Genuine folding Panama hats are also known as "jipijapa" and in fact come from Cuenca in Ecuador.

The Panama hat got its name during the building of the Panama canal at the beginning of the last century, when hat merchants from Colombia and Ecuador sold their hats to passing trade. The hats are hand woven from the narrow fibres of the Iraca palm and then steamed and moulded to shape.

Caring For Your Panama Hat

We want you to enjoy your hat for years to come. To ensure this, we suggest the
following:

• Avoid pinching or crushing the delicate natural fibre. Treat the
  hat as if it were cloth.
• When folding, carefully flatten the hat along the ridge over the
  crown and roll slowly and loosely. (see photos)
• Do not leave your hat permanently rolled or boxed. This method of
  storage is for travel only.
• Your hat may be easily cleaned with a damp cloth & may be reshaped
  using steam from a boiling kettle.
• As a rule, Panama hats don't like to get wet. If yours does get
  wet, please leave it flat and let it dry on its own. When totally dry, you
  can shape it into its original form.

Choosing Your Size

• The measurement of the hat is based on the circumference of your
  head hence 57cm is the smallest and 62cm the largest. You can measure your
  head by using a flexible measuring tape or piece of string.
• If your head measurement is in between sizes you should choose the larger size, because it is possible to make a hat smaller, but not bigger.
• You can make your panama hat smaller by removing the hat band.
  Where the band is joined together, move the piece covering the join and take
  in the hat band by sewing it, making it tighter. Cover the join again and
  replace the hat band.

PLEASE NOTE: THESE HATS ARE NOT MASS PRODUCED. EACH ONE IS INDIVIDUALLY AND UNIQUELY HAND CRAFTED. SLIGHT VARIATIONS ARE THEREFORE TO BE EXPECTED.

Sizes range from 57cm to 62cm. These correspond to British hat sizes as follows:-

Returns

If you need to return your panama hat for any reason please do so in the original packaging unrolled, otherwise damage may occur for which we may need to charge you.

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