Montecristi – The last Panama hats weavers

PHOTOS : WHIB/P. VIROT
TEXT : P. VIROT/ECUADOR_US

In Montecristi, Ecuador live a handful ofmaster weavers, the creators of the finest straw hats in the world “Montecristi Panama Hats”.
Hats so fine, they almost defy description.
Montecristi Panama hats are made from toquilla straw, hand-split into strands not much thicker than thread and woven so
finely, at first a Panama hat appears to be made from linen.
Masterpieces of detail, the edges of these panama hats are woven back into the brim never trimmed and sewn like lesser quality panama hats. Each Panama hat is woven by a single artisan, hand-blocked, and takes months to complete. Because there are so few master weavers of Panama hats left (two generations ago there were 2000 Panama hat weavers; today there are about 20 weavers of Panama hats), these works of woven art are becoming endangered to the point of disappearing. The finest of finest Panamas look like silk and cost from 10,000$ or more on the retail market.