Caring for your Panama

11/7/2023

If you’ve been to our little emporium, you’ll know that we hold the Panama hat in the highest regard.

The iconic Panama (not a style, but a point of origin – Ecuador – and method of creation) is a class act, and should be treated with the respect such craftsmanship deserves.

So, to help our customers look after their new acquisitions we usually give out ‘Panama care leaflets’ with each purchase, but we’ve been waiting for our updated version to be printed. Now they’ve arrived (thank you, Footeprints) we thought we’d share it with you here.

If you can’t read it in the big picture, here’s the text:

A Panama is a very durable hat but it is not indestructible.

Hand-woven of straw from the toquilla palm, a break in the fibres cannot be repaired, so avoid creasing your hat and keep it away from your puppy.

Handle your hat by the brim as, over time, handling it by the pinch point (if it has one) in the same way as a felt fedora will eventually break the straw.

Never attempt to fold or roll a Panama unless it is specifically a foldable/rollable type. Foldable styles are only meant to be rolled for travel; they should be unrolled and reshaped for storage.

If hung on a peg, it should rest on the leather band and not the straw.

When you remove your hat lay it on a flat surface, upside-down on the crown (for a shaped brim) or right-side up flat on the brim (for a flat-brimmed style).

Wipe any spots with a natural sponge dipped in mild soap suds. Avoid getting the interior leather sweatband wet.

Try not to get your hat caught in the rain. Let it dry naturally, not near a heat source. Do not leave it, especially if damp, shut in a hot car; this will dry out the fibres and is likely to shrink the hat.

To keep the straw supple, every couple of months hang your hat in the steamy bathroom while you shower, or even store it there on a peg, permanently.

With proper care, a fine Panama hat can last for generations.

Enjoy your Panama!