Traditional weaving of the Ecuadorian toquilla straw hat. Inscribed in 2012 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The toquilla straw hat is woven from fibres from a palm tree characteristic of the Ecuadorian coast. Coastal farmers cultivate the toquillales and harvest the stems before separating the fibre from the green outer skin. This is boiled to remove chlorophyll and dried for subsequent bleaching with sulfur over a wood fire.

Weavers take this raw material and begin weaving the crown and the brim of the hat. Weaving a hat can take from one day to eight months, depending on the quality and finesse. In Pile, a costal community, weavers produce extra fine hats that require specific climatic conditions and involve an exact number of points in each row of weaving. The process is completed by washing, bleaching, moulding, ironing and pressing.

We are exporting to many countries on all continents.

Hat Society's clientele spans across the ages appealing to teenagers with bright colours such as fuchsia, yellow, blue and lilac to a more mature clientele that prefer lighter and natural shades but nonetheless will dare to wear one of Hat Society's stylish bold and colourful hats.

With approximately 80 grams of weight and carefully selected toquilla palm fronds, this straw hat provides the ultimate comfort with a generous amount of shade for your face.

The secret of such a success is in the thinnest straw – “Toquillia”. In December 2012 during the committee session in Paris, UNESCO recognized weaving of Ecuadorian hats from Toquilla straw as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity. HATSOCIETY Straw Hat is a hand-made product, created without any chemicals or machine equipment.

Since 1630 Ecuadorian hats have covered many famous heads including Napoleon, Winston Churchill, Nikita Khrushchev, Paul Newman, Sean Connery, Mr. & Mrs. Harrison Ford, King George V of England, King Gustavus V of Sweden, President Herbert Hoover, Whitney Houston, Mr. & Mrs. Michael Jordon, President John F. Kennedy, Peter O’Toole, Arnold Schwartzenegger, President Harry S Truman, Mike Tyson, Sigourney Weaver, President Teddy Roosevelt and others.​

Not surprisingly, hat lovers have given an impressive welcoming to these 100% handmade Ecuadorian hats. “Our clientele prefer HAT SOCIETY hats for their quality, elegance and design. The legend of the straw hat is naturally associated with an sophisticated and refined lifestyle which is very appealing to our customers.” The hats which we present are normally 15 locks per inch, sometimes 35 locks per inch. Hence, the thinner lock is chosen - the more expensive a hat will be.