Panama hat

Dobbs

ca. 1955 · straw, silk · Costume Institute

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.

Artist

Dobbs

Date

ca. 1955

Medium

straw, silk

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Laurice Khouri, 1965