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HATS EVERYWHERE

For my fellow Aquarius gang…

I’m an Aquarius girl, and that’s who I am. I dislike mundane, basic, and uninspired individuals. I seem to embody all the clichés associated with my zodiac sign: unique, with a touch of a god complex, original, and fiercely loyal to my friends.

Since childhood, I’ve been captivated not by brands, but by the individual style of people—the colors, shapes of their clothes, and every distinctive detail, be it an accessory, a fragrance, or simply an attitude. I consider myself a sort of flâneur among those who surround me, which is why, strolling downtown in my city is a joy. I love observing the textures, fabrics, colors of the streets, and the living fashion palette.

As I matured and involved with the fashion world, I discovered one of the most influential fashion icons of all time, Iris Apfel, who stated, ‘Fashion you can buy, but style you possess.’ It’s a thought that often crosses my mind: Is style innate or acquired?

I’ve delved into numerous books and articles on the topic of ‘good or bad taste,’ yet I find myself questioning how one can judge another based on their preferences in food, clothing, literature, manners, cinema, or even home décor. I’ll admit, that I’m guilty of constantly assessing everyone around me. While I try to stop this, this tendency seems part of my subjective mind.

From a young age, I’ve understood the significance of standing out of the crowd. My father, another Aquarius, is a Panama Hat lover who made the hat an indispensable part of his daily outfit. He gave me much of his knowledge about hats, and he always instantly recognized new trends and even designed some fantastic models and ribbons. So, what defines my aesthetic?

What are my thoughts on style? For me, wearing a hat gives me a sense of security and empowerment. There’s something about wearing a hat that boosts my confidence; I can’t quite explain it, but it’s an integral part of my life. While certain shapes or styles make me feel particularly good, I think I embody the role of an ambassador for hats wherever I go. So today, I want to make a sort of collage about the last colors I have used during the last months, as a signal of my different moods! Which one do you like most?

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My last week on Cuenca

My time in Cuenca has come to an end. I lived there for about 5 years, had the most beautiful days in this cold city, and made some good friends. Something that I learned was to leave the impostor syndrome that I had since university. I started to believe in my writing and the positive impact I have with my voice. As a copy editor and also a journalist, life surprises me with interviews of very interesting and game-changing people: some of them were writers, other architects, chefs, designers, biologists, etc. I learned to understand other perspectives and put some order to the immense river of words I had inside me.

During my last week in Cuenca, I decided to visit one of the most important events of the year: The XVI Art Biennale. All along the city, there were different headquarters with expositions and creations of various artists from around the world. At each venue, there was the opportunity to intervene in certain works and also play with the exhibition space. For this edition, more than 25 national and international artists participated with works that highlighted the various social problems affecting Latin America. Illustrations, sculptures, videos, photos, and various artistic creations proposed a sensory approach to the different points of view.

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ITS ALMOST CHRISTMAS TIME!

Hi all,
I can´t believe we are in December, so close to Christmas! I´m sure everyone already have their gift list ready. In my case as a Literature student I would love to receive tons of books.
But… wouldn’t it be awesome if you received a lovely Panama hat as gift? I know it can be a strange idea in winter time, but at least in Ecuador, we don’t actually have any snow on winter, instead it is all sunny and bright (I know, did not intend to make you jealous).
For the people that live in sunny places like me, I recommend you our entire color range of Panama hats and for the ones that will enjoy a terrific winter, you can always wait for the spring to finally come.
My favorite hat models  for the season are these two. I love blue color (isn´t it obvius?):
tumblr_inline_ng4kx4IdAe1qfh26bYou can find them here.
My advice for you guys is that using a Panama hat sounds good for every occasion.  There are a lot of models and special moments for wearing the iconic accessory.
Andrea Lecaro.
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PLACES

CUENCA, A CHARMING CITY

Last Friday, I and a couple of friends visited Cuenca, one of the most small but beautiful cities of Ecuador. For this trip I chose the handsol hat model of the 2014 collection, Levi´s jeans, Tennis shoes and a pullover from Otavalo. During the weekend the city held two special events, Quitofest and the Orchid Film Festival. With more than 100 local and 50 internacional bands, 80.000 spectators, and 11 years of history, Quitofest is the biggest independent music event of Ecuador.  On the other hand, the Orchid Film Festival is a launching pad of intercultural exchange for worldwide producers, directors, writers, graphic designers, actors and aspiring students. The arrival of characters of international stature makes the Orchid Film Festival, for filmmakers and Ecuadorians abroad, a great attraction.
JAWe stayed in the Casa Del Río Hostal, near one an emblematic river of Cuenca, Tomebamba River. The view was pretty; the room was quiet and relaxing.  We were near Calle Larga (Long Street), where you can find many restaurants, bars and museums.
At our arrival a friend picked up and invited us to eat tacos. At night, we did tour of the old and modern parts of the city and we ate ice-creams in front of the cathedral.
On Saturday we took a tour bus, some photos were taken by my boyfriend José and my friend Leira. When we arrived to the viewpoint “El Turi”, the guide offered us a typical beverage “canelazo” (hot cocktail with cinnamon schnapps), due to the cold weather of Cuenca. We ended up in the stadium Alejandro Serrano Aguilar for the Quitofest.
A funny fact is that one of the photographers of Quitofest asked me to take a picture of my outfit, since my hat was drawing everyone´s attention. That reminded me of the difference between using this lovely hat and not. It was also a good decision, because the sunlight is strong on Ecuadorian highlands.
yopiOn Sunday morning we bought native handicrafts on Calle Larga and also some sweets on Concepta´s Church. Later we went to the Orchid Film Festival in “Casa de la Cultura” and after watching the movie “Belle Époque”, we were fortunate enough to meet the Spanish director Fernando Trueba. The travel was very entertaining and I did a lot of things, but without doubt the best part was sharing this experience with you guys, because it made me enjoy the trip twice!
Andrea Lecaro.
* I give a special thanks to José Manuel Ramírez and Eloïse Cornu, my work partners , for the english edition.
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Hi everyone,
My name is Andrea Lecaro and I´m from Guayaquil, Ecuador. I decided to take this long journey of blogging and give you some tips for your daily closet, that will include several ways of using these lovely and colourful hats everywhere. As for me I was born surrounded by hats, and got to fall in love with them from the very beginning, but my objective is to tell you the countless possibilities on how to wear hats and show you our amazing collections throughout the years. Maybe you can feel unsure about using an accesory in your head, but believe me the “Panama Hats” suit perfectly for everyone, just take a chance and follow me.
Ready, set, go.
PS: On my next article I will write about the controversy of the “Panama Hat” name and it´s history.
Andrea Lecaro.
 
 
 
 
Hola,
Mi nombre es Andrea Lecaro y soy de Guayaquil, Ecuador. He decidido crear un blog y darles algunas instrucciones para usar estos hermosos y coloridos sombreros, en cualquier lugar y con diversos conjuntos de ropa. En cuanto a mí, nací rodeada de sombreros y desde pequeña me enamoré de ellos. Aunque es posible que te sientas inseguro de usar un accesorio en la cabeza,  debes empezar a creer que el sombrero de paja toquilla le queda perfecto a todo el mundo, sólo arriésgate y sígueme.
Preparados, listos, fuera.
Pd: En el siguiente artículo hablaré sobre la controversia alrededor del nombre “Panama Hat” y la historia detrás. ¡Estén atentos!
Andrea Lecaro.

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A HAT GIRL

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