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Rethinking the Panama Hat: Colombia's Sombrero Aguadeño photo by tusombreroaguadeno (via Instagram)

Rethinking the Panama Hat: Colombia's Sombrero Aguadeño

by : Nicole Brown posted :

Forget the common Panama hat and be at the forefront of adventure travel fashion with your very own Colombian sombrero Aguadeño. Similar to the Panama hat, the key difference is the location of production. Snag an authentic sombrero Aguadeño from Aguadas in the department of Caldas. So on your Colombian adventure tour make sure to leave some extra room in your suitcase and take a look below to discover more about this fine accessory.


A Sombrero Aguadeño in production photo by tusombreroaguadeno (via Instagram)
A Sombrero Aguadeño in production

Construction of Sombreros Aguadeños

This chic hat chiefly gets its name from the region in which it is made, the town of Aguadas. And just like everyone in a film knows how to dance, almost everyone in this village knows how to create these fabulous straw hats with an estimate of at least one hat-maker per family.

Made from iraca, a palm straw, these hats are durable and the weave created is very dense blocking out the rays of the sun. In order to make the hat, the artisans start by cutting off the leaves from this plant then splitting them into thin strips. They then let these pieces lay in the sun until they’re bleached a creamy white colour.

After the bleaching process, the pieces are then dunked in water and kept damp until a crafter is ready to start weaving. It’s important to keep the pieces damp to ensure that they will not snap during construction. Some artisans go through great lengths to prevent the pieces from snapping and will seek out damp caves near their towns to go sit in as they construct the hats. The moist air in these caves continually condition the pieces as the crafter weaves providing a perfect environment for the iraca strips.

Like other crafts, many of the crafters are women and children coming of age but men are also getting more involved in the construction in modern times. A sturdy Sombrero Aguadeño can take an artisan anywhere from one day to a week to weave, depending on the fineness, stitching and overall skill of the maker.

People from all classes enjoy their Sombrero Aguadeños and with personal flair being added to the construction, there are a variety of styles considered traditional. And of course, the denser the woven fabric, the higher the cost and the looser, quicker hats are more economical.


A finished Sombrero Aguadeño photo by tusombreroaguadeno (via Instagram)
A finished Sombrero Aguadeño

Aguadas and Where to Buy

Authentic Sombreros Aguadeños are very easy to find in many markets including the popular ones in Bogota. But if you’re lucky enough to visit Aguadas, you’ll be able to meet an artisan face-to-face and maybe even get a chance to tour a hat making facility.

And aside from creating some wonderful hats, the Aguadas region is also known for its coffee production as Aguadas is a protected UNESCO World Heritage site under the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia category. So while searching for your ideal sombrero, you’ll also be able to sip some top-notch coffee, nosh on a pionono pastry (sweet pastry) and listen to the sweet tunes of the pasillo music as Aguadas has multiple treasures to offer.


So be sure to reach out to your Colombian adventure tour specialist and he or she will be able to answer more questions about this traditional accessory as well as point you in the right direction towards authentic vendors.

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