What is jipijapa hat?

Jipijapa Hat (named after a town in Ecuador, once a centre for hat trade) or a Panama hat or just Panama is a traditional brimmed hat of Ecuadorian origin that is made from the plaited leaves of the toquilla straw plant. Straw hats woven in Ecuador, like many other 19 and early 20th century South American goods, were shipped first to the Isthmus of Panama before sailing to their destinations in Asia, the rest of the Americas, and Europe.