The Fabulous Fashions of Taquile Island - Puno

Partly because of tourism, and partly because of tradition, the islanders on Taquile wear their beutiful traditional clothing all the time.

Women wear a white or red blouse or bayeta, made of sheep wool, a black shawl or chuco over their head, a red waist wrap called chumpi, and a dark-collored pollera, or skirt, that bulges from the waist. Contrary to appearances, they do not have big hips. Taquile women wear three to five polleras at a time-and during festivals, as many as 20!

The men also wear a white shirt with wide sleeves and black pants and vest. But the most distinctive feature of men's dress in the CHUYO, or hat which boys must learn to knit at early age.

The hats vary depending on man's marital status and public authority.
Single men were a "chuyo de soltero" , the "bachelor's hat", with red on the bottom and white on the top.
Married men, on the other hand, wear a solid-red hat with a repeated geometric design of a man and a woman holding hands.

But he most interesting ones are worn by the town elders (varayocs):rainbow-colored with ear flaps!