Newt At the Royal

If you’re in the market for a classy piece of headgear look no further than Newt At The Royal. Tucked away near The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, this quaint boutique has a wide variety of sombrero montecristi and tropical shirts. I love the look of the store and it’s layout. Jim is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. I felt like I could stick around for hours talking about hats with the staff. If you’re ever in Waikiki I highly recommend stopping by and learning about sombrero montecristi from the experts.

Newt at the Royal, what can I say. Terrific place to get a Panama hat. Do not go online or a cheap hat store go to the professionals. I have been looking for a hat for a long time that I can wear all the time and look good in. After just visiting Newt, Jim helped me pick the perfect hat for my head. While I was there he gave me a history lesson, pointers to wearing and handling the hat, and terrific price. I first didnt want a hat because I thought it was to expensive, but after spending a hour with Jim, I walked with a terrific hat and a hat box. Jim said the next time I am in Hawaii I will be back for another hat. He is right. My first stop the nex trip to Hawaii is Newt at the royal for a second hat. Trust the professionals at Newt and dont worry about the price. You are buying hand made quality that will last for a long time. Thanks Jim! I will be back!

I’ve been looking for a good hat for a while, and had decided that the best I could do without going the mail order rout was to buy a Panama style hat from Tommy Bahama’s at the mall.
After having an epiphany, I checked Unilocal.
Am I glad I did. There are two places here in Oahu listed that sell Panama hats. I checked them both out, and was very disappointed with the other place. Their shop was small, and the quality of the hats was sub-​par without even getting close.
I went to Newt, and before I even walked through the door, I knew I had found the right place. I was a little skeptical to go there as I’m not rich, and was a little afraid that I would be looked down at. Lee put me right at ease, and was able to fit me up with a hat right off.
They have many styles to choose from, and for the quality, very reasonable prices with no mail order guessing if you ordered the correct size.
Lee gave me some basic lessons, and the next day when I called with a question, have me very good information, and offered to show me some extra things if I came in.
If you go there, park at the Sheraton Hotel, and have your parking validated too.
All hats come with a box to store it in also.
You won’t be disappointed with your purchase, and you will get instant style points while wearing one of these hats.
Thank you Lee, I love my new hat!

Here I was made a better gentleman. As soon as I walked in, the charming proprietor plopped the most flattering and best-​fitting fedora on my head as casually as if he had sized me long before I ever passed near the store. But then came a lesson I will dare not forget: NEVER grab a hat by its crown. Rather, these are the motions to teach your son: put your right (dominant) thumb on the sweatband– dead front center– and grab by the rim. Now, still with the crown away from you, take your left hand and find the rear center of the rim. Put it on, pull it snug, and (while still holding tightly) align your right thumb knuckle with your nose so you know the hat’s on straight. Clever! But perfect geometry disagrees with the whimsy frond. Lastly: gaze distant right, take an unnoticed left hand and causally brush the hair above your left ear– tip the hat and give it a slight slant.
If you lust for the iconic Panama Hat, this is the official place to see and buy. Especially stop in here if you’re strolling through the pink Royal Hawaiian’s courtyard.
These are the handcrafted montecristi superfinos woven from toquilla fronds that have been worn for over a hundred years. Made in Ecuador, the hats have a unique flexibility and always spring back to the shape in which they were stamped. Most hats are woven so tight they feel as soft, slick, and stiff as 1000-​threadcount sheets. Craftsmen cut their nails to a point in order to piece apart thin strands of palm frond for the hats. The store has photos of all its past customers– which include Pierce Brosnan.
Authentic montecristis start at $ 500. The $ 11,000 model is made of the finest, most tightly woven frond.