Panama hat
Introduced to American men in the early part of the 20th century, the panama hat survives as a classic style still worn to combat the heat of summer or of the tropics. The hat's characteristic material, a light-colored fine flexible straw, allows it to be rolled and packed, making it ideal for travel. Adopted by workers building the Panama Canal (1904-1914), the style became associated with that country, rather than Ecuador, where it originated. High-quality hats are traditionally made in the town of Montechristi, as the label of this hat attests. When Theodore Roosevelt donned a panama hat during his landmark visit to the Canal in 1906, he contributed to the popularity of the style for American men.
Artwork Details
- Title: Panama hat
- Designer: Dobbs (American, New York)
- Date: ca. 1955
- Culture: American
- Medium: straw, silk
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Laurice Khouri, 1965
- Object Number: 2009.300.2872
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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Dobbs
1940s
Dobbs
1928–30
Dobbs
1928–30
Dobbs
ca. 1940
Dobbs
ca. 1958
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