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Panama Hat made for Harry Truman

Panama hats sold on a street market in Ecuador

A Panama hat or just Panama is a traditional brimmed hat that is made from the plaited leaves of the panama-hat palm (Carludovica palmata). Despite the name, genuine Panama hats are made in Ecuador, not Panama. The origin of the name is uncertain. According to legend, the hat became associated with Panama during the construction of the Panama Canal in the early twentieth century. However, the Oxford English Dictionary cites a use of the term as early as 1834.^[1] When Teddy Roosevelt visited the Canal, he wore such a hat, which increased its popularity.

The Ecuadorian town of Cuenca is the main producer; however, the town of Montecristi has the reputation of producing the finest quality hats.

Glorified during the 19^th century, the panama has since been considered the prince of straw hats. Ecuadorian national hero and emblematic figure, Eloy Alfaro helped finance his liberal revolution of Ecuador through the export of panamas. The reputation of the hat was established by Napoleon III, Edward VII, and some other aficionados.

The Panama hat has borne several names. It was called jipijapa, from the name of a small town of the Manabí province which was supposed to be its traditional origin, or montecristi, a name it still goes by among the specialists of quality panamas. The jipijapa or montecristi has also been called toquilla, a name derived from the name of the hats that the Spaniards wore at the time of the conquest.

Quality is a heavily disputed subject when dealing with Panama hats. There are two main processes in their creation: weaving and blocking. The best way to gauge the quality of the weave is to count the number of weaves per square inch. Fewer than 300 would be considered low quality. The rarest and most expensive have 1600-2000 weaves per square inch, and it is not unheard of for these to sell for thousands. There are many levels of quality in between 300 and 1600. Even though the panama continues today to provide a livelihood for thousands of Ecuadorians, only a dozen weavers capable of making the finest straw hats in the world "montecristi superfinos" remain; the UK's Financial Times Magazine (Jan. 2007) recently reported that there may not be more than 15-20 years remaining for the industry in Ecuador, due to the competition of paper-based Chinese-made imitations.

17th century interpretation of saint James the Greater by the Peruvian school of Cuzco. The pilgrim hat has become a Panama hat.

• Article on Gentlemen's Hats incl the Panama

1. ^ OED, Third edition. Another reference appeared two years earlier in the short story, "The Pirate," published in the January 7, 1832, issue of The Philadelphia Album and Ladies' Literary Portfolio: "His dress consisted of short cotton drawers...and an enormously large Panama hat, made of a sort of cane, split small, and worn shovel fashion.

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