Caps for Sale: Topping It Off in Ecuador
Adventure Travel, Dispatches from the Road, Ecuador, Lost Girls, Peru, Photography & Video, Shopping & Style, Tours & Attractions — By Molly F on July 30, 2009 at 8:00 am
I did all that, sure, but I also…saw a lot of hats? Turns out, the famed Panama hat is actually an Ecuadorian original. Invented in Ecuador in the 16th century, the straw topper earned its Central American misnomer when it debuted at the 1855 Paris World Fair. Panama was the last port of call stamped on the shipment, and the nickname stuck.
I’d be miffed if I were Ecuador, but that didn’t seem to keep anyone from sporting their best caps. Check out my favorites, plus a few shots of the Museo del Sombrero de Paja Toquilla, or the Panama Hat Museum, in Cuenca.
2. This beachside vendor in Mancora, Peru got at least one group of Australians at our hostel to buy his wizard-y caps. I’d keep this look to the coast (though the brim would ease beachside reading).

4. The musuem opens up with a brief history of the hat. Of course, the walls display some of the store’s top designs.

5. In classic theme park style, the museum leads to a gift shop. Or in this case, the Casa Paredes Roldan, a Cuencan hat shop that has been crafting designs since 1946.

4 Comments
I want to have a "Mad Hatter" wedding. When/If I get married. Nice post.
Haha, great post! I had heard this rumor while in Panama, but now I know it's true. Love the pics. 🙂
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