Along with the colorful array of caps, take note of the Panama hats, which aren't made in Panama at all. The name comes from the days of Panama Canal construction when construction crews imported the hats from Ecuador. Teddy Roosevelt visited the canal wearing one of these hats, thus popularizing the hats.
Made from plaited leaves of the Carludovica palmata, or panama hat palm, the hats come in various styles. made from the plaited leaves of the panama-hat palm. Despite the name, genuine Panama hats are made in Ecuador, not Panama. Their name comes from the fact that they came to prominence during the construction of the Panama Canal when thousands of the hats were imported from Ecuador for use by the construction workers. When Teddy Roosevelt visited the Canal, he wore such a hat, which increased its popularity.