By Fred Belinsky, VillageHatShop.com

We receive many emails and phone calls asking for information about  Panama hats. This letter (below) that we send to customers who purchase  a Montecristi Fino may be of use to those of you who are considering a  purchase or are curious to learn more about these hats.

Dear Customer,

Congratulations on your purchase of a Panama Montecristi Fino. As you  may know, these hats are painstakingly woven by hand in and around the  small town of Montecristi, Ecuador. The locals know the plant  (carludovica palmata) as paja toquilla. Buying this hat in its  unblocked state, and without a sweatband and fixed trim, has advantages  and disadvantages. I have traveled around the world with my basic  unblocked Montecristi Fino hat and it has served me very well. But  because most hats in North America come to the retail market in a more  finished state, your hat requires some explanation.

1. Portability: Many know these hats because they can be rolled like  fine linen and stored in a balsa wood box, often with the Ecuadorian flag decorating the box (we have included one with your purchase). This  is true, but the owner must understand that this will create a crease  in the crown of the hat. For many (like myself) this is no problem -  the crease becomes a style point, not dissimilar from the optimo  style crown (a style that almost certainly was born from the fact of  this crease which runs laterally on the hat from the front of the head  to the back). Half the hat is folded into the other half and it is  carefully rolled from there. The big cigar shape is then held in place  by doubling or tripling the grosgrain trim (that otherwise adorns the  hat at the base of the crown helping to snuggly hold the hat on one's  head). From there, the hat can be stored in the box, packed in a  suitcase, or (as I have been known to do) put in the pocket of one's  trousers when walking about and choosing not to wear the hat. When the  hat is unrolled, it may take some minutes (or longer) for the material  to relax and expand so that it is again "a hat". Constantly rolling and  unrolling your Panama hat will shorten its life span, as the straw will  eventually crack. If you are a stickler for getting the absolute most  time of service from products that you purchase, we recommend not  rolling your hat.
   
   
2. Sweatband: Note that your hat does not have one. If it did, its  portability via rolling would be greatly compromised. This is the hat in its most basic form as per its fabled pre-Columbian history. The  hat's inside, where contact is made with one's forehead, will discolor  via sweat markings over time.
   
   
3. Trim: We have included two options. a. The traditional grosgrain  ribbon. Place the hat on your head. Run the ribbon around the base of the crown and pull it so that the hat fits snuggly, not too tight, on  your head. Tie a knot or make a bow at the point where the fit is most  comfortable. Typically this knot or bow is slid to the left side for  man and to the right side for woman. NOTE THAT THIS TRIM CINCHING THE  HAT ON YOUR HEAD CREATES A NICE LOOKING STYLE. Until now, you may have  been wondering, "This is a hat?" - now hopefully you see it. Read  number one above for the function of this trim while packing your hat  for travel. b. The elastic trim. During a trip to Ecuador, we  discovered some upscale boutiques sold trim that was elasticized so  that the hat wearer could simply stretch the trim onto the hat. When we  returned to California, we purchased the material and now make these  ourselves. We have included one, at no charge, as an option.
   
   
4. Blocking: If owning an unblocked hat, without a sweatband and trim,  is not your predilection, you can either purchase a finished Panama hat  or have your hat blocked and finished yourself. Peruse Panama Hats at  our web site, www.VillageHatShop.com, for many examples of finished  Panama hats in various qualities and styles. Or, research someone in  your vicinity who blocks and finishes hats. Collaborate with him/her,  given the limitations of the hatter's blocks, trims, and sweatband  materials, and have a custom hat finished to your specifications.  [Note: People who do this work in North America are few and far  between. Your options locally may be limited.]
   
   
5. Care: See the care instructions that we have included with your hat.

Like any article of clothing that is worn, this hat has a life span -  it will not last forever. Many value these hats beyond simple apparel -  they are beautiful and as the artisan weavers get old or die, fewer  young people are choosing this arduous career. The hat owner must  decide for himself/herself how to balance these questions and  ultimately, how much to use these hats versus admiring them from a  distance.

Enjoy your hat!

Fred Belinsky
www.VillageHatShop.com
www.Panamas.com