Panama Hats at FINO FINO

The Montecristi finois simply the finest straw hat in the world. Hand-woven in Ecuador by master weavers, they are wearable works of art that can be handed down to your grandchildren. Each hat is unique and represents months of work. The hat is woven on a wooden block supported by a tripod, over which the weaver works standing up with their chest bearing down on the block to weave the brim. They often work in the cool of the night so that perspiration does not soil the hat.

Visible when held to the light, a series of concentric rings in the crown, called vueltas, are created as new strands of straw are added. The larger the number of vueltas, the tighter the weave and the finer the hat. The number of master weavers is drastically dwindling as the younger weavers are uninterested in the back-breaking work required to create a fino or fino fino since they can create coarsely woven hats and souvenir items in a matter of hours.

In addition to the Montecristi, we offer a number of styles in the Cuenca weave. Cuenca weaves range from quite coarse to nearly as fine as the Montecristi. Most of the Cuencas we offer are in the fine range and are hand-blocked the same as the Montecristi..

Montecristi is a small town in Ecuador where the Carloduvica Palmata, or "Toquilla" palm, as it is called by the Ecuadorians, is cut when the fronds are immature. Then they are peeled, boiled, dried, and the fronds are separated into the size strand the weaver chooses. This palm has been found in other South and Central American countries, but the conditions which produce the finest fronds are found only in the coastal lowlands of Ecuador.

The hat "bodies" are graded according to fineness of the weave, color of the straw, uniformity of the weave from crown to brim, and the quality of the backwoven edge (fine Panamas are never turned over and stitched). The hand-blocking and finishing of our hats is done in this country by a very few who are skilled in this art. A truly fine Pana

ma is never machine blocked or glued and varnished to a helmet-like finish. A fine Panama is as soft and pliable as fine fabric, Montecristis ranging from $425 to $15,000, and Cuencas from $225-$350.

The most widely accepted explanation of why this Ecuadorian hat is known as the "Panama" hat, is that Panama was the point of export, where workers on the Panama Canal found them to be durable headwear and comfortable under the tropical sun. When President Teddy Roosevelt visited during the construction of the canal, he returned to the United States wearing one of these hats; the press dubbed it the "Panama Hat," and it has been known as that ever since.

Panama hats are available in a variety of styles, and, as with any "classic," are wearable with anything in your wardrobe--casual to dressy. Most styles are unisex, however, the round crown styles were specifically designed for women. The basic styles include:


Fedora - The standard pinched crown, in a variety of brim widths.This is the most common hat style of all--the one you've always worn or always seen in every 30's, 40's, and 50's movie.	Planter - The Planter style has a wide brim with the rolled edge. The most popular crown style is this pinch-front, but this brim can have any crown style.	Planter - A Montecristi planter with an open-weave crown is well-ventilated, but the top of the crown is solid for good sun protection.
Photos: Cynthia Sun, and Liz Edlund


Coachman -A modified "top hat" crown with a shorter Planter-style brim. A distinctive look for both men and women.	Optimo - This is the style with the distinctive center ridge. This style originated from folding the hat bodies to roll and when they were unrolled it created the center ridge. Some still use this style as a roll-up travel hat, but we caution that rolling any straw will eventually lead to a break and it cannot be rewoven.	Breton - A classic Montecristi style for women with its round, shallow, crown and wide flat brim.
Photos: Cynthia Sun


Extra-wide Cuenca Planter - This is a fine Cuenca weave Planter with an extra wide brim.	The Ultra-wide brim Cuenca with a pinch-front crown.
Photos: Liz Edlund

A fine Panama hat can last generations with proper care. It is a very durable hat, but not indestructible. A break in the straw cannot be repaired, so do not get a sharp crease in it and keep it away from your puppy. Handle your hat by the brim, for, over time, especially with the pinch-front crown, handling your hat in the same way you do a felt fedora can set in sharp creases that could eventually break the straw. When you remove your hat, lay it on a flat surface, upside down on the crown for a hat with a shaped brim, or right side up, flat on its brim for a flat-brimmed style like the Planter. If you hang it on a peg, be sure the peg rests on the leather band and not on the straw. Wipe any spots with a natural sponge dipped in mild soap suds. Do not get the interior leather sweatband wet. Do not leave your hat, especially if it is damp, closed in a hot car; this is a sure way to shrink it and to dry out the straw. To keep the straw supple, several times a year, hang your hat in the bathroom while you shower. Out of season, store your hat in it's box.