Among genuine Ecuadorian Panama hats, there are two great families: Montecristi and Cuenca. Both are woven from toquilla straw in Ecuador, but they are worlds apart in fineness, time, and price. Here is the real difference.
Cuenca hats
Named for the city of Cuenca, these hats are woven more quickly, often in a herringbone pattern, and in larger numbers. They are genuine toquilla-straw Panama hats and represent excellent value — a fine everyday hat at an accessible price.
Montecristi hats
Montecristi hats — the kind woven in the village of Pile — are the pinnacle of the craft. They are woven in a fine, round pattern entirely by hand, and the very finest take up to a year to complete. The weave is so dense and even that it can look and feel like linen. This is the calibre that was shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2017.
How to choose
- Choose Cuenca if you want a genuine, handsome Panama at an entry price.
- Choose Montecristi if you want the finest hat on earth — an heirloom woven by a master.
At Carranza, every hat is a hand-woven Montecristi from Pile, offered across seven grades of fineness. See how the grades compare, or explore the collection.
