Panama Hat Weather Is Here!

April 25, 2025

When the sun finally decides to stay out for more than an afternoon, we reach for straw that breathes. A well-woven Panama keeps glare out of your eyes and heat off your head without ever feeling stuffy—just ask the 114 customers who’ve left five-star reviews on our long-running Panama Fedora. ​It’s still the house favorite for mowing a lawn, strolling a farmers’ market, or—if you’re lucky—cheering in the stands at Churchill Downs on Derby Day. And if you need a last-minute Mother’s Day surprise, a feather-light brim beats flowers that wilt by Tuesday.

Why Panamas? They start with toquilla fiber, hand-split and hand-woven in Ecuador. The straw is naturally light, tough, and airy; a tight weave even sheds a fair share of the sun’s UV sting while letting sweat evaporate instead of collect.​ In practical terms: breathable comfort, packable strength, and a look that plays just as nicely with linen as it does with jeans.

There’s a Panama for just about every kind of day ahead. If you’re dressing up for a wedding or a Sunday outing, the Panama Fedora has that easy, ageless style that feels right without trying too hard. Out on the golf course or sitting back at a barbecue, the Gambler Panama — with its wide brim and rolled edge — feels like it was made for leaning back and enjoying the afternoon. When the heat’s really cooking, you’ll be glad to have the Featherweight Panama, a hat so light you’ll forget you’re wearing it until you notice how cool you’ve stayed. For the folks who still put in their hours in the sun, the Rancher’s Panama brings a little extra toughness, ready for fence mending or garden work without a second thought. City days call for something a little sharper, and that’s where the Torino Panama steps in, with a crisp shape that looks just as good stepping off the train as it does at a summer dinner. And new this season, the Piero Panama keeps things simple — clean lines, a light hand, and the kind of easy comfort you’ll reach for without thinking twice.

Did You Know? Straw Hat Day, later known in some places as Felt Hat Day, was the unofficial deadline when it became socially expected to swap your lightweight straw hat for a heavier felt one. In 1922 New Yorkers got so upset about folks not switching from straw to felt that they began yanking Panamas off strangers’ heads, stomping them flat, and even setting some to flames. The eight-day “Straw Hat Riot” ended with arrests, bruised egos, and hundreds of ruined lids—all because someone wore summer straw past the unofficial deadline.​

One housekeeping note: the Darwin Panama is on back-order until May 30. If that’s the shape you’re after, place the order now and we’ll ship the moment the shipment lands. In the meantime, the rest of the lineup is ready for porch swings, garden beds, and every sunny mile in between. Slip one on, feel the breeze, and enjoy the season—it was made for this hat.

What sets Akubra Hats apart from the rest?

April 18, 2025

When you hold an Akubra, you’re not just holding a hat—you’re holding a physical piece of Australian heritage. Each one is the result of a meticulous six-week process, involving over 60 skilled hands at the Kempsey factory. This dedication to craftsmanship ensures that every hat is built to endure.

For over a century, Akubra has been a symbol of the Australian outdoors. First worn by stockmen, drovers, and cattle station workers, the hat quickly became a fixture of rural life—not just for its durability, but for the sense of identity it carried. It shaded long eyes during long days under the sun and held up to years of hard use on the land. Over time, Akubra found its way from cattle stations to city streets, from war memorials to Olympic podiums, without ever losing touch with its roots.

The journey begins with rabbit fur, chosen for its unique combination of softness, strength, and water resistance. Unlike wool or synthetic blends, rabbit fur felts tightly and evenly, creating a dense, durable material that stands up to the harshest weather. It’s this quality that gives Akubra hats their trademark longevity and comfort. The fur is cleaned, blended, and formed into a cone shape where—through moisture and heat—the fibers are interlocked into felt. The felt is then dyed, shaped, and treated to handle years of wear in the sun and rain.

The final stages involve precise shaping, trimming, and finishing touches. Each hat is carefully inspected to meet Akubra’s high standards. This attention to detail is why Akubra hats are not only stylish but also incredibly rugged, capable of lasting decades with care.

For a closer look at this intricate process, check out this segment from ABC Landline:
How Akubra hats are made: inside Akubra’s Kempsey workshop

No Spring Catalog from David Morgan LLC

April 4, 2025

Customer and Friends,

David Morgan, LLC is at a crossroads. With too many unknowns, we are not publishing a print catalog this spring. We are holding most prices as our situation evolves.

A number of factors beyond our control prevent us from continuing in the format we’ve successfully followed for over sixty years, including:

  • Akubra Hats, under new ownership, is revising their business model. We have good stock and are holding prices while awaiting clarity.
  • Our lease ends May 31, 2026.
  • The US pivot to protectionism and tariffs may hurt our ability to offer imported goods at sustainable prices. At press time, the products affected include the J.B Field’s Socks, Stanfield’s long underwear, Tilley hats and the Native American jewelry and gifts we offer from Panabo and Boma, all manufactured in Canada. Our Australian, Chinese, and European goods may also soon have increased tariffs.

You and our customers are the most important part of our company. As such, we invite you to join us on this journey to the next chapter in David Morgan LLC’s existence, celebrating the past sixty years and all the fine products we’ve been able to bring you.

To stay up to date with all of our past and future updates, check online at davidmorgan.com/updates.

We look forward to your continued patronage through this transition.

Thank you!