Not a ‘hat person’? Don’t worry, the panama hat is probably one of the best places to start if you are new to hat wearing. It is a sophisticated, well-established hat that is perfect for when the temperature starts to rise or just to hide a bad hair day!

Panama hats are traditionally white in colour with a black band but can come in a wide range of different styles, shapes and sizes. The Panama hat is smart, classic and understated. It is the perfect summer hat due to its lightweight, breathable design.

History of the Panama Hat

The Panama Hat has roots that date back to 17th century Ecuador. Although, it did not acquire its modern name until the 19th century. During this period the hats were brought to Panama by Ecuadorian merchants before being shipped around the world. The name ‘Panama’ became firmly attached to the hat during the construction of the Panama Canal, when they became a  firm favourite of the construction workers labouring in the hot humid conditions.

Our Panama hats are supplied by the Bristol based company Borges & Scott. Borges & Scott is proud to still make all of their hats individually by hand in Ecuador. Each hat is skilfully hand woven from the narrow fibres of ‘toquilla’ straw and then carefully steamed and moulded to shape.

The key to styling the Panama hat is to keep the outfit simple.  Pair it with a smart summer weight linen suit or a cotton shirt and a pair of loafers for a relaxed, well turned out look.

General Care:

We want you to enjoy your hat for years to come. To ensure this, please follow these care instructions.

• Do not pinch the front of the crown tightly when taking it off or putting it on.
• Your hat may be easily cleaned with a damp cloth.
• If you want or need to reshape the hat, you can (carefully) use steam (perhaps from a boiling kettle) to soften the fibres before  gently shaping it. Please don’t burn yourself! An alternative is to lightly dampen the area you want to shape and then heat it with a hairdryer – the principle is the same – it needs a hot and moist environment to soften the fibres.
• To flatten the rim you can press it with a warm iron (placing a tea towel between the iron and the hat).
• Do not store your hat rolled. Ideally it should be kept rolled for a maximum of 48-72 hours at a time. To keep your hat looking as good as possible, roll it as little and as loosely as you can. Try to unroll your hat as soon as you can. The straw can be likened to linen – the hat may pick up some creases from being rolled, but most of these will drop out once it is back in use.
• Panama hats don’t like to get wet. If yours does get wet, please leave it on a flat surface and let it dry naturally. When totally dry, you can shape it into it’s original form.
• When resting your hat on a table, rest it on its crown (upside down), rather than its brim. As well, when hanging it up, make sure the peg rests on the sweatband, not the straw.

How to find the right size Panama hat.

If you are not sure what your hat size is, please follow these simple instructions to find your size.

Measure your head at the level you would want the hat to sit when you are wearing it.  This can vary a little according to your personal preference, but normally it would be across the middle of the forehead, pass a thumb’s width above your ears and around the widest part of the back of your head.  Use a tape measure or a piece of string to find your size in centimetres.

Once you have the measurement in centimetres, this should be the hat size for you.  You may wish to move up or down one size if you like a particularly loose or tight fit.

The post New This Season: The Panama Hat appeared first on Joseph Turner News.