I've always wanted a Panama hat for a cool cabeza and a cooler look. This summer I found the motivation to acquire one. An authentic Panama hat made from paja toquilla in Ecuador, yes Ecuador. The name Panama hat is a misnomer. These fine, light, resilient hats are produced in Ecuador. In the mid-19th century when the country started exporting these hats, it was found that the best area for distribution was the isthmus of Panama. With the construction of the canal at the start of the 20th century, the hat's popularity grew. The distribution center's name was attached to said hat and another great trivial fact was born.
I have been so please with my new lid, that I have decided to do my part to bring the hat back into fashion. So this fall I will visit my local hatter (makers of women's hats are milliners; makers of men's hats are hatters - enough to make you mad) to be fitted for my fedora. After that who knows, a porkpie, trilby, maybe even the hard stuff like a derby or a homberg. - as ever - BB
"You've gotta have heart to make it in this business." - Dexter Gordon - eulogized in "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" by Charlie Mingus
1 comment:
If the hat fits then by all means wear it, after all Truman & Churchill couldn't be wrong. Will the ribbon/banner have an election year theme or possibly NFL or simply black?
Post a Comment