The Peruvian hat, between tradition and fashion accessory

Who, nowadays, doesn’t know the famous Peruvian hat?... Through all the “trademarks” of this country, this hat with earflaps is by far the most widespread of the world. The exact origin of this hat is unknown; some people says that it would be a mix between the Huari culture and Spanish, or derived from Spanish beret on which they put earflaps (for the cold) and Inca patterns…

There is always that today, this hat in omnipresent, not only in Peruvian campaigns but also all over the world. 

Indeed, the Indian Quechuan, particularly men, wear those hats made with wool by natural colors to protect them from cold of high altitude. The patterns vary in function of the place and the race, the local cultures have appropriated it, each in his own way. It’s though the influence of singers like Manu Chao that this hat started to be in fashion in social areas completely opposed and far from the Quechuan Indians. Claiming the Latin American culture and his Amerindian origins, Manu Chao took the Peruvian hat as a symbol of his claim – this one becoming the entire symbol Latin American in the eyes of the European society. Then, with the utilization Jamiroquai made, another fashion singer, this hat became a simple fashion article…

Today, we can found it in almost every city in Europe and in all the touristic sites of Peru. So it will be really useful to protect you from the cold of the high Andes and returning to United-States, you can brag about having a “true” Peruvian hat.