Born in the early 19th century in Ecuador, the Panama Hat is as classic as it gets.  We love Pachacuti’s line of fair trade hats and most importantly, their company principals.  The UK-based company works directly with women’s co-operatives in Ecuador, where they carry out the entire production process from weaving to finishing and thus retain far more of the final value of the hat. Pachacuti is also the first fair trade company in the world to complete the pilot for the new World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) certification.  Watch this video and you’ll understand why each hand woven hat is truly worth every penny.

(Pachacuti Panama Hats $50-$150, video by Daniel Gautreau via Layered Goods)