San Francisco is one of the world capitals of fashion innovation, going back to Gold Rush days with the invention of the denim blue jean, and in fact the introduction of the packable panama hat to Nor…

"Fedora," an 1882 play starring Sarah Bernhardt, gave its name to a sensational soft hat worn by one of the actors. In the Victorian era, hats were stiff. Fashion that was soft, comfortable, and perh…

Looking back a century and more to the introduction of fine panamas to the world outside of Ecuador, the soft handwoven hats were transported folded in half and rolled, creating a crease that traverse…

On his trips to Cuenca, Stefan visited Maria Castillo and her family several times. On one occasion we had a request for a super large hat. At a shop in Cuenca Stefan bought the largest cooking pot he…

When we first designed the cowboy style Scout (we learned later the shape is a modified “Gus”), we shaped each panama by hand over steam, creasing the top of the crown and working in the "dents" on ei…