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Bowler Hats

Submitted by Judy Rebick on Fri, 04/10/2009 - 4:03pm.

In this chapter I say that no-one could explain to me why the women wear bowler hats.  Guess I should have looked in Wikipedia, the source of all knowledge.  A reader sent me this message on Facebook

rom Wikipedia: 'Aymara ethnic group' page:
Bowler hats have been worn by Quechua and Aymara women in Peru and Bolivia since the 1920s when supposedly a shipment of bowler hats was sent from Europe to Bolivia via Peru for use by Europeans who were working on the construction of the railroads. The hats were found to be too small and were distributed to locals. The luxurious, elegant and cosmopolitan Aymara Chola dress which is an icon to Bolivia (bowler hat, aguayo, heavy pollera, skirts, boots, jewelry, etc.) was born and evolved in Chukiago City and it is clearly not provincial but urban. The dress has become an ethnic symbol for the Aymara women. In addition, numerous Aymara live and work...

Thanks Rachel

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