The hat, which does not originate from Panama but from Ecuador, has become a must-have summer fashion accessory in recent years. Its light texture lets the wind through and keeps us cool, while the wide sides are perfect protection from the scorching sun.
The characteristic headdress has a rich history, as the local inhabitants already before the arrival of the Europeans wove palm threads in a very special way and then made headdresses from the fabric. At the beginning of the twentieth century, when the Panama Canal was being built, this type of headgear was worn by both the workers and the American President Theodore Roosevelt, who came to visit the construction site. The hat became so recognizable precisely because of the photos of the president that went around the world at the time.
Watch a brief history of the legendary hats in the video below
A real Panama hat is light in color, has a darker band attached to the brim, and the brim is medium wide. Traditionally, men should wear it in combination with bright summer dresses, but today it is combined more freely, and women also wear it at the same time. Ladies can accessorize it with fluttering dresses and flip-flops as well as business suits, and without a doubt, it works best in combination with sunglasses.
