Panama hat: one of the most glamorous hats off all time

Each hat has its hidden ideas. (Alberto Casiraghy)

Panama hat: one of the most glamorous hats of all time, a symbol of exotic heat. It is light, light in color and wide-brimmed. Traditionally it is woven by hand with fibers derived from the still tender leaves of a dwarf palm. Panamanian only in name, its origin is actually in the mountains of Ecuador.It refers to Panama only because the latter has been for centuries its main commercial port. The first news on this type of hat dates back to 1500, when the Conquistadores saw him on the head of natives to protect the sun. The Inca worked the “paja toquilla” to make even their clothes and Spanish colonizers were struck by this unusual particularly light fabric, until they thought it was bat skin. Thus they brought the particular headgear to Europe and after having conquered even Napoleon, his fame grew progressively. In 1800 it became the favorite hat for gold prospectors who went to California via Panama. But fame came in 1906, when American President Theodore Roosevelt wore it to protect himself from the scorching heat during the inauguration ceremony of the Panama Canal. It was the headgear used by the workers involved in the construction of the canal. The photo of the event was immortalized by the New York Times and went around the world. Panama became the nerve center of exports of this accessory that fascinates and excites celebrities such as Ernest Hemingway, Jaqueline Kennedy, Sean Connery, Johnny Deep and many others. In 2012, the traditional weaving of Panama is recognized by UNESCO among the oral and intangible heritage of the humanity of Equador. Glamor tendency and unconventional mood make this hat immune to the fashions of the moment and therefore always current.

Mine is ready to leave…