There are hats for a season, and then there is the panama. Light, breathable, effortlessly elegant, it passes through fashions with a constancy that commands respect. It still has to be chosen well: behind this single name lie very different weaves, shapes and characters.
An Ecuadorian hat with a misleading name
Contrary to what its name suggests, the genuine panama does not come from Panama but from Ecuador. There it is woven by hand from paja toquilla, a plant fibre harvested and prepared according to gestures handed down from generation to generation. The hat owes its name to the travellers who, passing through the Isthmus of Panama, discovered it there and brought it home. Ours carry on this Ecuadorian tradition.
The weave is the soul of a panama. The finer and more even it is, the suppler, lighter and more luminous the hat. Hold it up to a source of light: a fine weave lets through a delicate, even glow, with no marked irregularities.
The criteria that matter
- The fineness of the weave: it gives the hat its suppleness and lightness.
- The shape of the crown: the classic fedora with its marked centre dent, or rounder, more relaxed lines.
- The width of the brim: generous for shade, shorter for the city.
- The head size: a panama should stay in place without pressing, even in hot weather.
The fitting remains the final judge. A well-chosen panama goes on without forcing, rests on the upper forehead and leaves no mark after an hour’s wear. In the shop, do not hesitate to walk a few steps in it: it is in movement that a hat reveals whether it is made for you.
Then there is the question of style — and here no rule outweighs your own pleasure. A wide brim and a dark ribbon for long summer days, a short line and a tight weave for every day: the right panama is the one you will want to wear all the time. Our partner hatters will know how to guide you to it.
