What Clothing Is Traditional in Chile?

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Traditional Chilean clothing consists of an elaborately decorated silk or wool chamanto or poncho, a straw hat called a chupalla and a feminine, full-skirted, flowered dress. The poncho is unique because it is reversible from dark to light.

A ribbon adorns the sleeve edges of the chamanto, and pictures of the national flower, fruit, wheat and birds are added to the woven body. Chapullas are worn by horsemen and named for the plant material originally used in their creation. Women perform Chile’s national dance, the Cuaca, while wearing the flounced, flowered dress topped with a white apron or handkerchief, which is incorporated into the dance.