Panama hat of the first towns to start weaving the hats in the Andes is Principal, part of the Chordeleg Canton in the Azuay province. Straw hats woven in Ecuador, like many other 19th and early 20th century South American goods, were shipped first to the Isthmus of Panama before sailing for their destinations in Asia, the rest of the Americas and Europe, subsequently acquiring a name that reflected their point of international sale—"panama hats"—rather than their place of domestic origin. The term was being used by at least 1834. The popularity of the hats increased in the mid-19th century when many
Hats (album) distributed "Hats" in North America—took out a full-page advertisement in "Billboard" magazine offering a free copy of the CD to anyone who called a toll-free number which was provided. Three singles were released from the album: the first, "The Downtown Lights", was released in September 1989 and peaked at #67 in the UK singles charts, followed by "Headlights on the Parade" in September 1990 which reached #72, and "Saturday Night" in January 1991, which reached #50. In the United States, "Hats" peaked at #108 on the "Billboard" 200. "The Downtown Lights" reached #10 on the "Billboard" Hot Modern Rock Tracks