How To Shape A Straw Panama Hat

Restoring a straw hat s shape.

How to shape a straw panama hat. Toquilla straw will withstand light moisture but a soaking will cause the hat to lose its shape. You can use your hands to gently press out any folds or dents on the surface use copious amounts of tissue paper to line the crown for a few hours to ensure the straw strands adjust to the new shape. A blow dryer on a low heat setting can be used to dry the hat as you are reforming its shape. Hold the hat in steam over boiling water and mold the hat back into shape.

The exercise starts with selecting the right palm foliage which is then boiled and dried in the tropical winds all the while making sure the straw is not directly exposed to the sun. The panama s elegant shape and lightweight breathable qualities make it the perfect choice for hot sunny weather and therefore a panama hat should be in the wardrobe of any serious sartorialist. It might be true that you can roll one of the better grades of panama straw up without doing permanent harm to the weave of the hat but no matter the grade of straw the hat won t pop back into the same crisp shape in which it began its life. Steam the straw until it is damp.

Shaping the brim on a straw cowboy hat fill a steamer with water plug it in and let it get hot. Fill the hat with a bowl then place it right side up on a hard surface. If you don t have a clothes steamer a tea pot with a spout will also work. There it is better known as sombrero de paja toquilla or simply straw hat.

Starting out it is essential to check if your straw hat needs steaming. After you ve steamed the hat put a bowl folded towel or other object inside the hat. Clean any dirt and dust off your hat while waiting for the steamer or pot to start making steam. Step 2 using a steamer or the steam setting on your iron run along the misshapen part of the hat as close as you can get it without allowing the steamer or iron to touch the straw.

This will help its crown further. The first is the notion that you can roll a panama straw hat up and it ll pop back into shape when all is said and done. You could also use a spoon to mold the hat s shape while. A genuine panama hat is hand woven and is made from toquilla straw with the process of making one being long drawn and taking months to finish.