Panama Hats

Originally and still made in ECUADOR

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Panama hat is actually from Ecuador. Straw hats woven along the Ecuadorian coast were taken to Panama initially to be sold to canal workers and, after the canal opened, to affluent westerners passing through the Panama Canal. Authentic Panama hats have a rich and fascinating history. As unique as the artisans who create these hand-woven, stylish hats, each Panama hat combines natural resources of Ecuador with a long tradition of South American culture. Most people don’t know that the Panama hat actually originated in Ecuador, not Panama, as the name suggests. In the 16th century when Spaniards first arrived in South America, they found native people wearing head coverings made of straw from the palmata plant. Spaniards encouraged locals to produce Spanish-influenced hats and, over time, these handmade straw toquilla hats evolved into the brimmed straw hats known today as Panama hats.