Some are hat people and others are not. If you fall into the former category, to each his own is the general rule, whether that means a bowler, fedora, boater, fez or chullo. This accessory comes in all variations and usually carries interesting cultural baggage under their brims.

In the hierarchy of the summer hat, the Panama is certainly the dauphin and has been ruling the tropics like a charming dictator for hundreds of years. The famed accessory has trickled down to every aspect of our culture, from movies to politics. How can we forget the heroic anti-Nazi leader Victor Laszlo in Casablanca and the memorable adventures of detective Charlie Chan? The breathable lightweight straw hat has been associated with tropical locales such as South America and the Caribbean and it is usually seen paired with the perfect linen suit and the perfect gent.

The Panama has an interesting history worthy of its iconic status. The Oxford English Dictionary sites a use of the term as early as 1834 and a few 17th-Century Latin American artists adorned their saint and religious martyrs with the timeless accessory. Eloy Alfaro’s liberal Ecuadorian revolution was partly financed through the export of Panamas and even our late president Theodore Roosevelt picked up his own on his visit to the construction site of what would become the modern canal.

Interestingly enough the Panama hat is actually an Ecuadorian original. Most South American goods in the early 20th-Century were named after their point of international sale hence its title. The original is made of plaited leaves of the toquilla straw plant and its quality is measured by the number of weaves per square inch, the rarest and most valuable will reach up to 2,000 weaves per inch. But it is the quality of the weave that truly measures the luxurious from the faux. A good Panama can hold water and be folded for storage without damage, so don’t be fooled.

The iconic casual ease of the Panama has stood the test of time and will always be a true symbol of the unique flare and ease of tropical style. Look for your perfect custom-made Panama at well established hat makers such as Montecristi, Dobbs and Stetson.