Holaaa, hellooo,hallooo, ciao, salut, こんにちは,
Where do you use your Panama Hat, Panama Hut, Chapeau Panama, Cappello Panamá, Chapéu-panamá, etc.? When you put the #PanamaHat, I have seen plenty of photos all around the world in Instagram. Indeed, our iconic hat has travelled all around the globe, and has also been on top of many important heads. This first post is a ode to the worldwide use of this accesory.
Why don’t you send me some pictures to andrea@ecua-andino.com? #SpreadthePanamaHat and find out how tons of people wear this hat.
Stay in touch,
Andrea
Helloooo,
Last Sunday, I was in company of some lovely people, part of the Panama Hat Tour, organized by Ecua-Andino along the coast of Ecuador. The goal was to discover the origin and traditional process of making a Panama hat.
To sum it up, the hat process starts after the artisans collect in the coast mountains a bulk of toquilla palm and tie it into bundles of 8, we went to the town of Barcelona and saw how they boiled the toquilla palm in a large cauldron of hot water. Once the cogollos were cooked, they took them out of the cauldron and let them dry (for about 2 days). The following step is to send the dry toquilla palm to some places in the highlands or to other nearby communities so the weaving process can start.
Our trip continued and we stopped in Olón, ate some delicious sweets in a pastry shop named Los dulces de Benito, I had an amazing Tres Leches after which we carried on with our travel and made a stop in Puerto Lopez for lunch. Back on the road we decided to discover one of our best beaches here in Ecuador, so we went to Los Frailes and took some really cool pictures.
Eloise (a work partner/friend), also both special friends: Krystell and Virgit Canaz ( a fashion blogger: Preppy Fashionist.com)
As we arrived in Montecristi, the weather changed completely, and it started to rain a lot! But that was not bothering us at all as we really wanted to know the process of our beloved hats. So we went to a Panama Hats factory and were taught the last part of the hat making process such as cutting the edges and ironing the Panama Hat. At the end of the day we were so tired but definitely had a great time.
For this occasion I wore a T-shirt printed with the ironic phrase “I’m not a blogger”, a pair of shorts and a black classic Panama Hat that you can find here.
Wait for another post very soon,
Andrea Lecaro
Hi guys,
Today I wanted to share with you a little secret…I must tell you that even if I am super skinny I just love food above all (except above books of course).
This is why I really enjoy to discover new places to eat around the city.
On Monday I went to a really nice place here in Guayaquil, named Mono Goloso. I found them on www.facebook.com/elmonogoloso and since last month I REALLY wanted to taste their desserts and pastries. The decoration is very minimalist, Art Nouveau (Toulouse Lautrec look alike posters), and quite cozy.
For this occasion I wore a beautiful polka dot dress with a red Panama hat, you can find it here.
I definitely recommend you to have a coffee break there, with friends or family. It fits for any occasion and do try their Chocolatine, a dream! If you want a warm croissant go early on the morning, that´s my best advice for you.
See you soon for more articles.
Andrea Lecaro
This is my first post in the Hat fiction section.
As I Literature student and fashion lover, I wanted to mix both worlds as French designer Olympia Le Tan did with her book clutches.
Moreover, I realized how most classic novels are full of details in the way writers describe the characters outfits, and many of us remember “Jay Gatsby, standing outside his darkening mansion in that «gorgeous pink rag of a suit» or Anna Karenina at a ball, elegant in velvet, Venetian lace and a garland of pansies; Holly Golightly, effortlessly chic in dark glasses, a slim cool black dress, black sandals, a pearl choker». (Gordon, 2009)
So I was wondering how to start, and then I thought about my first childhood literature character, the legendary “Tom Sawyer”. This iconic Mark Twain´s character appeared in my life when I was 12 years old. I will always remember the big pink book with that special cover. The story captivated me a lot, and I would imagine that I was part of Tom’s Sawyer gang (maybe Becky…who knows?) .
Do you recognize this part of the story?
You know what’s cool? Ecua-Andino also has a model called Tom Sawyer, frayed on the brim and with a casual look, perfect for a day in the countryside.
You can find this model here
Let’s stay in touch and don’t forget to feed back with comments,
Andrea Lecaro
Referencies:
Gordon, Helen. (2009) Off to page: Fashion in Literature. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/sep/19/fashion-in-literature
Hellooooo,
Last Friday I went to one of my favorites bands concert “Monsieur Periné” (a Colombian band). At the beginning I was a little afraid to be the only one going there (some of my friends did not like the group and the others could not go). But one thing was pretty sure, I would be listening to them with my Panama Hat. No matter if I was alone, that night I would be the dancing queen. I had a very busy week, and all I wanted was to enjoy a marvelous night. And I really did!
Picture by Vicho Gaibor
First, there were two Ecuadorian musicians: one singer named Ricardo Pita and another band named Salú, both had a great swing. When Catalina, the vocalist of Monsieur Periné, arrived on stage, she not only sang all my favorites songs, but she also interacted with all the public. Her personality catched our attention a lot, and in the backstage when I told her I loved the band, she told me: “I saw you were singing all night” and then she HUGGED ME <3 But the best part you know what it was? : I GAVE HER MY HAT. Unfortunately I only have a blurred image L because there were lots of people there that pushed me away.
Picture by Ricardo Bohorquez
At the end of the concert I was so tired of jumping, dancing and singing, that believe me or not when I came home I just fell on my bed like a brick.
You can find the hat here: http://www.ecua-andino.com/index.php/e-shop/classic/panama-classic-navy.html
And in case you didn’t know their music have a look at this link: https://soundcloud.com/monsieurperine/sets/hecho-a-mano-1
Andrea
We can all recognize the classic outline of a Panama Hat. In fact, it might be the only hat model with the natural/beige color and shape completely sticked on our mind…but what happens when we decide to take this singular hat and make an entire change with it?
In 2013, Ecua-Andino organized during a whole week few events that promoted artistic activities around our iconic hat, the event was named “Sombrero-Arte” and took place in our Central Arts Theatre. The main purpose of this gathering was to showcase our cultural heritage and artistic background.
Here is a quote from Carole and Nigel, journalists from the legendary English Hat Magazine:
”The evening brought together a rare combination of talents, and the hats decorated and worn by the audience far exceeded the expectations of the judging panel. Eventually six finalist were chosen, and from these a winner! The programme of song, poetry and music, combined to make this a unique evening of friendship and cultural artistry, based on a heritage”
There are so many possibilities for your inner expression, and you do not need to be the greatest painter on earth or the next Van Gogh. Everyone has a lot of or a little bit of creativity, so why don’t you try it out…use some art materials, choose a Panama Hat and start to decorate it?
Soon I will be posting a picture of my very own one!
Keep in touch!
Andrea Lecaro
You can find the model here.
Have a wonderful week,
I visited it with the company of my boyfriend, he took the photos and encouraged me to smile even tough I was a little shy. You will find below some photos.
The weather was cloudly, but nothing can stop me from using my beloved Panama hat by Ecua-Andino. I wore a T-shirt that I customized myself with a printed face of one of my special Argentinian writers, Julio Cortázar, a black skirt and ballerina flats. But without a doubt my best choise was the hat with the wine color.
You can match any outfit with the correct Panama hat and no matter if the sky is gloomy you will alway look very stylish.
You can find the model here.
Andrea Lecaro.
You 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.
