Ecuador’s most stylish export

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THE PANAMA HAT

It’s the epitome of suave: perhaps the only way to keep a cool head and a cool look while sweltering through a hot day. From a style point of view, the Panama hat leaves the baseball cap, the knotted handkerchief and its various floppy rivals in the shade.

It is also the traveller’s friend. The best quality Panamas can be rolled up and stowed in your luggage – and they will spring straight back into shape when you unpack them. (Don’t try this with cheap versions. though; they will just crack and split.)

As any aficionado knows, Panamas did not originate in the country they are named after. They were first recorded by the Spanish Conquistadors in Ecuador in the 17th century. Known as jipijapa or toquilla straw hats, they were – and the best still are – woven from the palmlike leaves of the local Carludovica palmata plants. If woven tightly enough, they produce an incredibly durable fabric which maintains its shape but allows your head to breathe. The tighter the weave, the higher the quality and the more durable the hat.

Panamas began to take off in Europe and North America from the 1830s when Spanish entrepreneur Manuel Alfaro arrived in Montecristi, Ecuador, and exploited a surge in demand from the diggers of a local gold rush. Rival businesses sprang up in other parts of Peru producing cheaper – though usually less durable – versions, and by the end of the 19th century the Panama hat was being exported around the world. Manuel and his family prospered to such an extent that his son Eloy became President of Ecuador at the turn of the 20th century. In the 1940s, hats were the country’s most valuable export.

The Alfaros obviously had a head for business – but they did fail spectacularly when it came to branding. Instead of becoming known as the Ecuador, from the earliest days exported hats were referred to as Panamas – probably because most of the exports were shipped via Panamanian ports. The name stuck fast when President Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing one when he visited the construction site of the Panama Canal in 1906. Incidentally – though I haven’t been able to verify this – the black ribbon was added as a gesture of mourning after Queen Victoria’s death in 1901.

From now on, the popularity of the Panama soared, helped to a huge extent by celebrities – including Winston Churchill and dozens of the most famous Hollywood stars. There are no absolutely fixed rules about shapes and styles – but Humphrey Bogart, who favoured felt Fedoras – often wore a Panama designed in a similar fashion. Peter O’Toole went for the Optimo style, with a down-turned brim, which was popularised by Brits on colonial postings. Meanwhile Clark Gable’s rakish broadbrimmed version in Gone With The Wind became known as a Monte Carlo or “Gambler”.

I could go on with the celebrity list. Gregory Peck wore one in To Kill a Mocking Bird; Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby. More recently, Johnny Depp has worn one. And female adherents include Madonna and Monica Bellucci.

Persuaded? If you do invest, do some research. There are many imitations, made all over the world, which may suit you just fine. But if you go for the real thing, as well as the style, you’ll need to choose between main types of weave: the Brisa (a diamond or square pattern) or the Cuenca (herringbone).

And if you really want the best – and you think £500 sounds reasonable for a sunhat – inquire at any elite men’s outfitters after a Superfino made in Montecristi, Ecuador.

Nick Trend

Suave: Robert Redford in ‘The Great Gatsby’