Now that we are in the middle of the hot season, it is indispensable to take with us remedies to cope with it.
Between the protective creams and the sweat it seems really difficult to be elegant, and many do not know that there is a great ally not to lose an ounce of style at this time of year.
The Panama Hats
This type of hat is one of the most famous and most popular by public icons. Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway, the Great Gatsby or García Márquez have been figures that we find difficult to identify without their Panama hat.
Their origin
The Panama hats have their origin in Ecuador and are known by various names such as jipijapa or toquilla. This last one is derived from the hats that the Spaniards wore during the conquest.
Therefore, an authentic Panama refers to a material and not a form of hat.
What is a Panama hat made of?
As tradition dictates, this type of hat is made from the braided leaves of the carludovica palmata or toquilla straw. This causes that their hand weaving requires a skill and a raw material that makes them unique in the world.
What kind of fabrics do the hats have?
Being handmade, the quality of this fabric depends on the fineness of the straw and the way it is woven. Therefore, it is to suppose that several types of quality of the fabric exist, some more luxurious than others.
In this way, with straw and fine weave, the Panama hat is lighter and more pleasant to wear, dries much less and becomes more resistant, gaining in flexibility.
There are mainly two types of fabric: cuenca and brisa. What is the difference? The first one is woven with chevron motifs and the second one in small squares.
What colors can a Panama hat have?
The color of the hat is also important to determine the quality of the handwork.
The color has to be as homogeneous as possible, taking into account that, depending on the type of straw used, the color can be either lighter or darker. Generally, classic toquilla straw has a broken white tone, but it is always possible to dye it in other shades.
How can you tell them apart?
A Panama hat has certain characteristics that make it unmistakable when it comes to distinguishing a real one from one that is not.
- By the smell: if it does not smell of anything it is clear, it is false. Panama hats, being made of straw, must have a characteristic smell.
- By the touch: unmistakably, a real panama hat will have a silky touch.
- By the weaving: turning the hat over you will be able to see the rings that have been formed as the hat is woven. The more rings it has and the less holes between the weave, the better the quality of the panama hat.
How to clean them without damaging them?
As we explained in the post “How to maintain a Panama hat”, its maintenance requires a series of steps and tips that should not go unnoticed. Since you have one… take care of it!
Fernández y ROCHE.
- Visit our website: https://www.fernandezyroche.com/gb/
- Discover more Panama models: https://www.fernandezyroche.com/gb/hat/panama
- Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fernandezyroche/
- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fernandezyroche_hats/
- Visit our store: C/Rosario 17 (Seville)
- Contact us: tiendafyr@isesa.es / +34 954 91 47 32