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Mens Panama Hats
A Panama hat or just Panama is a traditional
brimmed
hat that is made from the plaited leaves of the panama-hat palm (also
called jipijapa or toquilla) (Carludovica palmata). Despite the name,
genuine Panama hats are made in Ecuador, not Panama; their name comes
from the fact that they came to prominence during the construction of
the Panama Canal. When Teddy Roosevelt visited the Canal, he wore such
a hat, which increased its popularity. The Ecuadorian town of Cuenca is
the main producer; however, the town of Montecristi has the reputation
of producing the finest quality hats.
Quality is a heavily disputed subject when
dealing with
Panama hats. There are two main processes in their creation: weaving
and blocking. The best way to gauge the quality of the weave is to
count the number of weaves per square inch. Fewer than 300 would be
considered low quality. The rarest and most expensive have 1600-2000
weaves per square inch, and it is not unheard of for these to sell for
thousands. There are many levels of quality in between 300 and 1600.
One must be very careful if purchasing a high-priced panama hat online,
as many sellers use deceptive selling practices. Make sure if you wish
to purchase a high-end Panama hat, that you find a realiable vendor.
TheFedoraStore.com limits it's selection of Panama Hats to those from
Bailey Hats. Quality Panama hats at a price affordable to everyone.
The Panama hat is one of the original traditional
components of the sartorial treasures of numerous indigenous
communities in the provinces of Azuay and Manabi in the south of
Ecuador. The manufacture of this hat with leaves of carludovica palmata
(tree of the cyclanthacees family), called straws of toquilla, rests
largely therefore, once again, on a traditional manual, and essentially
feminine ability. The Panama hat, secular evidence of a way of live and
things (handicrafts) created by these indigenous groups, became the
object of the attention of the privileged among western consumers
around 1881 when work was first begun on the Panama canal.
Curiously the hat was and is distributed around
the
world under its present name which refers Panama City, its first
distribution center. Coveted for the first time for its functional
qualities (hardiness, suppleness and lightness) it soon became well
known in the Hollywood movies of Forties as it entered the pantheon of
hat wear for the stars. This is how an everyday piece of hat ware of an
indigenous people became a symbol of sophistication and luxury for
occidental countries.
TheFedoraStore.com offers a large selection of
Panama
Hats from Bailey Hat company. These are quality hats, but our selection
is affordable to everyone. Many of the panama hats we offer are from
Cuenca. With so many retailers online offering the Montecristi and from
$300 and up, we have decided to bring you the less expensive Cuenca
panamas and others made available from Bailey, as we wish to keep the
prices down and no surprises of the value you receive for the price you
pay. These are very nice hats, and we have no complaints.
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