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Rolling Your Panama Hat: What You Need to Know

Panama hats are a versatile and stylish choice for the avid traveller.

Lightweight and easy to pack, they can be rolled up and tucked away in your luggage, offering great convenience on the go.

However, before rolling your Panama, it's important to understand a bit more about the hat—how it's made, what it's made from, and how to care for it to ensure its longevity.

Considerations Before Rolling:

Aesthetic Impact: Rolling your Panama will likely alter its appearance. If you prefer your hat to maintain its original, crisp, pristine look, it’s best not to roll it. Over time, regular handling and rolling can affect the hats shape and overall look.

Maintaining Shape: It is possible to roll your Panama and still keep it in good shape, but additional care is needed. Some changes in appearance may occur depending on how often and how long the hat is rolled, but with the right steps, you can minimise these effects.

Quick Unrolling: Never store your Panama hat rolled for more than 24 hours. After traveling, unroll your hat as soon as you arrive at your destination to avoid the need for extra reshaping.

Reshaping Tips: If minor changes do occur, many of them can be corrected with proper care. A guide to reshaping the brim is included with your order, providing easy instructions to help restore your hat’s shape.

Preparation: Before attempting to roll your hat, we recommend wearing it for at least a week. This allows the hat to mould to your head shape and become more flexible for rolling.

Unravelling: Our hats are handwoven without the use of glue, preserving their traditional craftsmanship. However, rolling them can increase the risk of the weave loosening or unravelling over time.

 Rolling a Panama hat will likely shorten its lifespan.

Other Important Factors:

Hat Softness: The softness of your Panama will influence its ability to roll and regain its shape. Softer hats roll more easily and tend to bounce back better.

Choosing The Right Colour: White Panamas are typically softer than natural ones, while natural colours are softer than brown hats. We do not advise rolling our brown Panama hats (not to be confused with Natural).

Condition of the Straw: Panamas are designed for sun, but prolonged exposure to hot and dry climates can cause the straw to become brittle and prone to breaking when rolled. The natural humidity in tropical climates such as Ecuador helps keep the straw flexible, so it's important to store your hat carefully.

Storage Tips: When storing your hat (unrolled), placing some card inside can help preserve its shape.

Never Fold: Although Panama hats are often referred to as folding hats, we strongly advise against folding them. Always roll, never fold!

READY TO ROLL

Once you're ready and certain that rolling the hat is the right choice for you, follow these steps to roll it and prepare it for the tube.

remove cork strips from sweat band before rolling

How to roll a Panama:

Restoring Your Hats Shape 

Don’t worry—restoring your Panama hat to its original form is simple with the right care. Follow these steps to bring your hat back to life:

- Steam Treatment

Steam is one of the best ways to soften the fibres and reshape your hat.

What you'll need: A kettle or clothes steamer

Method: Hold your hat at a safe distance (about 6–8 inches) from the steam source. Be careful not to not burn yourself or get the hat too wet. Gently massage the areas that need reshaping using your fingers to mould the brim or crown back into place. Once the hat is reshaped, allow it to air dry naturally. Avoid using a hairdryer or placing it in direct sunlight. 

- Hand Shaping 

For mild misshaping, sometimes just using your hands can do the trick.

 Method: Gently manipulate the brim and crown by pressing, moulding, and smoothing the hat into its original form.