Peruvian Style hats on sale in the street in Southampton
I have noticed many people this year wearing traditional style Peruvian hats. In Peru we call the hats ‘Chullos’, pronounced like ‘Chul-Yoes’.
In Peru they are often very colourful, as traditionally people living in the Andes liked to have bright and cheerful colours in their clothes. People in the UK prefer more subtle colours and these hats are in darker and plainer colours but are still very like the Peruvian hat you would see in the mountains.
Of course in Peru we have woollen hats mainly made from alpaca wool, which is still produced in the traditional way with heard of alpaca in the mountains. The wool is then dyed and knitted with patterns like llamas, flowers and traitional patterns. You can buy these in the markets for a good price (even the ‘tourist price’ is good value). Hand made hats and gloves are common but they also make them with machines too. You can tell by how fine the knitting is. If you go to Peru alpaca hats, gloves, scarves or even a poncho make great affordable gifts - they are very warm! I bought some gloves for people here in the UK last time I went to Peru and they were pleased to have them for the winter. Also you will be supporting the local people and economy, which does not always benefit from the big hotel and tour companies.
Tags: Economy, Fashion, Shopping, Traditions