History of the Panama Hat — Brent Black Panama Hats The Panama Hat—Fashion Phenomenon The Fall from Fashion Favor Myths, Legends, and Lore of the Panama Hat 1. Why Is a Hat from Ecuador Called a “Panama” Hat? You’ve probably heard the old saying that the three most important factors in retail success are location, location, and location. Now imagine your location is Ecuador in the mid-1800’s. You have straw hats you want to sell. It doesn’t take long to notice that Ecuador is not a very busy corner. Not much walk-by traffic. Even today, Ecuador is not a major tourist or commercial destination. Nor does it have a lot of people passing through on their way to somewhere else. So you scratch your head and try to figure out how you’re going to find customers for your hats. You look at a map and notice that just a few hundred miles north, a relatively short boat trip away, is Panama. In the 1800’s Panama was part of what is now Colombia. Then, Colombia was called New Granada. Unlike Ecuador, Panama is a very busy corner, with lots of walk-by traffic.

Panama is the narrowest point of land separating the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans anywhere from the Arctic Circle to the southern tip of South America. Before air travel, anyone on the East Coast of Canada or the U.S. who wanted to go to the West Coast (or vice versa) had three choices: (1) travel overland, (2) take a ship around the tip of South America, (3) take a ship to Panama, cut across the isthmus, and get another ship on the other side. Option number three was the fastest, and probably the least hazardous, of the choices. So, clever businessperson that you are, you take your hats to Panama to sell them. People like your hats. There is a reasonable amount of traffic. Business is good. Then gold is discovered in California and the number of people passing through Panama explodes exponentially. You say the 1849 equivalent of “Woo-hoo!” Business is very good. Your strong, lightweight, attractive, straw hats are much in demand.

They are perfect for deflecting the tropical sun of Panama, just the thing for those long days many are about to spend outdoors in sunny California getting rich panning for gold, and they’re even nice to have on a summer day in Philadelphia or Boston. People on their way to the gold fields buy your hats. People returning home from the gold fields buy your hats. And when your customers arrive at their destinations, an oft-heard comment is “Nice hat. Where’d you get it?” The response is, of course, “Panama.” You neglected to put Made in Ecuador stickers inside all the hats, so the inevitable result is that the hats are called “Panama” hats. Great. Ecuador’s most famous export is called a “Panama” hat. People in Ecuador hate that. A second major contributor to the misnomer was the Panama Canal. Canal workers often wore the hats, which showed up pretty well in black-and-white news photos of the day. One photo, made on November 16, 1906, is often credited as the origin of both the name and the fashion.

The photograph showed President Theodore Roosevelt wearing a black-banded straw hat as he sat at the controls of a ninety-five-ton Bucyrus steam shovel during a three-day inspection tour of the Panama Canal excavation. The picture was widely published in the U.S., and around the world, prompting much comment on the President’s “Panama” hat. Other accounts give part of the credit to ship passengers going through the canal, a love affair, and a revolution. Which is the “true” explanation? They are all true. And no doubt each is at least partly why a hat from Ecuador is called a Panama hat. 2. Panama Hat Weaving in Ecuador—A Tale of Two Cities The Tomebamba River runs through the lovely colonial city of Cuenca. On most days local women do the family laundry along the river banks. © B. Brent Black Montecristi and Cuenca (kwayn-ka) are the two cities. They are the two primary centers of Panama hat production and export in Ecuador. Montecristi is on the coast. Cuenca is in the Andes Mountains. Better hats come from Montecristi. More hats come from Cuenca.

When Francisco Pizarro and his Spanish conquistadors arrived in what is now Ecuador in 1526, inhabitants of the coastal areas were already wearing a curious type of headwear made of woven straw. Indeed, ceramic figures dating back to 4000 B.C. appear to be wearing a similar style of headwear. The almost brimless hats worn by 16th century Ecuadorians resembled a Spanish hat style of the time called a toque. Consequently, the Spaniards in Ecuador began to refer to the straw from which the hats were woven as toquilla straw, or paja toquilla. As you might expect, Ecuadorians themselves do not call their hats Panama hats. In Ecuador, the hats are sombreros de paja toquilla, or “hats of toquilla straw.” Beginning in the early to mid-1600’s hat weaving evolved as a cottage industry all along the Ecuadorian coast. Hat weaving and wearing grew steadily in Ecuador through the 17th and 18th centuries. Even then, the best quality hats were being made in what is now the province of Manabí (mahn-ah-bee).

The Manabí towns of Montecristi and Jipijapa (hee-pee-ha-pa) gained pre-eminence as the leading centers of the emerging hat industry. Hats woven there gained a reputation for being better quality, finer, than hats woven elsewhere. “Montecristis” and “Jipijapas,” as the hats were sometimes called, were increasingly more sought after than hats with lesser provenance. PHOTO LEFT: The Catholic church in Montecristi is its most prominent landmark. The statue is of Eloy Alfaro, native son of Montecristi, first elected President of Ecuador, and a major player in establishing Montecristi as the place “Panama” hats come from. © B. Brent Black To this day, in Yucatan State of Mexico, which has developed its own thriving Panama hat industry, hats woven of toquilla straw are more often called “jipijapas” than Panamas. No one I spoke with knew that the name had originated from the small town in Manabí Province, Ecuador. To the south of Yucatan, in Belize, a young boy offered me some small baskets woven of a kind of straw that looked surprisingly familiar.

I asked what the baskets were made of. He answered “Cheepeechoppa.” No doubt this was a corruption of jipijapa. Jipijapa Town Hall in 1912 Two events occurred in the 1830’s that would change Ecuador’s hat industry forever. In 1835, Manuel Alfaro emigrated from Spain to Ecuador. He settled in Montecristi and launched himself in the hat business. He organized production better than anyone had previously by developing a large network of weavers and other artisans necessary to the making and finishing of the hats, and by creating a smooth-flowing production system. His goal—export. Soon, his hats were leaving the port cities of Guayaquil and Manta, bound for Panama. He established a company in Panama that traded in hats, cacao, and pearls. As noted in the previous section, he had chosen his location well and fortune favored him with the California gold rush, which dramatically increased traffic in Panama as well as demand for his hats. Alfaro sold his hats in Panama and exported them from Panama to other countries, especially the United States. By 1850, the U.S.

had developed quite an appetite for woven straw hats from Ecuador/Panama, buying two hundred twenty thousand of them per year. Alfaro’s son, Eloy, entered the family business and guided it to even greater heights. As noted in The Panama Hat Trail , by Tom Miller © National Geographic, Eloy Alfaro used proceeds from hat sales to help finance the Great Liberal Revolution in Ecuador. The revolution was a success and Eloy Alfaro was twice appointed President of Ecuador. Naturally, others besides Alfaro helped to expand hat production in Manabí and elsewhere along the coast to meet the ever-growing demand. A family of weavers in Montecristi, 1912 In 1836, Cuenca declared itself in the hat business. Officials there decided to open a hat factory in order to boost the local economy by capturing a share of the rapidly increasing export market. Within a few years, their workshop was making hats and training anyone who was willing to learn. In 1845, Don Bartolome Serrano dramatically speeded up the development of the Cuenca hat industry by taking a more comprehensive approach to the task at hand.

He went to the coast and set up straw supply lines from the largest toquilla-growing areas. He bought thousands of wooden hat forms, all the tools of the trade, bleaching powder, even weavers. He hired master weavers from Manabí and brought them to Cuenca. Serrano and others in the Cuenca hat industry exercised their considerable political influence, and soon apprenticeship in hat making was compulsory throughout Azuay Province. Adults as well as children were required to learn the trade. Failure to do so could result in prison time. With this kind of “incentive,” the hat industry grew by leaps and bounds, by brims and crowns. Soon, hat making was one of the most profitable and powerful economic activities in the region. Some reports claim that there was no law that sent people to prison if they did not weave. They maintain that weavers were recruited from prisons and that was how the rumor started. Sorting hats at the old Ortega factory in Cuenca One of the largest exporters in Cuenca today is Serrano Hat. They say they are the same company that was started by Don Bartolome Serrano and are, therefore, the oldest hat company in Ecuador.

Their competitors say they are not the same company, not the same Serranos, and not the oldest. As noted in the section Grades of Quality of Panama Hats the exporters in Cuenca do not agree on how to grade a Panama hat either. Nor will they work together for their mutual benefit, to protect and expand the Panama hat market overall. I have tried on several occasions to persuade the three largest exporters to unite around a common goal. No luck at all. Interestingly, each company claims to fully support the goal while assuring me that the other two will not support it. So, if they all support the goal, why will no one work to achieve it? My biggest problem with the Cuenca dealers is that they routinely sell Cuenca hats as “Montecristi” hats. The largest, K. Dorfzaun, agrees that the practice is wrong. But they all have to yield to European and US customer demands that they label the hats as “Montecristi” hats. If they do not do as asked, they will lose the order to a neighboring competitor who will. Even an exporter who wants to end the practice cannot. All of them are struggling to stay profitable. No one can risk losing business.

I have been working to take the decision out of their hands. The Montecristi Foundation filed a formal legal action in Ecuador applying for Denomination of Origin status for “Montecristi” hats. I want “Montecristi” protected for hats as Bordeaux is protected for wines. The foundation filed the action on behalf of The Artisans Association of Montecristi . Our case has attracted the attention of the World Intellectual Property Organization , part of the UN, and the most important international group for these things. They sent an inspector to Montecristi to see how the hats are made and if they qualify for such protection. The inspector issued a favorable report supporting our application. The governmental agency in Ecuador that will make the decision is the IEPI. They also sent an inspector. A favorable ruling would mean that the Cuenca exporters can no longer sell Cuenca hats as Montecristi hats. If they want to sell Montecristi hats, they have to sell real Montecristi hats. That means they have to buy real Montecristi hats. All over Ecuador, street vendors and stores sell Cuenca hats with balsa boxes declaring the hat to be a Montecristi hat.

There are more Cuenca hats sold every year that are falsely called Montecristi hats than there are real Montecristi hats sold. This is a primary reason why hat weaving is dying in Montecristi. I believe that if I can effectively end large scale misrepresentation of non-Montecristi hats as Montecristi hats, then the art can be saved. As long as the global market demand for Montecristi hats can be openly satisfied with cheaper counterfeits then the real art of Montecristi will continue to decline. If that market demand can be met only with real Montecristi hats, then demand for true Montecristi hats will increase dramatically. That’s the plan. We’ll see. Cesar Vicuña and wife Okay, back to the history. Weavers in the town of Biblián, near Cuenca, developed their art to a higher degree than the other weavers of the region. Hats from Biblián actually began to rival those from Montecristi and Jipijapa for quality and fineness.

In 1988, I went to Biblián to find Cesar Vicuña, a weaver mentioned in Tom Miller’s book, The Panama Hat Trail. I found Sr. Vicuña, Master Weaver of Biblián, beneath a tree sleeping off the joys of a substantial quantity of caña, a very raw local cane liquor. He seemed not to mind having his nap disturbed and guided me back to his house where I examined and purchased several of his hats. They were, indeed, as finely woven as any I had seen in Montecristi. The straw, however, had not been as well cared for and bleached. The hats were darker and less uniform in color than those from Montecristi. In comparison, they looked almost “dirty.” I took the hats back to Cuenca, hoping to find someone to finish them for me. They still had six-inch-long straw hanging from the unfinished brim edges. My two hats from Sr. Vicuña caused quite a stir in Cuenca. Their fineness of weave attracted a great deal of attention everywhere I showed them. TO BE CONTINUED…Sorry, the rest isn’t finished yet.

I thought it would be better to let you read what is finished, rather than hold everything until I have time to do it all. BBB Coming soon (I hope) ::: Panama Hat ::: The panama hats as called nowadays are made out of palm straws (paja toquilla). The name of Panama hat does not come from the place of origin of these hats, which are Ecuador Manabi and Montecristi. There is no way to tell how many products such as the Panama-hat are out there? The controversy of this particular product roots out from its name. In order to present a brief background on this particular, artisan and cultural products it is necessary to explore some of the stories that date approximately 300 years. During the 1700s the main ports of trade for the products (Panama Hats) coming from South America were the ports located in the Isthmus of Panama. Still prior to the construction of the canal, it was a strategic point because of the connection it offers between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific and as well to be located in the nexus between South America and the North.

In the 1800s, gold seekers from the East picked up some hats on their way to the West, and picked up some of them on their way back to the East Coast. The same thing happened during the construction of the Panama Canal. These hats are fresh and allow air to come in, because they are woven hats, and also do a really good job blocking the sun, which is ideal for workers in Central America where they get plenty of heat and sunshine. The name stuck since than. Later on, this type of hats became well know when heads of states and Hollywood celebrities started to wear them. The Ecuadorian Panama Hats are still hand made by indigenous people in the location of Montecristi in the province of Manabi. The production of these hats has developed and has extended to the city of Cuenca that is a trade center greater than Montecristi. The Ecuadorian Government especially Corporación de Promoción de Exportaciones e Inversiones (CORPEI) is trying to promote these types of artisan work and especially the Panama Hat due to that the hats are hard to imitate in terms of production and it also represents a strong cultural value of the Ecuador.

The Embassy of Ecuador has some hats that are in exhibition in the main hall of the Embassy. And there are several articles published very recently about the topic. One of the key issue is to consider the same name of the hat and find out what ahs been done to correct this mistake made for over more than 200 years now and what are the possibilities of changes being made. The trade aspect of this product shows that the products from Ecuador entering US post have been increasing considerably. Related Cases: Some of the related cases that were found are the case by Christina Kibler on Fair-trade The topic is not directly related to the issue of panama hats and the trade of the same, but talks about the fair the changing market system caused by the e-commerce and the protection and adjustment that emerging markets as Ecuador should implement. The panama hats are no exceptions to this phenomenon. The production of the hats is somehow protected due to the particular and unique process, but once the product is finished the commercialization of the product should adequate to the changing system. Other related cases that could be considered as related to the Panama Hats is the case of the cashmere by Theresa Purcell (May 1996).

She comments on the quality of the British cashmere and how due to the shortage of cashmere produced by Britain the market is being overtaken by different producers of similar products. The Panama Hats is a product that runs the same risk. The quality of the hat and the production process is hard to imitate, but if the demand for such hat increases and the Ecuadorian producers are not able to meet the demand for these hats the market and the source of supply for these hats will also shift to a different place. The protection of the product, not by tariffs or quotas, but through adjusting the commercialization of the same to the changing global system is an important step that the private sector as well as the government should consider. The History of the Panama Hat The History of the Panama Hat by Kate Walker + Did you know that the Panama Hat originated in Ecuador? Or that its roots have been traced back to as early as the 1800s? Long before this stylish summer staple was gracing the heads of celebrities and prominent public features, it was aiding American troops, helping with the construction of the Panama Canal, and helping boost the Ecuadorian economy. Want to know more? Read on for a brief history of the often imitated, never replicated Panama Hat.

Early Days Despite their name, Panama hats trace their origins back to Ecuador and the genuine ones continue to be made there to this day. Back in the 1800s, prospectors would scoop up these hats in Panama en route to California for the gold rush but it wasn’t until the Spanish American War that the hats reached peak popularity when the U.S. government purchased 50,000 of them for their troops. Can you imagine how stylish they must have looked? So if they originated and are made in Ecuador, why are they called Panama hats? Thanks to their popularity in Panama, people began associating the hat with the country and the rest is, as they say, history. Construction Despite their simple design, there’s a lot of work that goes into the manufacturing of a Panama hat. In order to make the real deal, you need toquilla, a tall, palm-type plant that produces straw that’s conducive to weaving. Once the toquilla has been harvested (preferably at the point in the lunar cycle when it is drier, thus allowing it to be easily manipulated), craftsmen weave the straw into the lightweight toppers that we know and love.

The art of weaving Panama hats is so respected that in 2012, it was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Typically, the higher quality Panama hats boast the most weave per square inch. A grading system exists by which to judge the quality of the hat’s weave with only the rare few able to attain the covetable title of Montecristis. These days, there remain only a handful of weavers able to create Montecristis hats. As a result, the wares produced by these artists are a very hot commodity. Popularity and Recognition In 1906, mainstream America caught on to the Panama trend after a photograph of President Roosevelt was published, depicting him surveying the construction of the Panama Canal wearing one of the eponymous chapeaus. Since then, scores of high-profile celebrities and public figure have donned the hat, making its presence constant throughout the decades. In 1985, the Conrad Foundation chose the Panama to be part of the “100 best designs ever” collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Their fascinating history and exquisite craftsmanship make Panama Hats a must have for every summer wardrobe.

Pick one up and not only will you look amazing, you’ll be wearing a piece that bears important historical and cultural significance. How many hats can offer you that? Panama Hat Shop | Panama Straw Hats | Genuine Authentic Panama Hats - PANAMA HAT SHOP Contact Us The Panama Hat It has been argued that Panama Hats are the best hats ever made. The incomparable material they are crafted from, toquilla straw, makes them light as a feather, fresh for a warm sunny day, and stylish with any attire. Worn by world leaders, Hollywood stars, singers and celebrities, Panama hats have become a symbol of elegance, luxury and sophistication. Genuine Panama Hats are manufactured exclusively in Ecuador. They acquired their name after being commercialized in Panama during the construction of the canal in the early 1900's. The Panama Hat originates from the toquilla palm leaf that grows in the warm coastal lowlands of Ecuador. The palms are shredded into fiber straws, sun dried, woven by hand, trimmed and shaped into what are perhaps the finest hat made in the world! Quick, Where Do They Make Panama Hats?

- Bloomberg Bloomberg the Company & Its Products Bloomberg Anywhere Remote LoginBloomberg Anywhere Login Bloomberg Terminal Demo Request Bloomberg Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world. Customer Support Advertising Bloomberg Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world. Customer Support Quick, Where Do They Make Panama Hats? Susan Jackson Alicia Ortega has a problem. A client just sent her a couple of pages from a British fashion magazine with pictures of the Royal Family wearing hats. The client wants a hat just like Princess Diana's, a small-brimmed number with a little point on the top. "That hat is made of plastic," says Alicia. "How are we going to do that in straw?" The question is clearly rhetorical. Alicia Ortega, sales manager and one of five heirs of Homero Ortega y Hijos Ltd., probably the largest Panama-hat dynasty in the world, doesn't let problems go unresolved. Except one, that is--the name of the product. Panama hats don't come from Panama, you see. They're made here in Ecuador.

"You [journalists] have to tell people," grumbles 79-year-old Homero Ortega, Alicia's father, who still dons a lab coat each day to oversee operations. Those creamy white Panama hats, woven of superfine straw, made famous by Theodore Roosevelt, infamous by Al Capone, and revived by modish urbanites such as writer Tom Wolfe--"They're made here. They always have been," says Homero, proudly. The only authentic Panama hats in Panama, in fact, are imported from Ecuador. Homero obliges visitors with hat history as he shows off his airy factory in the colonial city of Cuenca, located in the foothills of Ecuador's Andes. "When Seor Roosevelt came to Panama to build the canal," he and his men liked the finely woven straw hats they saw. Assuming they were made locally, Roosevelt and company called them Panamas. Another version has it that the hats were first spied by the '49ers as they crossed the Isthmus of Panama en route to California to search for gold. USER-FRIENDLY. Whatever the origin of the name, the hats became very popular in the early part of the century, not only in the U.S.

but in Britain, where no self-respecting gentleman would be seen in summer without a Panama. Here in Ecuador, however, most self-respecting upper-class Ecuadoreans wouldn't be caught dead in the Panamas that are once again in fashion and fetch $70 at Bloomingdale's. That's because such headwear is ubiquitous among members of Ecuador's lower classes. Even in rural Ecuador, a good straw hat costs up to $40, about a month's salary for many workers. Worn night and day, hats are regularly coated with shellac and can last for as long as a dozen years, the proprietor of a bustling hat-repair business near Cuenca tells me. It's hard to make a living from customers who shop once every 12 years, though. That's why hatmakers have always relied on exports. These days, exports are a cause of concern. In 1980, Ortega shipped some 600,000 hats out of the country. Now, exports are off by 30%, to about 425,000. The Ortegas blame economic problems that hit hat-buying countries such as Brazil.

Fifteen years ago, Brazil was the Ortegas' biggest customer. Now, it's No.2, behind the U.S. "If a country is in bad shape, no one worries about fashion," says Alicia, with a sigh. Exports to Japan have been off, too, and in Mexico, Panama hats compete with cheap plastic knockoffs from Asia. "Those acrylic hats are very hot and not very healthy to wear," contends Galo Cedillo, Under Secretary of Industry for Cuenca and the surrounding region. Straw breathes, he explains. Local sales aren't great either. In Ecuador, recession has dragged on for six years. A flood devastated Cuenca two years ago, and this summer a drought played havoc with hydroelectric plants, causing energy rationing. And to cap it all off, Ecuador has to pay the costs of last February's war with Peru. The war lasted less than a month, but "it hit us very hard," says Cedillo. He explains the war was the latest chapter in a 170-year-old border dispute between the two countries. The fighting frightened away the tourists, who buy Panamas as souvenirs.

Ecuador's economic woes are causing another problem for hat companies: Weavers, who earn an average of 50 cents per hat, are fleeing. Even in Ecuador, where wages are low, hatmaking isn't the most lucrative of careers. "People are looking for a better life," says Alicia. About 10% of the Cuenca area's 500,000 residents have emigrated since 1990. Despite all this, the Ortegas have reason to be optimistic. Tourists are beginning to return, and at least one travel agency offers a special Panama-hat tour. And there are still enough hatmakers to supply the Ortega factory. Besides, Alicia thinks she can duplicate that point on Princess Diana's hat and maybe start a trend. So the attitude is decidedly upbeat around the factory. The company was founded by Homero's grandparents, entrepreneurs who turned a centuries-old craft of weaving hats, baskets, and even boats from toquilla palm into a thriving business. Homero expects to turn the company over to his five children. "We were born in straw," jokes Alicia, whose chemist husband creates new colors and chemical solutions for treating the hats.

Their 22-year-old daughter is studying fashion design in expectation of joining the business. On Thursday mornings before dawn, the hatmakers come into Cuenca with the week's production. They take their earnings to the banks of the Tomebamba River, which runs through Cuenca, where they buy bleached toquilla fronds that have been laid out in the sun. Then, the weavers go home and start the process again. Some 180,000 local residents, many of them farm wives, weave hats. The most important business stories of the day. Get Bloomberg's daily newsletter. Hat History Hat History A Brief History of Hats ~ 3200 BC - One of the first pictorial depictions of a hat appears in a Thebes tomb. A painting on the wall shows a man wearing a coolie straw hat. 70 BC - A young Danish chieftain falls into a bog to be in near perfect condition along with his pieced leather and fur cap. This is one of the earliest physical representations of hats that has been found. 50-818 AD - According to legend, St.

Clement discovered felt when, as a wondering monk, he filled his sandals with carded wool to protect his feet. The moisture and pressure from walking compressed the fibers into a crude yet comfortable felt. Hatters in Ireland as well as a few other countries have celebrated him as the Patron Saint of Felt Hat Makers. 1529 AD - The word milliner, meaning a maker of hats, was first recorded in reference to the products for which Milan and the Northern Italian regions were well known (i.e. ribbons, gloves and straws). The haberdashers who imported these highly popular straws were called 'Millaners'. 1797 AD - John Hetherington stirs a riot in the streets and earns himself a £500 fine. What did he do, you ask? He wore a top hat! It's great height and shiny silk luster incited terror and panic. 1865 AD - John B. Stetson begins selling his "Boss of the Plains" hat, the same style he originally fashioned around a campfire while on a trip out West. 1875 AD - The first annual Kentucky Derby marks the largest hat fashion event in America.

January 15, 19?? - While the exact year is unknown, January 15 marks the unofficial National Hat Day. Rumor states that this "holiday" was merely started by hat enthusiasts for no other reason then to celebrate their favorite hats! April 30, 2011 - The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton marks a new era of women's hats by bringing them back into the spotlight. _____________________________________________________________________________ While we don't know exactly when the first hat was created, it is likely it originated alongside other basic forms of clothing. Mankind sought protection from the elements and hats had practical implications, however they were also used purely for adornment; much like today. Hats have a long history as markers of status, occupation, and even political affiliation. Given the significance bestowed upon hats in eras past, it seems all the more remarkable that for the first time since the Roman Empire we find ourselves in a period where it is normal to see men and women not wearing hats. However, each hat has it's own unique history and individual significance in past and present societies.

Hats have continued to thrive through the ages with their most prevalent time being between the 18th and early half of the 20th centuries. Up until the end of the 1700's, giant plumed hats like the tricorne and bicorne ruled the day. These ostentatious headpieces could be perched safely upon powdered wigs and were favored by King Louis XIV and Napoleon. During the Revolution, as "class" definition was fought against, the top hat became a symbol of change. It was worn by men in every social category signaling the transition from the flamboyant aristocracy to the urbane sophistication of modernity. Throughout the 1900's hats continued to dominate as a "modern" fashion choice with one of the most famous styles; the Fedora. It is an "every man's" hat - a true icon - which, prevailing in popularity for almost a century, shows no signs of going out of style. _______________________________________________________________________________ THE TOP HAT Peak Popularity: Late 1700's-1920's A Top Hat has a tall, flat crown with a broad brim which is usually curled on the sides.

First created by George Dunnage, a hatter from Middlesex, England, in 1793. Made infamous by John Hetherington in 1797, the first time he wore one in London, its great height and shiny silk luster incited terror and panic in the streets and earned him a £500 fine. The original top hat was made from lush beaver fur but over time transitioned to being made from silk plush. Today you can find them in a variety of materials including wool, silk and even leather. The top hat has since evolved into different styles that included the compact Coachman top hat, the tall and straight Stovepipe hat, the spring-loaded, collapsible opera hat and the Mad Hatter. THE BOWLER Peak Popularity: Mid 1800's-1930's A Bowler is traditionally a hard felt hat with a rounded crown and a curled brim. Created in 1849 by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler. The recipient of the hat varies depending on who you talk to - some say it was for William Coke, the 1st Earl of Leicester, and others say it was made for his nephew Edward Coke.

The Bowler has many names: First it was dubbed a "Coke" (pronounced "cook") or "BillyCock" after its owner. Then as a "Bowler" after its creators. In America, the hat is commonly referred to as the “Derby” after the Earl of Derby wore one on a visit to this side of the pond. In Italy the hat was known as a Bombetta, or "little bomb". In Peru it is known widely as the “Bombin”. It was popularized in modern society bu Charlie Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy. Having evolved from a working hat, the bowler came into popularity as an alternative for the elaborately tall and cumbersome top hat. While still representing respectability and properness, the bowler was a more modest hat than the top hat, and was worn by all classes of men. Prior to the invention of the fur felt western style hat, bowlers were worn by railroad workers in the American west who brought the hats with them from the East coast.

THE KENTUCKY DERBY EVENT HAT Peak Popularity: late 1800s-present day Since its inception in 1875, the Kentucky Derby has been one of the main hat fashion events in the United States. The over-the-top sunhats that are designed to attract attention. Most are adorned with flamboyant embellishments including ribbons, flowers and feathers. It has been said that to find a lady without a hat on during the Kentucky Derby is almost considered a scandal, not just a mere fashion faux pas. THE FASCINATOR Peak Popularity: mid 1500’s-present day A Fascinator is a headpiece purely used for decoration and tends to sit forward on the head; not covering the crown. The first fascinators can be traced back to European royalty with the first styles appearing in the Tudor era in England in the court of King Henry VIII in the middle of the 16th century and then resurfacing in 17th Century France, during the reign of Marie Antoinette. The Queen was known for wearing wigs that could be up to 2 feet high and would be adorned with feathers, flags, butterflies and even stuffed animals and miniature ships!

During the reign of King George III in the late 1700s, the Duchess Georgiana Spencer of Devonshire, renowned for setting fashion trends, wore enormous Ostrich plumes in her hair and society women followed suit. Today, Fascinators are widely associated with Kate Middleton, or should we say Her Royal Highness Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. She is rarely seen without a fantastic and unique Fascinator. THE CLOCHE Peak Popularity: 1920s-early 1930s The Cloche was first invented by Caroline Reboux, a well known Parisian milliner, in 1908. Cloche, French for “bell”, and can simply be described as a fitted hat that covers a ladies head from just above the eyebrows to the back of the neck. Originally blocked on an actual bell, the hat was very popular in the 1920s and is often associated with Flapper girls. It has been said that women would relay messages to onlookers by adorning their Cloche with ribbons.

For example, a firm knot signified that a woman was married, a loose, delicate bow signified a woman was in a relationship and unavailable, and a large, flamboyant bow signified a woman was single and ready to mingle. THE BOATER Peak Popularity: Late 1800's-1930's The Boater has a perfectly flat top and brim, and straight sides to the crown with no taper. It is traditionally made with several layers of stiffly woven sennit straw which give the boater a thick but relatively lightweight wafer-like body. It may also be referred to as a Skimmer, a Katie, a Cady, a Basher, a Sommer, a Sennit Hat and a Can-Can Hat to name a few. While many have cited the creation of this hat to have been in the 1880s, there have been accounts of the first Boater originating in 1822 in the English town of Luton in Bedfordshire. As the name suggests, the Boater was commonly worn by the gondoliers in the waterways of Venice.

It has been said that in the pre-World War I years, the Boater was part of the unofficial uniform of FBI agents. It also became synonymous with politicking and became the official hat of the Democratic Party The Boater also was established as one of the most potent status symbols of many private and Ivy League colleges. Students and alumni often embellished their hats with school colored ribbon bands. The boater was a favorite accessory amongst Vaudeville entertainers in from the 1880s to the 1930s as well as many Barbershop Quartets in the 1940s to present day. THE PORK PIE Peak Popularity: Mid 1800's-1940's A Pork Pie is a short crowned, brimmed hat with a flat top in either a round or diamond crown shape. The hat is primarily recognized as the hat of many Jazz and Blues musicians in New Orleans. Its name has a very literal meaning: the Jazz musicians commonly worked as food sellers during the day, which gave them easy access to pie trays. They would take battered old dress hats, trim off the damaged outer brim and reblock the hats over pie tins.

Nowadays various versions of the porkpie are available, with very flat crowns, rounded telescope shaped crowns, diamond crowns, and brims ranging from very stingy to more formal widths. THE OPEN CROWN (SOFT FELT) Peak Popularity: 1800s-early 1900s An Open Crown is a felt hat that hat not been blocked. It is traditionally soft with a smooth dome for a crown, designed to be shaped by the wearer into various styles. There are endless possibilities as to how this hat can be worn. The open crown is also easily rolled up which makes it essential for travel. THE HOMBURG Peak Popularity: 1900-1950's The Homburg has a deep crown with a bold center dent and an upturned brim. It was created August 29, 1882 for King Edward III. The hat was popularized by royalty and world leaders and was a favorite of Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, and King Edward VII. The Homburg was later made famous by the film The Godfather and is so recognizable from the movie, that it is often still referred to as the “Godfather”.

THE FEDORA Peak Popularity: 1920-1960's The Fedora is creased down the center of the crown with bashes at the front and traditionally has a broad brim. The style actually originated as a woman's hat, with the name Fedora coming from the title character of Victorien Sardou's 1882 play, Fédora, played by Sarah Bernhardt in a fedora on stage. By the 1920's it had been adopted as a men's hat, and now is often associated with the prohibition gangster culture of the 20's and film noir of the 40's. The fedora is prevalent in modern pop culture and can be seen in numerous films and television shows (i.e. Indiana Jones, Mad Men, etc.) Michael Jackson used a black fedora as a signature accessory in the 1990's as well. A "trilby" is an updated version of a fedora. While it is nearly identical to a traditional fedora, a trillby has a shorter, “stingy” brim that is sharply rolled in the back.

THE FLAT CAP Peak Popularity: 1400s-present in Europe; 1800's-mid 1900's in North America The Flat Cap is a rounded cap with a small, stiff brim. It is also known as a driver, a cabby, a golf cap, an ivy cap and a paddy cap in Ireland. The Flat Cap can be traced as far back as the 14th century in Northern England, and became a firmly entrenched part of the English psyche by 1600 (due in large part to a law of the time which required wool caps for non-noble males on Sundays and holidays). They were a common sight in the 19th century on the heads of working class men throughout Britain and Ireland. Finer versions were often a part of upper-class casual country wear. When Irish and English immigrants came to the United States, they brought the flat cap with them through Ellis Island. Taxi cab drivers installed two snaps under the bill to keep their work tickets tucked under their hat.

THE NEWSBOY Peak Popularity: late 1800s-early 1900s The Newsboy has the same overall shape and stiff peak in front as a flat cap but the body of the cap is rounder, fuller, and paneled with a button on top. Like the flat cap, it also has many names, i.e. a baker boy, a big apple, an eight panel, a Gatsby and a Lundberg Stetson. As the name suggests, many newsboys in the early 20th century wore this cap, giving it a “working class” reputation. However this is a misunderstanding - the newsboy was commonly worn by teenagers and young men of all social classes. The Newsboy became very popular with well-to-do country sportsman and was seen on the heads of many golfers. THE GREEK FISHERMAN Peak Popularity: late 1800s-1970s The first Greek Fisherman was made in 1886 in Athens, Greece. It is a cap with a firm, visor brim, loose fabric crown and traditionally, a braid between the visor and the crown.

The Greek Fisherman is most commonly associated with seamen, hence the name, and is still a staple of many maritime military groups. John Lennon made the Greek Fisherman an extremely popular hat in the 1960s - so much so that it can also be referred to as the “John Lennon hat”. THE PANAMA Peak Popularity: 1800's-1960's The Panama hat is known and named for it's point of export, rather than it's point of origin. All genuine Panama hats are hand-woven in Ecuador using toquilla straw. They can be traced back to the 16th century where the Incas were the first to weave hats using the the paja toquilla. When Francisco Pizarro and his Spanish conquistadors arrived in Ecuador in 1526 many of the inhabitants of the coastal areas were wearing headwear made of woven straw. In Ecuador they are called sombreros de paja toquilla, or “hats of toquilla straw”. The hat bodies are meticulously hand-woven, refined, edged, smoothed and bleached by Ecuadorian artisans in situ before traveling to hatters all over the world who block and trim the them into familiar styles.

Panama hats predominantly originate in two main cities in Ecuador: Montecristi, a coastal city in Manabi, and Cuenca, a city in the Andes Mountains. It has been said that “better hats come from Montecristi but more hats come from Cuenca”. While the topic of panama hat quality is heavily disputed, it has become widely believed that the true test of quality lies in the number of weaves per square inch. Fewer than 100 is considered to be of lower quality while some of the finest Panama hats can have 1600-2500 weaves per square inch; resembling woven linen. THE MILAN STRAW Peak Popularity: 1800s-1960's Milan Straw hats are hats crafted in a "sewn-braid" method. Milan Straw is a variety of wheat straw which is braided into long flat braids, sewn together in a spiral from the top of the hat to the brim. These braids often are made with gaps in them to produce a lightweight, ventilated hat body.

Milan (pronounced MY-len, not like the city in Italy) originated in Italy but now is produced from a village in China. They tend to be heavier than Panama hats, but are thicker and sturdier and offer more options in terms of colors and styles. THE WESTERN HAT Peak Popularity: 1865-Present Day While they are associated with Texas, the original Cowboy hats belong to the American West. Frontiersmen and women brought their old hats with them on their trek from the East coast, however bowlers, top hats, homburgs struggled to adapt to the harshness of the frontier. For the shop owner or businessman these hats worked fine, but for the cowboy or worker they proved insufficient protection from the elements out on the open range. As the son of an established hatter in New Jersey, John B. Stetson was well suited to meet the demands of the hardworking frontiersman. He set up shop in Philadelphia producing the hat he called the Boss of Plains. Wide brimmed, lightweight, and made from natural colored high-quality beaver fur, it quickly lived up to its name.

The plain, open crown of the Boss eventually developed into a myriad of styles, from the Carlsbad crease to the Montana Peak to the Cattleman style we most commonly associate with Cowboy hats today. The wide brim has become curled and rolled up on the sides, another stylistic choice that also made the hat less likely to get blown off by wind. Stetson began manufacturing hats with these popular alterations already set in, and, much later, became a leading manufacturer of men's dress hats as well as westerns. The name "Stetson" remains synonymous with cowboy hats to this day. THE GAMBLER The Gambler is a traditional western dress hat. The crown of a Gambler resembles a round pork pie crown, but the brim is wider than most dress hats but smaller than most cowboy hats and the edge is curled up in a tight “pencil” curl. The Gambler may be most widely recognized as the hat worn by Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind. It’s smaller brim and lower crown make it ideal for those who look out of place in wide brimmed Cowboy hats. It also looks great on women.

THE GAUCHO The traditional Gaucho hat is a felt hat with a wide flat brim, a shallow flat-topped crown and a wind tie. This hat was the main article of clothing used by Gauchos in the early 19th century to work on the South American ranges. The nomadic cowhands of the Argentinean grasslands were in need of a hat that would protect them from the harsh winds when out on the prairie herding cattle. The gaucho sombrero is usually black and is sometimes worn with the brim turned up against the wind to ward off the chill. What are Straw Panama Hats? What are Straw Panama Hats? On This Page Last Modified Date: 09 December 2016 Copyright Protected: Top 10 amazing movie makeup transformations Surprisingly, Panama hats did not originate in the country of Panama. Straw Panama hats began as a product of Ecuador, a country located 775.2 miles (1,247.56347 km) to the south of Panama.

Even though they are a product of Ecuador, Panama hats get their name from the fact that in the bustling era of trade in the 1800s, the hats were first shipped to the Isthmus of Panama for increased commercial exposure. The hats were made for centuries before they ever became known as “Panamas.” In fact, some historians claim that the woven straw Panama hats have a history as far back as the ancient Incas, although this claim cannot be verified. It was during the mid 1800s that the Panama hat gained its popularity. In the United States, the simple straw hat was a favorite of the gold rush miners of 1849 as they made their way to California by way of Panama. Internationally, the hat was introduced around mid-century to the World's Fair in Paris, causing an even bigger surge in popularity. Ad The biggest boost to the popularity of the straw Panama hats came at the turn of the 19th century, when United States President Theodore Roosevelt wore the stylish woven hat as he spoke to the press.

Countries around the world took notice of the straw Panama hats and began to manufacture and export their own versions; the country of Turkey even declared the Panama hat its officially mandated headgear in 1925. By the 1940s, the popularity of the straw hats had hit its peak, and then began to decline. Unlike other types of hats that are worn and prized for their warmth, straw Panama hats are revered for their lightweight, breathable qualities. This is due in part to the fact that Panama hats are woven from the fibers of a tropical palm tree, Carludovica Palmata, sometimes called Toquilla. The fibers are first dried and strengthened before the weaving process begins, and later the hat is woven and blocked, or moistened and left to dry in its intended shape. Like other woven products, the quality of straw Panama hats is determined by the thread count, despite the fact that the hats are not made of thread. A hat that has fewer than 100 fibers per inch is usually considered to be of lower quality than a hat with a higher count. Ad

Question: Where did Panama hats originate?
Answer: Ecuador