Up for offers we have a fantastic vintage Stetson Premier panama hat. Tags, stamps, and trimmings indicate an early-to-mid-1950s production date. Back then, Stetson\'s Premier line featured some mighty nice straw hats, and this panama is certainly no exception---it\'s a really sharp-looking lid. More importantly, the crown of this Stetson Premier panama features a unique weave pattern that will make this hat stand out even if you should find yourself in a crowd of vintage-panama-sportin\' gents (in this regrettably hatless epoch of ours, such a circumstance may be pretty unlikely, but ya never know).Zoom in on the pics above to see what I mean: when you do, you\'ll note the hat\'s brim is expertly woven of paja toquilla straw in the traditional fashion normally employed by the industrious Ecuadorian weavers who for generations have been crafting lovely panama hat bodies by hand (if you\'re reading this, I assume you already know \"panama\" hats have always been made in Ecuador---not Panama---and you\'re probably plenty familiar with the reasons for this famous historic misnomer). However, the paja that forms this Stetson\'s crown is woven in a different pattern that we seldom see in a panama hat. It seems this pattern was devised with ventilation in mind---yet the weave isn\'t as open as the more familiar \"semi-calado\" ventilated panama weaves you may have encountered. I suppose this pattern may have been an attempt at achieving a happy medium between the polished look & sturdier construction offered by a traditional \"closed\" weave and the ventilation properties of a semi-calado, which by definition produce a less firmly constructed crown. To my eye, this subtly ventilated weave pattern bears a resemblance to the \"Leghorn\" weaving style (Leghorn straw hats were another variety of summer headwear popular throughout much of the 20th century). Anyway, I may not know exactly what those talented Ecuadorian weavers of yesteryear called this unique-looking weave, but I\'m certain it produced a distinctive & eminently practical straw hat.The honchos at Stetson back in the 50s must\'ve felt the same way, since they imported this beautifully woven body, blocked & trimmed it in classic fedora fashion, and placed it in their \"Premier\" line of top-flight summer hats. Once you have this remarkable lid in hand, I have no doubt you\'ll be mighty glad they did just that. If you\'ve been looking for a high-quality vintage panama to help ensure you\'ll be both feeling cool and looking cool this summer, this classic Stetson will be hard to beat! Read on for all the pertinent specs & condition details:Size & Dimensions: Tagged \"1/4\", which was Stetson\'s shorthand for size 7 1/4. I measure the internal circumference (hard to do with absolute accuracy) as just shy of 22 5/8\". I wear a size 7 1/4 myself and while this hat fits me just fine, I will note it\'s just a little on the snug side (it\'s the sort of lid that fits me best right after I\'ve had a haircut). If you happen to measure in at the \"large end\" of size 7 1/8, you may want to give this one a whirl, also.Brim measures 2 5/8\" wide; the edge of the brim is beautifully backwoven (a painstakingly backwoven brim like this one is a sure-fire sign of a high-class panama). Crown is blocked in a classic \"C\" crown shape; it measures 5 1/4\" tall at highest point. Silk crepe puggaree band is 1 7/8\" wide. Brown leather sweatband is 1 3/4\" wide.Condition: This hat is nearing 60 years of age, yet it still looks pretty great. The attractive light golden shade of the paja straw is beautifully complemented by the crimson silk crepe puggaree. As you can see in the pics, there are a couple of smudges at the puggaree\'s attachment points that we typically see on a straw hat that dates back this far, but they don\'t detract from the hat\'s fetching profile in any way---in fact, since they\'re evenly spaced & symmetrical, the casual observer is likely to think they\'re just a pattern purposefully printed on the puggaree itself (check out the close-up pics to see what I mean). The straw hat body is still clean, supple & flexible. No stains or other signs of handling. The only blemish I see on this hat is hidden away out of sight underneath the brim: if you look at the last pic, you\'ll see a small bead of what appears to be epoxy. It seems the hat\'s original owner applied that to repair a little tear in the brim & prevent it from spreading. That\'s a quick `n dirty fix, but it seems to have done the trick---on the other side of the brim, this fellow\'s repair work isn\'t even visible. I guess after that little incident, this gent must\'ve treated his panama with the proverbial kid gloves---I don\'t see any other damage or signs of use. Apart from that little vintage repair, this old Stetson panama is in pretty remarkable shape!Inside the hat, the leather sweatband is still soft & flexible; it exhibits nothing more than a bit of mild wear. Stitching is tight. Stamped in gold on the leather: the Stetson logo, \"Stetson Premier Genuine Panama\" and \"Exclusive Hatters Allen & Hunter 1218 Market St Wheelin, W. VA\" (the name & location of the hat\'s original retailer). The silk tipping pad bearing the Stetson Premier crest is unblemished & still firmly affixed in the crown tip. If you take a close look at pic #10, you can see the crown\'s interior still bears that familiar purple stamp the various Ecuadorian weaving communities used to identify their handiwork.As the pics above make clear, this Stetson is a humdinger of a vintage panama. Of course, what else would you expect from America\'s #1 20th century hat company? I\'ve been collecting vintage lids for a long time now, and I\'ve only run across panamas featuring this interesting variety of crown weaving once or twice before. This type of ventilation pattern doesn\'t show up that often---and you can bet your boots you won\'t see such a carefully crafted summer hat on the shelves today. As the years go by, glorious vintage panamas like this Stetson are becoming more & more scarce; if this fantastic summer hat fits, don\'t let it get away! Offered at a low starting offer with . Thanks for reading & happy offerding!I describe these vintage items to the best of my ability; unless I\'ve made a demonstrable error in my description, all sales are final. Having said that, I will also stipulate that I will do everything within reason to ensure our transaction is a pleasant one. If you have any questions or concerns, don\'t hesitate to contact me; I will respond promptly and do what is necessary to resolve the matter to our mutual satisfaction. Shipping includes delivery confirmation & insurance. International buyers: I handle overseas shipping on a case-by-case basis. If you live outside the US, please contact me before you offer.