The Iconic Christys Panama
In the hat world, the Panama is a work of art – sleek, highly distinguished and requiring remarkable levels of hand detailing and craftsmanship. Since the hat’s first introduction to the wider world – thanks to sailors stopping off in Panama on their way to the Californian Gold Rush of the mid-19th Century - this Ecuadorian export has grown in universal appeal.
The hood, from which a Panama hat is made, is woven entirely by hand from the unique Toquilla straw. The fineness of the weave defines the value of the hat, as every time the width of the straw is reduced by half, the amount of work required to weave it is multiplied by four. Weaving just one hood can then take weeks and even months to complete. The result is a tightly woven hood of such suppleness and smoothness of texture that you would think it was made of the finest silk.
Nothing matches the beauty and craft of a true panama and Christys’ have been making panama hats from Ecuadorian woven hoods for over 100 years.
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