It was in 1986 that I
first purchased my first Panama hat and I have been sporting them ever
since. I first noticed them on the market via what was a extremely cool retailer
on the time, Banana Republic. I say on the time as a result of they had been
purchased out by The Hole, and all the pieces finally went to Hell in a
hand basket as soon as company took over. Typical story with regards to
“Company”. It did take a number of years to occur, however it did.
Banana Republic was a
whimsical escapism from actuality specializing in Safari themed
clothes. The shops had WW II military jeeps popping out via the
entrance home windows!
This definitely wasn’t your common retailer. Regretfully, The Hole modified it into
a boring mall retailer and tossed out the entire nice quirks, like
their month-to-month catalog, which was a paper catalog with drawings of
their safari clothes, and fabulous anecdotes that went with them telling a fictionist tales that captivated the shopper. I all the time acquired a rush of pleasure when I discovered it in my mail field each month.
Nonetheless, I did get my
first couple of hats via them earlier than they become your fundamental,
boring mall retailer.
Their high quality was
significantly good on all the pieces, together with the Panama hats. I recall
their Panama’s ran $89.00 for a high of the road “Fino”. Right this moment,
whereas the sky is the restrict, the same hat will run about $130.00.
I completely cherished the
Panama hats and when The Hole turned Banana Republic right into a generic
mall rat retailer, I went on safari in the hunt for a brand new Panama. I
realized so much too!
I realized this subsequent word
earlier. Panama hats should not from Panama!
The story goes that when
the Individuals had been constructing The Panama Canal, hats from Ecuador had been
introduced in that they might shade their heads, whereas working digging
the canal.
They had been fairly trendy
and constituted of a straw, distinctive to Ecuador, known as “Toquia” (say
toe KEE a). The laborers constructing the canal realized they might make
some cash on the aspect promoting the hats within the US, in order that they shipped
them from Panama to San Francisco.
The retailers receiving
the hats that had been despatched from Panama, simply assumed they had been from
Panama and known as them Panama Hats. The title caught!
One of many cool issues
about Panama Hats after I purchased that first one, was that they weren’t
all that frequent, in order that they had been fairly distinctive. In case you had been sporting one
and handed somebody on the road who was additionally sporting one, you’d wave
and say “Hey! Good hat!”. It was sort of an unique membership,
with out the unique membership perspective and a enjoyable perspective.
Over the past thirty-nine
years I’ve had a great quantity of Panamas and I cherished each one! Plus,
I’ve all the time had no less than one. Certain, I’ve worn lots of baseball caps,
particularly on boats the place a Panama hat would possibly go flying away with a
wind gust. Nonetheless, I’ve all the time had them.
These days, no less than right here in
Key West, issues are accelerating within the Panama Hat gross sales. It is to
the purpose that wearers not acknowledge one another any extra.
You may see Panamas all over the place down right here as of late, it appears.
Hey, guess what? It doesn’t matter what
occurs, I am going to all the time have a Panama Hat at my disposal!
Rattling! These are significantly elegant hats!
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