subject: Get A Panama Hat Yourself This Summer [print this page] Hats are head accessories worn by both men and women. These are worn for both protection from the sun or cold weather and for decorative purpose. Many people like to wear hats while going for parties and social gatherings. People wearing different kinds of hats are common to be seen in such events. Some classy designs of hats are worn by men and women as a status symbol.
Many people like keeping a collection of hats made in different designs and colors. Panama hats are a very popular design of hats which are essential to be included in a hat collection. These have a wide base and a raised part above the base. These are round in shape but the raised part is often given an edgy shape from the front side. These hats are also called Toquilla straw hats as they are made from a tree named toquilla. The straws obtained from this tree are the basic building material of these hats. This straw is a fibrous material which is of an ivory kind of a shade.
The fibers obtained from these trees are picked and kept for as long as two to three years before they are considered ready to be woven. When dried properly, these straws are cut in required shapes and sizes. The straws can be dyed into different colors or bleached to white to obtain hats of various colors. Once dried, cut and colored or bleached, they are ready to go through the weaving process. The weavers of these hats are usually weaving since many generations. They know many techniques of weaving to give different looks to different hats.
The fiber used to make these hats can possess different levels of superiority. The straws as taken out from the trees are very thick in shape. Hats made from these thick straws are meant for rough use like by the farmers who cultivate lands while working in the harsh sun. These are woven by using 5 to 7 braids and have more open spaces and holes in between. These thick straws are divided from the center and made thin to produce finer quality hats. This division of the fiber can be done several times to produce a very thin fine quality fiber. These fine quality hats use up to 40 braids and the gaps between the braiding are very small. This gives a very fine finish to the hats. Such fine quality hats are the first choice of women as these are classy and elegant in looks.
Generally the natural ivory colored hats are the most favorite of all, some people especially men prefer white colored hats. Other colors like pink, lavender and light yellow are womens favorite and they like to wear it with same color dresses. With the fashionable appearance of these hats, they also provide the wearer with utmost comfort and protection from any kind of weather. These are very durable and it is said that the finest quality Panama hats are able to retain water. The light weight of these hats makes them even more comfortable to wear.
