Authentic, classic Panama hats are not made in Panama. They are, and always have been, made in Ecuador. So why are they called Panama hats if they really come from Ecuador? Good question. The way-too-short answer is that the hats were purchased in Panama and the buyers didn’t know where they were made. (Hey,...
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In the early 20th century, September 15th marked the day when people hung up their straw hats for the summer and switched to felt hats. Anyone who failed to do so by the appointed day risked having their hat snatched off their head and stomped on, impaled, or otherwise wrecked. That’s a tradition I’m...
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I’m going to take a moment to write a completely self-indulgent post that has nothing to do with Panama hats. It will, ultimately, relate back to my dad, though, so bear with me. In my free time, I do medieval reenactment. This perfectly suits my completely nerdy temperament, allowing me to make things and...
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Prehistoric figurines such as the famous Venus of Willendorf (shown at left) sometimes have distinct patterns sculpted on their heads. While traditional analysis has always postulated that these represent hairstyles, within the past decade thinking has shifted, and now archeologists contend that these designs instead are meant to represent woven hats. All of these...
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The following piece was written by author and world-traveler Roff Smith. You might remember Roff’s recent adventures with curious cheetah cubs. In the continuing quest to discover just how a hat from Ecuador came to be called a “Panama hat,” Roff has turned up a clue that hints the misnomer appeared much earlier than...
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You’ve probably heard the old saying that the three most important factors in retail success are location, location, and location. Now imagine your location is Ecuador in the mid-1800’s. You have straw hats you want to sell. It doesn’t take long to notice that Ecuador is not a very busy corner. Not much walk-by...
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