An Ecuadorian hat, also known as a Panama hat, a jipijapa, or a toquilla straw hat, is a brimmed straw hat of Ecuadorian origin that is woven from fibres from a palm tree characteristic of the Ecuadorian coast. Weaving a hat can take up to eight months, depending on the quality and finesse of the work.
The Spanish conquistadors discovered in 1526 that inhabitants of Ecuador were wearing a brimless hat that resembled a toque, woven from palm tree fibers that the Spaniards called "Paja Toquilla" or "Toquilla Straw". Hat weaving and wearing grew steadily in Ecuador from the early-to-mid-1600s, as well as in small towns in the Andean Mountains. Throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, hat weaving and wearing became a cottage industry.
Without Manuel Alfaro, none of this would have been possible. A Spanish entrepreneur who arrived in Montecristi in 1835 and became one of the first men in Panama hat history, his streamlined production process, and the Gold Rush boom provided him with an unprecedented amount of prosperity and business. During the 19th century, sales of Panama hats expanded beyond gold-diggers to other visitors. The port of Guayaquil in Ecuador helped make the trade easier. Ecuador also built its first railroads in 1850.
As the new century began, Panama hats continued to enjoy worldwide recognition and admiration. Newspapers and fashion magazines alike adored the hat's dramatic silhouette, and its masculine image cast the perfect impression on audiences everywhere. Hollywood embraced the hat's many desirable qualities, even if it wasn't the hat's origin as they got it wrong the entire time. The exotic hat created a dramatic silhouette that was perfect for film, and its masculine image was embraced by audiences everywhere.
Most of the weavers come from peasant families, and passing on weaving techniques happens within the home from an early age through observations and imitation. The skills and knowledge included in this tradition encompassed a complex and dynamic social fabric, including techniques to cultivate and process the plant, as well as forms of social organization.
The hat is used both in everyday life and in festive contexts and is distinguished by the community that practices it and is part of the community's cultural heritage. The popularity of Panama hats has been steadily increasing throughout time (as evidenced by the continual manufacture of them almost everywhere). They have become an icon of timeless fashion, and the best hats are made in Ecuador.