Where do Panama hats come from?
One might just ask who was buried in Grant’s tomb, except that the answer is not so obvious. Panama hats are made in Ecuador. For centuries, the very finest have been woven in and around the small town of Montecristi. In the town of Montecristi,Ecuador,the ultra fine Panama hats are woven over a period of several months. These ultra fine Panama hats are named after the town from which they came,and are perhaps the finest hats made in the world. The Montecristi Panama can take up to 6 months to weave and can cost thousands of dollars each. The Panama Hat originates from the Toquilla Palm Leaf grown in Ecuador’s coastal lowlands where the combination of fertile ground, cool weather and shading from taller plants combine for the perfect habitat. The seven to ten foot palms are shredded and woven by hand into a brimmed cone. It is then bleached and sundried high in the Andes where the mix of cool air and sunshine give it a pure milky consistancy. After grading it is shipped to hat makers w
