Top quality hand made hat..., Many imitations claim to be the real thing ,, I import these directly from the handcrafters. Be aware of others selling similar but lower quality hats at high prices.. Sombrero vueltiao 21 / hat with laps. 21 VUELTAS No seams or union in the back of the hat. these hats are top of the line quality. The smothes texture made. others will sell you the rough vertion of the real thing. these are the authentic 21. A hat that will last and will keep its shape. These hats can be folded . INCLUDES AN ADJUSTABLE STRAP FOR A BETTER FIT. The sombrero vueltiao or sombrero vueltiado (Colombian Spanish for hat with lips) is a traditional hat from Colombia and one of its symbols. It is made out of Gynerium sagittatum known locally as caña flecha, a type of cane that grows in the region. The word vueltiao is a Colombian regionalism from the northern Caribbean Region and the area surrounding the Magdalena River basin that originates in the word for "lap" (Spanish:vuelta), and arose due to the way the hat is made. Vueltiao is correctly spelled volteado; however, the altered spelling reflects the actual pronunciation. The quality of the hat is determined by the number of "laps" used and its bending flexibility. The more flexible the hat is, the higher quality it is. The making of the hat originated amongst the Zenú tribes of Colombia. The Colombian delegation to the 2004 Olympics wore the vueltiao during the opening ceremony. It is also traditionally worn by cumbia dancers and vallenato artists. The Veintiuno (21) uses twenty-one pairs of caña flecha strands per weave and is finer than the Quinciano and the Diecinueve. These hats are usually custom-made to order and take ten to fifteen days to produce by hand.