Why chose ‘The Farfalle’ Panama?

At first glance, a Panama hat appears simple: pale, lightweight, quietly elegant. But it carries a story that is anything but.

Despite the name, the Panama hat is not from Panama at all. It is woven in Ecuador, from the fibres of the Carludovica palmata, known as toquilla straw. For centuries, artisans have split, softened and woven these fibres by hand, often in cool, shaded workshops where the material remains supple enough to handle. The finest examples can take weeks, even months, to complete.

The misnaming traces back to the early 20th century, during the construction of the Panama Canal. Hats made in Ecuador were shipped to Panama, where they were sold to workers and travellers passing through this vital trade route. When Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing one during a visit to the canal in 1906, the image travelled widely. The name, incorrectly but permanently, stuck.

Over time, the Panama hat has come to signify a particular kind of ease it’s refined but not showy.

It has been worn by figures as varied as Humphrey Bogart, who lent it cinematic cool, and Gianni Agnelli, whose approach to dressing made it feel entirely effortless. It appears with summer tailoring, on city streets, and in quieter, more rural settings with the same underlying quality: considered simplicity.

A Panama is breathable, light, and capable of remarkable fineness. When woven tightly, it takes on a soft, almost cloth-like quality while retaining its structure. It shades the face without weight, making it particularly suited to warm climates.

But it does require a degree of care. Water can disturb the fibres, and excessive handling will, over time, soften the form and potentially crack at the pinch point. It is not a hat for careless use, but for those who value material and old-school charm.

At TO’CA, the interest in Panama straw lies not in its name or its reputation, but in its integrity.

It is a material shaped by time in both the making and the wearing. It rewards patience, and asks for a certain attentiveness in return. In a world of faster alternatives, that alone gives it value.

A Panama is not for every day, nor for every condition. But when chosen well, and worn with understanding, it offers something enduring: clarity of form, lightness of touch, and a quiet, lasting presence.

At TO’CA, this respect for material is balanced with a lightness of spirit. A considered hat need not be overly serious. Here, ‘The Farfalle Panama’ is finished with a quietly playful trim; the Petersham ribbon is moulded into a bow, edged with a hand-embroidered zigzag, drawing on the familiar form of a much-loved pasta shape. A small detail, but one that brings together two simple pleasures: sunshine and food.

For those interested in looking further, The Panama Hat Trail by Tom Miller offers a rich account of the hat’s Ecuadorian roots and its journey into global culture.