  STRAW HATS - (pg. 2/2)A straw hat can refer to any brimmed hat that is woven out of straw. They are designed to protect the head from the sun and heat. There are several styles of straw hats, but all of them are made of woven straw. Many of these hats are formed in a similar way to felt hats; they are softened by steam or by submersion in hot water, and then formed by hand or over a block. Finer and more expensive straw hats, such as a Panama, have a tighter and more consistent weave. A Panama straw hat is a traditional brimmed hat of Ecuadorian origin that is made from the plaited leaves of the toquilla straw plant. Straw hats woven in Ecuador, like many other 19th century South American goods, were shipped first to the Isthmus of Panama before sailing for their destinations in Asia, the rest of the Americas and Europe. For some products, the name of their point of international sale rather than their place of domestic origin stuck, hence “Panama hats.” When President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Panama Canal construction, he wore such a hat, which increased its popularity. (Model above wearing: Pinzano - Panama Straw Gambler Golf Hat)
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