straw. Moving into the centuries that followed, hat weaving evolved throughout Ecuador and by the 19th century these unique hats became in high demand worldwide. With most South American goods in the 19th and into the 20th centuries they would be shipped to Panama. From there they could be shipped to the destinations of Asia, Europe, and the rest of the Americas, subsequently acquiring a name that reflected their point of international sale “Panama Hats” rather than their place of domestic origin.

There are publications as far back to the year 1828 using the name Panama hat to describe the hat.

Many traveler’s in the 19th century would tell people they admired their hat and the most popular response was, they bought it in Panama. The Panama hat was featured at the 1855 world's fair and that for the first time made the hat popular on a global scale.

In 1906 U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt visited the construction site of the Panama Canal and was photographed wearing a Panama hat and that picture was posted in the New York Times newspaper which helped increase the hat’s popularity. By the 1920’s and 1930’s the Panama hat became the summer hat of choice for many in the western world.

Construction: The two main processes in the creation of a Panama hat are weaving and blocking. The two most common types of weaves are called the cuenca and the brisa. The cuenca weave has the appearance of a herringbone pattern and uses slightly more straw than the brisa weave. The brisa weave has the appearance of small diamond-like squares. This type of weave is less intricate but perceived as finer than the cuenca weave by some, as it is lighter. Other types of weaves include the crochet, the fancy, and the torcido.

The quality of a panama hat is defined by the tightness of the weave. The price of these hats to this day is measured on the time the weaver has put into making these hats.

A master weaver could take as long as eight months to weave a single hat. Sadly the best hats can sell for up to fifty times more than what one weaver is paid for about eight months of work.

According to popular lore, a premium Panama hat can hold water, and when rolled up can pass through a wedding ring.

To this day the genuine Panama hats are still made in Ecuador where the toquilla palm is cultivated and are a big part of the culture there.

Resurgence: Today the Panama hat is experiencing a revival in many different forms as it is popular with both men and women.

The hat is extremely versatile no matter what your style is or the outfit you choose to wear and can be seen worn by people on the street, outdoor patio cafes or even the beach during the summer months.

The Panama hat is a very elegant classy looking hat that in my opinion stands out amongst the rest.

Thanks to many celebrities like the great late Sean Connery, and to living legends like Anthony Hopkins, Tom Cruise, and actresses as well like Cameron Diaz and Emma Watson have been spotted wearing Panama hats.

When I purchased my first Panama hat that was one the first pieces that led me down the path of wanting to learn more about fashion as well as its history. I felt very sophisticated wearing it and I am sure others will feel the same.

Sadly there are many fake paper made panama hats on today’s market, thankfully many people acknowledge and appreciate the quality and beauty of the one and only original Panama hat from Ecuador.