Panama* Hats for Women / For Men

Tagua Beaded Panama* Hat -Tulipan

*This is a hat handwoven in Ecuador. We are telling the story below.
Artisanal Labor Time: 8 hours

$250.00
$150.00
*VAT and Import Taxes included
M
- Price is all inclusive! International shipping with DHL Express + Import duties and taxes.
- Delivery time: approx. 10 working days.
- Medium (M) is the average hat size for women.
- Large (L) is the average size for men.
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HANDMADE

MADE OF TOQUILLA STRAW

ETHICALLY MADE BY ECUADORIAN ARTISANS

MADE IN ECUADOR

Eco-friendly Accessories with Tradition

Panama* Hats: An Ecuadorian Treasure

*This is a hat handwoven in Ecuador.

The traditional weaving of the Ecuadorian Toquilla Straw Hat was inscribed in 2012 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The History of the Panama* Hat

An Ecuadorian Handwoven Hat (popularly known as Panama* Hat) is a high-quality accessory that meets strict standards of production and it is appreciated all over the world. Each Toquilla Hat is a unique masterpiece created by an Ecuadorian craftstman or craftswoman.

The traditional weaving of our Toquilla Palm Hats is truly ancient. As far back as 4,0000 BC, Pre-Inca ceramic figurines wearing curious elongated headwear have been found on a number of Ecuadorian archeological sites. In 1526, when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Ecuador, the natives of the coastal areas were observed to wear a brimless hat that resembled a “toque”( a type of hat with a narrow brim or no brim), which was woven from the fibers of a palm tree that the Spaniands came to call paja toquilla or "toquilla straw”.

At this point, hat weaving started to become as a village industry along the Ecuadorian coast as well as in small towns across the Andean mountain region.

The Toquilla Woven Hat production and wearing grew steadily in Ecuador through the 17th and 18th centuries.

Why are they known as Panama* Hats?

The increase in demand for fast fashion goods has led to a disconnection of many products and their true heritage craft and origin story. Sadly, this is the case of the Panama* Hat.

The naming of our beloved Toquilla Straw Hat as Panama* Hat started in the 19th century, when Ecuadorian business men exported them to Panama.  The hats were mostly sold to gold seekers traveling through Panama to California during the historical Californian Gold Rush. Travelers would tell people admiring their hats that they bought them in Panama. So, the hats quickly became known as "Panama Hats".

The name "Panama* Hat" was further reinforced by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt's trip to oversee the construction of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt posed for a series of photos wearing a Toquilla Sun Hat at the Panama Canal construction site in 1906, which further increased the hats' popularity.

At that point, the true Ecuadorian origin of this iconic accessory became widely unknown.

The World's Finest Toquilla Straw Hats

Even though Chinese companies have been producing "Panama* Hats" at a cheaper price, the quality of the product can't be compared with the Ecuadorian Paja Toquilla Hats.

The weaving techniques applied on each and every hat is a wealth of knowledge passed on from generation to generation mainly through observation from an early age.

Depending on the quality and finesse of the weaver and desired hat, it can take anywhere from one day to eight months to complete an Ecuadorian Toquilla Hat.

Our Ecuadorian Artisanal Weaving is an intagible treasure that deserves to be recognized and respected because it is so unique, skilled and it is also an important part of our wonderful Ecuadorian identity.

Ecuador´s cultural treasure

Toquilla Straw Hat Weaving:
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

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