Now that winter has gone and summer is here, it's time to pack away the felt hats and pull out your summer straw. By far the most popular straw hat is the Panama. However, do you need to go all the way to Panama to get one?
Nope; you need to go to Ecuador, actually.
A Panama hat is a hat woven from the leaves of the toquilla plant. The reason they're called Panama hats (and not Equador hats) comes from old trade routes. Back in the 19th century, the hats traveled from Ecuador to the Panama Canal before being shipped out to the rest of the world, hence the name.
Panama hats became incredibly popular in the 19th century, and became synonymous with summer wear and tropical seaside holidays. Even now, with the overall decline of hat wearing, Panamas are still quite popular. Charlie Chan, Harry Truman, Humphrey Bogart, Theodore Roosevelt, even two different incarnations of Dr. Who have all sported Panama hats.
For the ultimate in summer fashion and comfort, look no further than the timeless Panama hat.