Fair Trade Rollable Panama?

[byronic]

Good day All,

Hoping that the good folks here chip in with their advice as the title question.

I'm currently in the MENA region where the sun beats down mercilessly nine months of the year and a hat is a necessity.

The only headgear I can find hear is the type I've never (and never will) wear - baseball caps.

I've been looking at packable/rollable Panamas as I don't yet own a Panama and they seem like a cool option.

The one that I keep coming back to is offered by a company called Tumi, as it meets my criteria:

Packable (I move around a bit - or at least I did until last year).

Fair Trade (I'd like to imagine that the people who make them are getting a fair wage).

Natural/brown-ish shade (white attire doesn't work well in a dusty environment)

Worldwide shipping (because how else am I going to get it).

I'd appreciate if other, more experienced members can share their thoughts before I go with Tumi.

Thanks in advance.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Good day All,

Hoping that the good folks here chip in with their advice as the title question.

I'm currently in the MENA region where the sun beats down mercilessly nine months of the year and a hat is a necessity.

The only headgear I can find hear is the type I've never (and never will) wear - baseball caps.

I've been looking at packable/rollable Panamas as I don't yet own a Panama and they seem like a cool option.

The one that I keep coming back to is offered by a company called Tumi, as it meets my criteria:

Packable (I move around a bit - or at least I did until last year).

Fair Trade (I'd like to imagine that the people who make them are getting a fair wage).

Natural/brown-ish shade (white attire doesn't work well in a dusty environment)

Worldwide shipping (because how else am I going to get it).

I'd appreciate if other, more experienced members can share their thoughts before I go with Tumi.

Thanks in advance.

No experience with Tumi, but my limited experience with rollable hats makes me think they do not do well with being rolled and unrolled regularly...or even more than a few times.

If you value fair trade then Brent Black might be your man. Not saying others don’t do it also, but BB is known for making sure the artisans are treated fairly.

https://www.brentblack.com/mens-montecristi-panama-hats.html

 

[byronic]

If you value fair trade then Brent Black might be your man. Not saying others don’t do it also, but BB is known for making sure the artisans are treated fairly.

Good to know and thank you. Glancing at their site, it seems they have an extensive range. So that's my evening reading taken care of.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Good to know and thank you. Glancing at their site, it seems they have an extensive range. So that's my evening reading taken care of.

You’re welcome. I’ve accepted that I will never own a Brent Black Panama hat. Beautiful works of art, but way outside of my price range. Let us know what you end up with.

 

[Edward]

A Panama can be a tricky thing given that - as you've no-doubt discovered - the really good ones can be eye-wateringly expensive. I don't know the brand the OP mentions, but it does sound similar to something I had a few years ago. In terms of Fair Trade, if you're buying from a huge reseller on eBay sending from China, it's.... unlikely, but otherwise, to a certain extent you do have to take the company at their word, watching for any warning signs of dishonesty (e.g. stolen photos). I had something similar to what you describe myself about ten years ago. It was fairly decent; lasted about three or so years of heavy Summer wear; I think it might have lasted much longer if I'd avoided the rolling. As others have noted, rolling is harder on any spots where it folks.

If you're not strictly wedded to a very traditional panema, another good alternative is the Akubra Capricorn. I have a couple of those I've had for ten years that are still wearing well (barring a little peeling on the pleather sweatband). The polystraw can look a little shiny when new but that soon wears off, and they are superb at coping with rain and drizzle.

 

[johnnycanuck]

This is where I have got my Panama hats from.
https://www.panamahatsdirect.com/?do=closed_delay
minor curiosity. What do you mean by fair trade?
Johnny

 

[jlee562]

This is where I have got my Panama hats from.
https://www.panamahatsdirect.com/?do=closed_delay
minor curiosity. What do you mean by fair trade?
Johnny

https://www.tumi.co.uk/pages/our-fair-traded-policy