Clothing
An introduction to traditional Ecuadorian clothing:
The Ecuadorian people’s clothing varies by region while most places share a few commonalities. Ecuadorians take pride in their appearance and dress with care. Colors and style vary throughout the different parts of the country. Each indigenous community has a unique style of dress while some ethnic groups have more distinctive clothing traits.
Urban Areas
In the Urban areas of Ecuador, dressing in jeans are common. Urban people tend to wear a more “Standard Western” style. Many people wear shorts or swimsuits on the beach. While the Urban areas are more casual, there are also many styles with regional variations.
Highlands
In the highlands, men usually wear colored ponchos. Blue ponchos are worn in the Otavalo region and red is worn in western Chimborazo. Indigenous women in the highlands wear embroidered blouses, wrap skirts made of wool cloth, and shawls gathered with a pin in front. Women also wear full, pleated skirts with embroidery and bright colors. Both men and women wear sandals and a variety of locally crafted, traditional hats.
Traditional Highland Women's dresses.
Coastal Plains
In the Coastal plains, or lowlands, men and women wear brightly colored clothing. Men dress in loose fitting clothes. They wear Guayabera baggy shirts and loose pants. On formal occasions, men wear jeans, khaki pants, or suits. Women in the region wear light dresses and sandals. Both men and women style their hair in a long braid and wear traditional hats and sandals.
Otavaleños
The Otavaleños, located in the Otavalo region wear clothes similar to the Inca who lived in the Andes. Men wear white trousers, a blue poncho, and a hat. Men in the Otavalo region fashion their hair into a long braid down to their waist called a Shimba. Women tend to wear a white blouse with a blue or black skirt accessorized with a shawl. Jewelry is a significant part of the Otavaleño’s culture. Women wear necklaces with gold beads, and bracelets adorned with red coral.
The Tsáchila people
The Tsáchila people are located in the tropical lowlands of the northwest. Tsáchila means “true people” in English. The Tsáchila people are the Indian people of Ecuador and are the last remaining aboriginal group. They no longer strictly follow the traditional “dress code” that they used to. They wear a distinctive striped pattern on their clothing. Men wear black or blue skirts stripes with white. Women dress in festival skirts with bright colors and horizontal stripes.
Ecuadorian shawls and hats.
Highlander women's traditional colorful shawls and hats.
This dress is a hand sewn version of a traditional Ecuadorian women's dress. Combining the bright colors of the Highlands, and the flowing skirts in the Coastal Plains, this dress is a representation of Ecuador's clothing. The hand-embroidered shawl has a simple flower pattern and is gathered in the front, similarly to the Highlands. The white bodice is representative of the Otavaleños where women wear plain, white blouses with their skirts.