Most
people assume that the Panama hat comes from Panama. Why? Is it because of the
name? Well, at first I also
assume it originated in Panama, but it turned out wrong because the
origins of the Panama hat actually lie in Ecuador, where the Incas first made
straw hats from palm leaves, making improvements on the design of the hats worn
by the Conquistadors.
A
Panama hat is a type of flat, wide-brimmed straw hat manufactured from the
fronds of Carludovia palmata, the Panama or toquilla palm. The hat came to be known as a toca, a word
derived from the Spanish word for hat, and the palm came to be known as a
toquilla palm. In some parts of Latin America, the Panama hat is still better
known as a sombrero de paja toquilla, “a hat made from toquilla straw,” or
simply as a paja toquilla.
Why
is it called a panama hat?
Its
original name is "Toquilla Straw Hat", named after the palm tree
straws they are made from. The Panama hat actually takes its name from the Isthmus
of Panama, the trading crossroads of the 18th and 19th centuries for all South
American exports. It has been misleadingly known as "Panama hat" because
at the beginning of the last century when the workers involved in the
construction of the Panama Canal used the hats as protection against the
burning sun. During the construction of the Panama canal, enterprising hat sellers started
to make the paja toquilla available to workers. It quickly became a popular
part of the working uniform. Workers
referred to the hat as a “Panama hat,” because it was far less of a mouthful
than the Spanish name.
Become
popular outside Latin America
The
hat reached its popularity during the 18th and 19th century.The Panama hat has been a favorite of many
famous people through history including Napoleon, Ernest Hemingway, Winston
Churchill, Nikita Khrushchev, Harry Truman, Paul Newman and Alberto Santos
Dumont.
In
Paris, the Panama hat was featured at the World Fair of 1856. French and Italian designers popularized the
Panama hat with its World Fair debut. The Borsalino and Italian designs got
their start during this time. The Panama hat is known as the prince of hats. Stetson
and Borsalino carried on the fashion trends that started in Europe in the
latter part of the 19th century. The Panama’s light weight and breathability
made it an ultra popular summer hat.
The biggest global boost to the hats came in 1906, when President Theodore
Roosevelt was photographed wearing a Panama hat when he was visiting the canal
under construction. Just before President Theodore Roosevelt came to Panama to
inspect the digging of the Panama Canal, Felix Maduro, a Panamanian department
store owner went to Ecuador and bought a bunch of the soft white hats the
Indians made. He brought them back to Panama and presented one to President
Roosevelt. The president was delighted with the hat and wore it all the time he
was there. All the pictures of him while he was there show him wearing the Panama
hat.
In
the 1920s, gangsters adopted the wide brim models still known as the "Al
Capone style", while women preferred the smaller-brim models in a variety
of colors to match their dresses. In England, royal patronage has helped to
make the Panama hat the most fashionable summer hat. In 1985 Panama hat was
declared to belong to the '100 best designs ever'.
The
Panama hat is catalogued as one of the world's three finest hats. A Panama hat
of truly fine quality a "superfino" which can hold water, and when
folded for storage, it can pass through a wedding ring. Nowadays the hat is
still used by Hollywood starts as well as by some members of the royalty.
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