Dress Trends in Lima | Costasur.com

The traditional dress in Lima is proof of the cultural fusion that Perú is made up of. Within the city itself we can find influences from different times and cultures.

The traditional dress from Lima is obviously a show of coastal traditions and historical evolution. Maybe the most traditional woman?s clothing is the Tapada, called this because the women cover (in Spanish tapar) all their body, their head and faces with silk cloths called ?saya? and ?manto?, leaving just one eye on display. It is said that this dress style is of Moorish origin (due to the Muslim influence in Spain) but there is nothing to definitely prove this. Some tales assure that women dressed this way to avoid the putrid smells in some of the streets when there was still no sewerage system in place.

During the vice regal period, they always followed the European fashion trends but with Peruvian twists. The ample ladies dresses, of just one colour in Europe, would have colours embroidered in the hem. They slowly stopped using wigs during the 19th century. Most people would wear clothes that had been passed down or home made. Those in the lower classes couldn?t buy shoes and many would wear typical sandals called ?ojotas?.
One fashion trend that did survive the republican era, in fact even reaching well into the 20th century was the use of a veil or mantilla by women. Tradition says that this was to cover the shine of the hair sprays and makeup that the women used, to show respect in mass. However not all are in agreement as the custom of women covering their faces comes from bible times, as explained by Saint Paul in the 1st letter to the Corinthians, where the explanation has more religious tone to it, related to the ancient beliefs about honour.

The party cloths, and particularly the ?Alcatraz? is another traditional dress in the Lima region, but it comes from the afro Peruvian mix that is present in Lima and the Ica region. It is a short ladies dress, in which the dancer shows off her body and her talent at dancing. On the bottom half the lady will wear a belt made out of paper or material which the men will try to set alight with a candle while the lady dances, swaying her hips.