Where are genuine Panama hats made?

Ecuador: The true origin of the Panama hat

Contrary to popular belief, Panama hats are not made in Panama but in Ecuador.

There are mainly two producing regions of the famous paja toquilla: Cuanca for entry-level prices, and Montecristi for models with the finest weaving.

But why then is there this belief that the famous hats come from Panama?

Simply because the workers who built the Panama Canal wore similar hats. The popularity of the Panama hat increased even further when a photo of President Roosevelt was taken during his official visit to the canal construction site.

In the famous photograph, the president was indeed wearing a Panama hat model.

That explains everything!