Montecristi Off Road Wider Brim
New band look
Roff Smith sitting on his ass in South Australia
Antigua, Guatemala
Dr. Tomate Tea (says he)
Placentia Village, Belize
OLD!
I know, I’m supposed to shout NEW! because shoppers respond well to that word. And I’ve never sold this style on the web site before, so that would make it new.
But to me it’s an old friend, not a new style. The rolled hat in the photo, top left, is the hat that shaded and sheltered me through Belize and Guatemala many years ago.
I loved having it with me. It was one of the only times in my life that I absolutely did not take care of something. I wore it in the rain, in the sun, at the beach, in the jungle, atop Maya temples, beside hotel swimming pools. I slept in it more than once. I rolled it, stuffed it, sat on it, lost it, found it. I practically worshipped it. The more weathered and rumpled and quirky it became, the more I loved it.
My old hat didn’t have an inside band. I just sweated straight into the straw. The new and improved version has an inside sweat band of Cotton Twill. The band feels soft and nice against the forehead, even when wet with sweat. Exceptional travel/beach/hiking/golf hat. I have also made the outside band less wide so it doesn’t cover up as much of the hat. See the photo of Roff for the new band look (above left).
HAT—The hat itself is a “lower” grade Montecristi. The same hats I use for the Montecristi Roll-Up Optimos.
STYLE/SHAPE—I give these a quick blocking in a more or less generic hat shape. I have to put them on blocks in order to persuade them to be the size you want. You’ll shape it to your own personality as you wear it. Roff has rolled his hat a few times and encouraged it to take on an Optimo look.
OUTSIDE BAND—From Guatemala. They were intended to be belts. I like them better as hat bands. Colorful cotton, hand-woven on back strap looms by Maya women from Guatemala’s Western Highlands.
Someday, maybe I’ll tell you the tale of Dr. Tomate Tea.
PRICES Why One Panama Hat Costs More than Another
Standard Brim
With brim 3 inches or less
$300
Wider Brim
With brim 3 to 3 1⁄2 inches
$325
BRIM
2 1⁄2 to 3 1⁄2 inches
Wider or shorter by request
CROWN
3 3⁄4 to 4 inches
SIZES
21 1⁄2 to 23 1⁄2 inches
55 to 60 cm
SWEATBAND see choices
Cotton Twill is the standard sweatband.
RIBBON
These are hand-woven cotton bands. Please specify your choice, or you can choose one of the ribbon choices offered for the other styles.
Montecristi Off Road Order Now
Montecristi Off Road Wider Brim Order Now
Web work by
Pipsqueak Productions, LLC
Text and photos © 1988-2010, B. Brent Black. All rights reserved.
