bjgreen
(Image: Santa Barbara Daily News & Independent, May 23, 1914)
By Betsy J. Green
Why Is This Dude Smiling? He’s thinking about buying a spiffy new Panama hat, according to this ad from The Great Wardrobe. That store, located at 833 State Street, opened in 1886 and was one of the premier clothing stores in Santa Barbara through the 1940s.
Panama hats don’t really come from Panama — they are made in Ecuador. Why the name Panama? The hats are sent to Panama and shipped from there and, of course, once the Panama Canal opened, they must have been popular souvenirs. (The canal was finished in August 1914.)
Betsy’s Way Back When book — 1919 — is now available in local bookstores and at Amazon.com. This is the sixth book in her series of the history of Santa Barbara, one year at a time. Learn more at
Of course the Panama Hat wasn’t invented 100 years ago. It just became popular in Western Culture.
No…it was invented 185 years ago by Manuel Alfaro in Montecristo Ecuador. It’s been popular going to Panama coming from Guaqaquil and Manta for years long before the Panama Canal.