A country is identified by its landscapes, by its music, by its dances, by its color, by its people and without a doubt by its clothing. Clothing is not only part of a generation or an era, it is also part of a country or region. The Traditional Peruvian Hats is a clear example of this.
Peru is a country with several regions, with countless festivities, it is a country in which its people are a tasty mix of ingredients and races, each city has its own identity but without losing that mixture of colors and flavors. All this is shown not only in their food, but also in the clothing that belongs to each town and its festivals. Let’s get to know a little more about the Perú Traditional Clothing.
Perú Traditional Clothing
Typical clothing of the coast
The typical clothing of the coast is simple and comfortable. This area has a warm climate, very intense in the summer. Their costumes are often associated with the northern sailor.
On the coast, their ponchos and skirts are made of cotton, although for dancing sailor, cotton was replaced by silk for women. The men’s suits usually wear a hat made of straw to protect them from the sun.
Typical man’s costume
- Hat: They are made with straw threads and are used to cover themselves from the sun.
- Shirt: It is usually made of cotton.
- Ponchos: Used in winter season, they are a bit thick to cover the entire torso and arms.
- Pants: The man from the coast wears black pants or in dark tones.
- Shoes: They are closed model and made from leather.
Typical costume for women
- Nightgowns: They are cotton blouses that have embroidery on the chest. They are used inside the skirt.
- Skirts: They are also called sleepers, they are worn long and from the waist. They are usually black or dark in color.
- Shawl: It is a garment made of cotton that covers the shoulders.
Note: The woman on the coast collects her hair with ribbons into a bun.
Typical clothing of the sierra
It is the coldest region of Peru, therefore this Peruvian clothing is designed to counteract frost. The typical costume will vary according to the province.
The Perú mountains Traditional Clothing are characterized by the color of their skirts and ponchos, especially in the departments of Arequipa, Cusco, Cajamarca, Ayacucho, Puno and among other cities in the mountains, although the styles of clothing are different there is something that characterizes them equally, they are made of vicuña wool or some of the beautiful auquénids that our mountains have, to protect themselves from the cold, the people of this area of Peru use the chullo, which is like a wool cap that covers the ears. The scissor dancers adorn their costumes with mirrors and embroider their god on the back.
Typical man’s costume
- Chullo: It is a type of hat that protects the head and ears of the mountain man from the cold.
- Shirt: They are woven with cloth or homemade material.
- Poncho: They are similar to vests, they cover the torso completely and the arms, they only have a hole so that the neck can be inserted and the head is uncovered. They usually have geometric ornaments.
- Pants or bermuda shorts: They are generally dark in color and made with cloth.
- Chumpi: It is a multicolored sash that covers the line between the pants and the shirt.
- Flip flops: They are sandals made from rubber, collected from recycled tires.
Typical costume for women
- Peruvian Monteras: They are hats that were brought by the Spanish and adapted in the Peruvian highlands with colored ribbons. The basic colors are black, red and white.
- Almilla: They are jackets sewn with colored fabrics that cover the female torso. They have decorations on the neck and sleeves.
- Llicllas: It is a blanket that is folded in half to cross it in the back and tie the corners on the chest, forming a kind of bag that is used to carry your babies.
- Polleras: They are called like this to the colored skirts made with vicuña wool or some auquénido. Several are used at the same time, up to 10, one on top of the other.
- Flip flops: Sandals made with rubber.
Note: The woman of the sierra combs her hair into braids that she intertwines with woolen ribbons that give more color to the Peruvian dress.
Typical jungle clothes
It is the hottest area in Peru. The typical Peruvian costume, belonging to the tribes of the Amazon, is loose and with little fabric due to the high temperatures of this region. Therefore, both men and women only use cushma.
In the jungle, men and women of some ethnic groups wear a tunic sewn on the sides and adorned with geometric figures and dyes from the region, this tunic is called as cushma.
Garments of the typical costume of the Jungle
- Cushma: It is a loose tunic sewn on the sides with decorations and geometric figures.
Traditional Peruvian Hats
The Traditional Peruvian Hats is a custom that has strongly attracted the attention of those who visit the country, since they retain very unique characteristics that powerfully attract the attention of those who admire them. Usually, the characteristic of the Traditional Peruvian Hats is the color or the way in which it is made is associated with economic possibilities, as it is clear, these customs vary in the regions, in addition to the fact that hats do the same way, since these are adapted depending on the needs of the people of the region.
Ojotas
The footwear used in the Peruvian Andes is known by this name. The ojotas are a type of sandals that during their manufacture use old tires that serve as the base of the footwear.
Ojotas or flip flops are thin and embellished. Some areas wear thick socks for the cold.
Where can I buy Traditional Peruvian Clothing?
If you are planning travel to Perú, probably you will ask Where can I buy Traditional Peruvian Clothing? From sweaters, hats, scarves, to blankets, they are souvenirs from Peru that will last you for a long time; you will find stores full of alpaca products. Which are as refined as cashmere; both are lightweight, hypoallergenic, and best of all, they are not itchy.
Perú Traditional Clothing made from baby alpaca are made from the fur of an alpaca’s first shave, therefore, it is super soft. Many products claim to be made from 100% baby alpaca, but there are many possibilities that they are mixed with alpaca wool or even acrylic or synthetic material.
But, where can I buy handmade Traditional Peruvian Clothing? If you want to buy something legitimate and safe, then you should avoid the craft markets and go straight to stores like Kuna or Sol Alpaca, where the products are worth their price. Arequipa is one of the main places where all the products are usually produced. If you get on the road, this is the best place to buy alpaca products.
The Traditional Peruvian Hats or “chullo” is an Andean style hat with ear flaps that can be tied to the chin. They are made with vicuña, alpaca, llama or sheep wool, they are an excellent accessory to tolerate high altitudes while you make a trip to the Colca canyon or cross the Andes. The smallest chullos can serve to be the cover of your bottle of pisco.
Also in Cusco you can visit many of the best alpaca clothing stores in the world. You cannot leave Cusco without wearing an alpaca garment; most of the textiles are made with Andean. Among the articles made with alpaca wool, we can find: gloves, scarves, ponchos, chullos, blankets, backpacks, vests, bags, all of excellent quality. Going through the handicraft shops you will find beautiful goldsmiths, beads, rings, silver necklaces; but you will also find ceramic plaster and fired clay. When you visit Cusco for the first time, the first thing that will surprise you are the alpaca wool spun fabrics dyed in a splendid kaleidoscope of colors. From sweaters to woolen hats, socks and scarves, they are available in all shapes, sizes and colors, and it is understandable why they are the most popular souvenir gifts you can buy in Peru.
