Since its invention in 1849 in London, many famous people have been sporting bowler hats. You may recall the likes of Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy and even Mr.Potato head from Toy Story 2 wearing these types of hats.

However, none of them have worn the hat with the same style and flair as the “ Cholitas ” of South America – specially the women in Bolivia.

The first thing that will strike you when you visit Bolivia are these bowler hats. They are everywhere, and most of the women wear them.

While you will see women in Peru wearing bowler hats, it’s really in Bolivia that the women have stood out on their own when it comes to the tradition of wearing bowler hats.

Where did this tradition start?

We recently spent some time in La Paz and it was one of the most amazing and most interesting cities we’ve ever been to. It was also super cheap in terms of accommodation and eating out.

We stayed in an Airbnb for 4 nights in total and we got great value for money in comparison to staying in a hotel (you can get a further €35 your next booking by clicking here). We ate some really good food too and found La Paz to be excellent value for money when it came to picking up gifts for those at home.

Anyway…back to the bowler hats…

While we were on a city tour in La Paz, our tour guide informed us of the reason why these hats are so popular.

The story goes as follows:

Back in Manchester, shortly after the bowler hats were invented, two brothers were manufacturing a line of bowler hats. Their plan was to sell them to the British railway workers who were working in Bolivia at the time.

However, when the hats arrived to South America they found that they were way too small to fit the heads of the men.

So, instead of throwing them out they decided to create a “fictional” story to tell the Bolivian Cholitas. This story was that all the fashionable women in Europe were going around wearing these bowler hats and it was the new fashion trend!

The rest is history.

There’s also a myth that those who wore the hats did not have any fertility problems!

The bowler hats have been making a huge comeback in recent years in Bolivia and the locals embrace them as part of their traditional clothing. Nowadays, the bowler hat is part of Bolivian national pride.

As you can see in the photos, these hats don’t actually fit the women’s heads (just like it didn’t fit the heads of the men back when they first came on the scene).

The position of the hats

We also found out that the hats are worn on different parts of the head by the women in order to signify their marital status!

Wearing the hat in the middle of the head means that the women is married.

To the side means that they are either single or widowed.

Wearing them to the back of the head jokingly means that their relationship is “complicated”!

The Cholita

It should be mentioned that the term “Cholita” was once used as a derogatory phrase for indigenous heritage girls. However, over the years the meaning has developed more positive assumptions.

Despite the obvious influence of western fashion trends in Bolivia, these Cholitas have maintained their traditional dress sense.

The fashion that you see today in the country was as a result of the Spanish inquisition , when the indigenous people were forced by the Spanish to adapt their dress sense to that of the European trends of the era.

Cholita fashion was once upon a time viewed as a poor country woman’s attire. However, Cholitas are enjoying cultural pride and wear their traditional outfits with both dignity and confidence these days.

Cholita outfits

Due to the fact that Bolivia is so culturally diverse, there’s no typical Bolivian clothing. The choice of clothes differs according to the region, income levels, climate and of course – personal choice.

El Sombrero – The Bowler Hat

A Cholita’s outfit usually consists of the following:

We’ve are talked about this earlier.

La Pollera

This is a type of pleated skirt which gives the baggy look that you can see in the photos. It achieves this by using up to 8 meters of cloth!

The skirt goes all the way down to the ankles, which are considered to be the most attractive part of a woman by the majority of Bolivans!

Las Enaguas

Underneath the skirt is a colourful petticoat, which helps puff up the skirt.

La Blusa

A blouse that can be worn with either long or short sleeves depending on the climate.

5. La Manta

A thick shawl is worn around the shoulders of the women. The material is either llama or alpaca wool. The colour is monotone and is pinned at the front using a long type of safety pin.

Los Calzados

Flat shoes with a rounded toe is what’s usually worn on the feet.

Joyas

Earnings and brooches are used by Cholitas to accessorise their outfits. Funnily enough, during competitions or parades, the wealthy Cholitas will often hire security guards to walk with them to protect their expensive jewellery.

That’s another post in itself – about the wealthy class of Bolivian women.

We spent a few weeks in Bolivia in 2014, visiting places like the Salt Flats of Uyuni, Potosi – one of the worlds highest cities and La Paz. Overall, we can honestly say that Bolivia was our favourite country that we visited in South America.

The combination of climate, scenery and local traditions made it a country that seemed like you were stepping back in time, or even on a movie set. We loved it there (apart from the poor Wifi) and we’d highly recommend you get to experience some travel there if you get the chance.

Have any of you guys ever heard of this story about the reason why the bowler hats are worn in Bolivia? If so, please share what you’ve heard in the comments below. We’re very interested to hear different variations on this tradition.