Few hats say summer quite like a Panama. Light as a whisper, the color of fresh cream, and cool enough to make a linen suit look effortless — it has crowned presidents, novelists, and secret agents for well over a century. But the most surprising thing about the Panama hat is hiding in its name.
The plot twist: Panama hats aren't from Panama
Despite the name, the Panama hat is Ecuadorian — and has been for more than 500 years. Long before the Spanish arrived on the coast of Ecuador in the 1500s, indigenous weavers were plaiting hats from the fibers of the toquilla palm (Carludovica palmata). The Spanish called the straw paja toquilla, and the craft was passed down through generations in coastal towns like Montecristi and Cuenca.
So how did an Ecuadorian hat end up named after a different country entirely? Trade. In the 1800s, the fastest route between the coasts of the Americas ran through the Isthmus of Panama, and Panama became the great crossroads where the world's travelers — gold-rush prospectors, merchants, sailors — passed through and bought these fine straw hats. People assumed the hats were made where they'd bought them, and the misnomer stuck.
How Teddy Roosevelt made it famous
The name was cemented for good in 1906, when President Theodore Roosevelt toured the construction of the Panama Canal and was photographed — grinning, in a crisp white suit and a broad-brimmed straw hat — at the controls of a steam shovel. The image ran around the world, and demand for “Panama hats” exploded. A humble Ecuadorian craft became an international status symbol almost overnight.
Woven, not made: the toquilla craft
A true Panama hat isn't manufactured — it's woven, entirely by hand, from straw so fine it can feel like fabric. The toquilla palm's young shoots are harvested, boiled, and dried until the fibers turn pale ivory, then split into threads and woven from the crown outward in a tight spiral. In 2012, UNESCO added the traditional weaving of the Ecuadorian toquilla straw hat to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — official recognition of a craft most people never realized existed.
Quality is measured by the fineness of the weave — roughly, how many weaves fit per inch. Entry-level hats start around Grade 3, standard Panamas run Grades 5–8, premium hats reach the teens, and the legendary Montecristi and superfino grades climb past 20. The very finest superfinos can take a single master weaver six months to a year to complete, and only a few dozen weavers in the world can still make them — which is exactly why they are so prized.
Famous Panama hats: the heads that made it iconic
Once Roosevelt put it on the map, the Panama became shorthand for a certain kind of worldly, warm-weather confidence — and some of the 20th century's most recognizable figures made it their own.
Theodore Roosevelt
The president who accidentally became the hat's greatest salesman. Roosevelt's canal-site photo did more for the Panama than any advertisement ever could, tying the hat forever to adventure, ambition, and the tropics. For that same clean, classic snap-brim shape, the Made-in-USA Bailey Cuban Genuine Panama is the natural heir.
Ernest Hemingway
No writer wore his adventures more visibly than Hemingway, and the Panama suited his life of marlin fishing off Cuba and safaris in Africa perfectly. It's the hat of a man who's clearly been somewhere interesting and is happy to tell you about it. For that same rugged, go-anywhere feel with a wider brim, look at the Scala Taos Panama Outback.
Winston Churchill
Britain's wartime prime minister had a well-documented love of hats, and the Panama was a summer staple — proof that the style crossed the Atlantic and climbed to the very top of the establishment. Pair it, as he did, with a light suit and an air of complete unflappability.
Harry S. Truman
President Truman practically lived in a Panama during his famous working vacations in Key West, pairing it with loud shirts and an easy grin. He turned the hat into a symbol of American leisure — the uniform of a man officially off the clock. A crisp, classic straw like the Renegade Foss Genuine Panama captures that same relaxed spirit.
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Sean Connery
If Roosevelt gave the Panama its adventure and Hemingway its swagger, Sean Connery gave it its cool. The original James Bond wore a superfino Panama as the ultimate symbol of old-school poise — understated, expensive, and utterly self-assured. It's the through-line from the hat's origins to its enduring modern appeal.
And the list keeps going: Paul Newman, Humphrey Bogart, Jacqueline Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, and Mick Jagger have all been photographed under one. Few accessories can claim a guest list quite that broad.
How to choose (and wear) a Panama hat
A few simple pointers:
- Match the brim to the job. A narrower snap-brim fedora shape (like the Bailey Cuban) reads dressy and city-ready; a wide brim (like the Brittoli Oasis Wide-Brim) gives more sun protection and a relaxed, resort feel.
- Buy the best weave you can. A finer weave isn't just about looks — tighter straw is more durable, holds its shape better, and (in the finest grades) can even be rolled for travel.
- Mind the fit. Straw doesn't stretch like felt, so getting the size right matters. See our hat sizing guide if you're unsure.
- Keep it out of the rain. Genuine toquilla straw and heavy downpours don't mix — that's what your felt fedora is for.
Panama hat FAQs
Are Panama hats really from Panama?
No. Genuine Panama hats are handwoven in Ecuador from toquilla straw. They earned the name in the 1800s because they were sold and shipped to the world through Panama, and the association stuck after Teddy Roosevelt was photographed in one at the Panama Canal in 1906.
How can you tell a real Panama hat?
A genuine Panama is hand-woven from Ecuadorian toquilla straw, with an even, tightly woven spiral pattern radiating from the center of the crown. The finer and denser the weave (measured as a grade), the higher the quality — with Montecristi and superfino grades representing the pinnacle. Many inexpensive “straw fedoras” are made from paper, palm, or shantung rather than true toquilla straw.
Can a Panama hat get wet?
A little moisture won't hurt it, but avoid soaking it or wearing it in heavy rain. If it does get damp, reshape it gently and let it air-dry away from direct heat.
How do you store a Panama hat?
Rest it upside down on its crown or keep it in a hat box so the brim keeps its shape. Only the finest, most flexible weaves are meant to be rolled — don't force a standard Panama into a roll.
- Brittoli Oasis Wide-Brim Shantung Panama — relaxed, wide-brim resort style
- Bigalli Classic Grade 3 Hand-Woven Panama — authentic Ecuadorian, everyday classic
- Renegade Foss Genuine Panama — crisp, versatile snap-brim
- Bailey Cuban Genuine Panama — Made-in-USA classic fedora shape
- Scala Taos Panama Outback — wide-brim, go-anywhere style
- Bailey Ezra Toquilla Palm Panama — genuine toquilla straw
- Bigalli Montecristi Grade 20 Superfino — the true Montecristi showpiece
Or browse the full Panama hats collection.
More than a century after Roosevelt grinned for the cameras in one, the Panama hat still does exactly what it always did: it keeps the sun off, dresses up anything, and quietly signals that you know a good thing when you see it — even if, like almost everyone, you didn't know it came from Ecuador.
Photo credits. Theodore Roosevelt at the Panama Canal, 1906 (Underwood & Underwood, public domain); Ernest Hemingway, 1950 (John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, public domain); Sir Winston Churchill (United Nations Information Office, public domain); Harry S. Truman, 1945 (Edmonston Studio, public domain); Sean Connery, 1980 (photo by Alan Light, CC BY 2.0). All via Wikimedia Commons.
