Are Panama Hats from Panama?
Famously known as ‘Panama’ hats, the iconic white natural fibre hat is actually traditional to Ecuador. Its misleading name derives from the location where the hats were first exported across the world, the Isthmus of Panama, and were later given to workers on the famous Panama Canal to combat the fierce heat and sun that made the workers conditions difficult.
Fashion history was made when US President Franklin D. Roosevelt wore the local white hat to view the engineering marvel of the Panama Canal, the glamour of the presidency was all this hat needed to reach immediate ‘icon’ status.
Our CAUS
Timeless and Iconic
Panama hats have always been synonymous with impeccable style, worn by movie stars and presidents from the 1900s to today. A CAUS NZ panama hat is timeless. Worn on summer holidays to weddings or race day attire, panama hats suit every occasion. Effortlessly elevating your look with classic style.
Sustainable Materials
Our Panama hat collections are handmade and artisan crafted from the native silky smooth Ecuadorian Carludovica Palmata or Paja Toquilla palm. Woven using a traditional method specific only to truly authentic Panama Hats. You can tell this by a barely perceptible weave that when held up to the light, shows a beautiful spiral spanning out from the apex of the crown.
Created without the use of any harsh chemicals, the process of crafting a traditional Panama hat is completed by hand from plants native to the Ecuadorian coast.
Farmers cultivate the toquilla palm and harvest the stems before separating the fibre from the green outer skin. This is boiled to remove chlorophyll and dried for subsequent bleaching with sulphur over a wood fire. Weavers take this raw material and begin weaving the crown and the brim of the hat. Weaving a hat can take from two days to eight months, depending on the quality and finesse.
Our felt wool hats are also created by artisan makers and use 100% Andean sheep wool.
Ethically Made and UNESCO Recognised
The wellbeing and rights of our craftspeople are our main priority. Our Ecuadorian partners engage in slow and transparent production practices with micro farmers. CAUS NZ have personally visited the villages and have seen step by step how the hats were made. From growing the palm, meeting the farmer, to visiting each village that were involved in different parts of the production. CAUS NZ are proud to support the panama hat cottage industry which creates jobs for 3,500 residents in five provinces of Ecuador including the districts of Manabi and Azuay. Fine Artisan skills are handed down from generation to generation mostly within their own homes.
Uniquely recognised as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012, this art form faces the threat of extinction and it is through fair trading these special hats, that this livelihood can survive. The finest panama hats are from the towns of Biblian, Pile and Montecristi where it can take up to 8 months to weave a single hat.
Authentic
A sign of an authentic panama hat is the back woven edging. All the seams and edges must be finished by the same toquilla straw. CAUS NZ Panama Hats are the only panama hats available in New Zealand that are completely finished in Equador. Each CAUS NZ Panama hat has come directly from the artisan craftspeople to you.
Quality
CAUS NZ Panama hats are unparalleled in quality and craftsmanship. Crafted from crown to brim from pure, quality, natural materials without any chemicals. These hats are designed to last and last if cared for correctly.
Sun Protection
CAUS NZ Panama Hats offer excellent sun protection from NZ’s harmful UV rays. Whether it is a classic fedora, women’s wide brim hat, or boater, CAUS NZ Panama Hats will have your skin protected at the beach, poolside or special occasion.
Breathable
Perfect for hot, hot days with natural fibres, breathable, light and comfortable. A CAUS NZ panama hat is the perfect choice for your summer wardrobe. Classic fedoras, boaters and wide-brimmed hats are all made from the soft Toquilla palm. Traveller foldable hats are crocheted from the same natural fibre. On colder days wear a CAUS NZ 100% wool hat.
