The Quechua girl and the Lama - Peru by My Planet Experience on Flickr.
Via Flickr: The traditional dress worn by Quechua women today is a mixture of styles from Pre-Spanish days and Spanish Colonial peasant dress. It varies greatly in colour, design and style, depending on the region of Peru. In some communities they do very intricate embroidery on their skirts, and some use things like buttons, beads and flowers to adorn their hats and jackets. Embellishments on clothes and hair usually communicate one's social status in the community. Certain regions of Peru have very distinct traditional attire, and often you can tell what community or region a person is from just by the clothes they are wearing. Lliclla - a small rectangular handwoven shoulder cloth fastened at the front using a tupu, a decorated pin. However it is more common nowadays to see a large safety pin being used. K'eperina : a larger rectangular carrying cloth worn over the back and knotted in front. Children and goods are securely held inside. Polleras : colourful skirts made from handwoven wool cloth called bayeta. Women may wear 3 or 4 skirts in a graduated layer effect. On special occasions such as festivals women may wear up to 15 polleras tied around the waist. Often the trim of each skirt is lined with a colourful puyto which is usually handmade. In some areas polleras are also referred to as melkkhay (Quechua) Monteras : hats vary tremendously throughout the communities in the Andes. Often it is possible to identify the village from which a women comes from just by the type of hat she wears. Hats are secured with delicately woven sanq'apa straps adorned with white beads. Unkuña : a small rectangular cloth which is used for carrying snacks such as corn or coca. Ajotas : sandals made from recycled truck tyres. © www.myplanetexperience.com
