Bowler Hat of the Cholitas, Bolivia

Cholitas in gold pollera skirts and fringed shawls at a Preste fiesta in La Paz, each topped with a small brown bowler. The hat came to Bolivia from Europe in the early twentieth century and was taken up by Aymara and Quechua women, who made it their own: worn perched high on the head, never pulled down, and paired with long braids. Today it marks the cholita look at markets, fiestas and on the catwalk, and a good felt bowler is a serious purchase.