Panama cap set to add sizzle to Glorious Goodwood

The iconic Panama hat could be usurped at Glorious Goodwood (30th July–3rd August) this week with the arrival of the first-ever Panama cap.

The new style, which will have traditionalists bristling, has been made by award-winning hatters as a way of giving the quintessentially British race meeting a 21st century twist.

One hundred years after King Edward VII caused uproar at Glorious Goodwood by donning a Panama hat and linen suit in contravention of the then traditional morning dress, the Panama cap could create a similar stir amongst today’s racing stalwarts.

The Panama cap, a modern take on the hat which has been synonymous with Glorious Goodwood for a century, is bound to be popular amongst a younger, fashion-conscious crowd of racegoers.

The cap, which is made from the traditional woven Panama straw and which sports the famous red and yellow of the West Sussex racecourse, is expected to vie for favouritism amongst racegoers at this week’s renewal.

Carry Somers, founder of Fair Trade hatters Pachacuti said, “Summer horseracing is famous for Panamas so we’re hoping this modern twist on a fashion classic will appeal to both men and women who want to make a style statement at the races.”

The deceptively named Panama hat originated in Ecuador and can be traced back to 4000 BC. However, it wasn’t until the 1800s that the hat became popular in other countries. A Frenchman, Philippe Raimond who lived in Panama, exhibited the toquilla hat at the 1855 World Fair in Paris. Ecuador wasn’t mentioned as the country of origin at the fair and the hat was wrongly christened the ‘Panama Hat’.

Panama caps can be ordered on a bespoke basis from Pachacuti www.panamas.co.uk from £87.

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