The quality of straw hats

Straw hat: how to recognize a quality straw hat?

Straw hat: a bit of History

First and foremost, let's revisit the history of straw hats. Indeed, straw hats have been worn for centuries all over the world.

Its history truly takes root in Europe, in the Middle Ages. It was then the headwear of peasants. The hat was purely functional, straw was an affordable raw material, and the wide brims of the hat allowed them to shelter from the sun.

It was in Tuscany, in the 16th century, that the straw hat took on a symbolic dimension. Under the influence of the Medici, it became a fashion item, a symbol of elegance in all European courts. Women adored this hat that protected their faces from the sun and preserved the whiteness of their complexion, a symbol of beauty and nobility.

The straw hat has remained popular to this day. It has taken on different shapes and aspects over time.

Straw hat: famous shapes.

The boater hat is a headwear created in the 1880s. It is characterized by its oval shape, with a flat crown and brim. This straw hat is adorned with a ribbon. The craze for this straw hat was then exceptional. You only need to look at the paintings of the time to realize this, such as Auguste Renoir's famous "Luncheon of the Boating Party". The boater is also Coco Chanel's emblematic hat.

On the other side of the globe, Mexicans love the sombrero. This large straw hat is ideal for enjoying some coolness in hot countries thanks to its very wide brims. It's the straw hat of westerns.

Finally, the Panama is the most famous of straw hats. Originally worn by Ecuadorian workers to protect themselves from the sun, it quickly became a very fashionable hat from the 1900s onwards. Today, it is a symbol of quality and elegance.

Straw hat: what quality?

Measuring the fineness of the straw hat's weave:

The most important point in measuring the quality of a straw hat is the fineness of the weave. The smaller the diameter of the stitches, the higher the mesh density. The finer the mesh, the more resistant the hat. For example, the panama fedora hat made by Borsalino has an extremely fine mesh, which gives this hat exceptional quality.

One method to measure the quality of a straw hat is to observe the "vueltas" rings visible at the bottom of the hat. A large number of rings indicates the presence of many straw bands and therefore a very fine weave of the hat.

You can also measure the fineness of the straw weave using the Cuanta Montecristi method. This measurement was developed by the Montecristi Foundation and consists of counting the exact number of straws per cm². On a cm², count the number of vertical weaves, then horizontal. Multiply the two numbers to get the Montecristi cuenta.

Weaving quality of the straw hat:

The quality of the weave is another indicator of the quality of the straw hat. The stitches should be straight and homogeneous. However, they will always have irregularities, especially straw hats made by hand.

Homogeneity of the straw color:

The homogeneity of the straw color is also a determining factor. The shade of the straw is not an indicator in itself, as it can vary depending on the origin of the straw, but beware of straw hats that show a very different color in one area.

Finally, there is no universal system today for measuring the quality of a straw hat. The only way is to evaluate the fineness of the weave yourself and trust renowned hat makers, such as Traclet, Borsalino, Stetson, Mayser, ...