Straws & Casuals
A straw hat is a brimmed hat that is woven out of straw or straw-like
materials from different plants or synthetics. The hat is designed to protect the head from the sun and against heatstroke,
but straw hats are also used in fashion as a decorative element or a uniform
"Sinamay is milliner's best friend"
SINAMAY "STRAW" is a natural fabric that is made from strands of banana
plant fibers, Abaca bark. It is not a grass, hence the quote
"straw." It is an open weave fabric that is thin, yet both stiff and
flexible. Sinamay is ideally suited for use in structured women's
hats. Also, sinamay excels at taking colored dyes. Sinamay
is one of the most popular hat-making foundations in the world. It is woven from the processed stalks of the abaca tree, a
banana palm native to the Philippines. Abaca fibre is three times stronger than cotton or silk, and a fabric made from 100%
abaca can last for over 100 years.
Extra fine - also called 'pinok
pok' its a very fine material and weave in extra density. Usually, hammer the materials for days to produce the shinny and
smooth material.
Fine Sinamay
- usually called for density in 20x20 (20 lines per inch", usually for great millinery finish on sinamay hat bodies.
Regular Sinamay - loose weaved fabric, great for crafts
and floral trimmings.
Sinamay often applied with sizing for stiffness and help
to adhesive layers of sinamay when blocking the hat.
Other Sinamay includes printed sinamay,
luxurious sinamay, pleated sinamay are also available as design elements.
RECYCLED PAPER STRAW HATS are100% recycled paper hats are coated with a non-toxic resin to keep them
water resistant and strong. The thin strips of material are made by machine but then each hat is braided into a hat
by skilled crafts men & women.
RAFFIA STRAW The raffia fiber is soft, pliable, strong, durable, easy to dye and bio-degradable
making it an excellent material for weaving baskets, hats, mats and rugs. It is also widely used for agricultural purposes
to tie vegetables, plants in vineyards, flowers and floral arrangements. Raffia palm leaves can grow to over eighty feet long, the
longest leaves in the plant kingdom. Raffia is an extremely durable material.
RAFFIA
PAPER RIBBON or Wraphia ribbon is a degradable and recyclable paper raffia. It's so simple to use and looks great
on any package. Made from 100% natural fibers. Ribbon is twisted at 1/4" width and can be pulled apart to 1-1/4" width.
TOYO STRAW is a type of shiny smooth straw made chiefly
in Japan with shellacked rice paper. This material is commonly used for straw hats and fedoras.
