TYPICAL COSTUME OF ANTIOQUIA: MAIN CHARACTERISTICS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The main typical costume of Antioquia for men is the arriero costume, and that of women is called chapolera. The men wear cotton pants rolled up at the legs and a shirt with long sleeves.

They also wear a cloth over their shoulders, and the espadrilles, the poncho, the carriel and the hat finish the suit. They are called arriero since they used to transport merchandise with mules.

The typical costume of women refers to the woman who collects coffee. Typical clothing consists of a black skirt with colorful bows, a white blouse with a round or square neck, espadrilles, and sometimes pants.

In this region, the so-called Antioqueño hat is very common, a typical hat from the Colombian Andes region. Women often use braids in their hair to complete the outfit.

Antioquia is located in the central northwest of Colombia; most of its territory is part of the Andes Mountains and is mountainous with some valleys. Its capital is Medellín.

You may also be interested in the popular legends of Antioch.

Characteristics of the typical male costume

The arriero costume is the typical clothing used by the men of Antioquia. Its name originates from people who transport goods using mules.

They are no longer so common because modern means of transport have made routes easier, but the tradition of their costumes continues. The fictional character Juan Valdez wears an archetype of this type of traditional costume.

1- The carriel

The carriel consists of a small bag made of leather or the skin of a tiger or otter. The carriel is similar to a saddlebag, only it is worn over the shoulder and is used only by men.

They always wear some kind of animal skin and are sometimes decorated with green, yellow and red threads.

This element has existed since the time of the Spanish Conquest, since the Americans who used to work in the Colombian mines loaded their bags in what they called the carry-all ("load everything" in English).

Thanks to its origin, it is associated with the culture and commerce of the Colombians called paisas; It is a traditional symbol of the humble honesty of the people of Antioquia.

According to tradition, each carriel must contain «a congolo, a nail of some beast, the molars of Santa Polonia, some dice, the barbera, the cards, a cigarette lighter, the tobacco and the calillas, the capotera water and to lower, a mirror, the pipe and silver ».

Additionally, the pockets must carry the portrait of the beloved woman, locks of her hair, stamps of saints and the novena of souls.

Despite the tradition, in modern times each man carries in his carriel what he needs and that does not fit in his pockets.

It is currently used by modern businessmen throughout the country, not only as part of the typical costume.

It is worn on the left shoulder and is seen in practically all the men of Antioquia. It is used both in the cold and in the heat.

2- Tapapinche

It is a cowhide apron that is used above the pants. Typically it does not have any particular color or any other detail; its purpose is to cover the male member.

In the past the muleteers used the tapapinche to be able to urinate on the road without problems.

They usually left their member out of the pants and covered it with this piece; in this way they could empty their bladder during their journey. The well-known saying "walking and pissing" also comes from this tradition.

It is tied at the waist with a belt and reaches just below the knee. For that reason her other purpose was to take care of the pants so that they did not stain or break during the task.

3- Poncho or ruana

It is usually called a ruana in the cold and a poncho in the hot lands; in Antioquia it is called a ruana.

It is the element of the typical costume that is used to shelter from the cold and protect from the sun and insects.

It is a rectangular piece of cloth with a hole to insert the head made of pure wool and in dark colors.

Traditionally this element was quite colorful, although in modern times the ruanas are more neutral.

Those in black, blue and dark gray are the most used. They can be unicolored or with some stripes. Children also use the ruana to keep warm.

4- Antioqueño hat

They are hats that do not have a particular size; They can be tall, short-brimmed, or wide-brimmed. Despite this, they are always white with a black ribbon around them.

They are traditionally made from the heart of the iraca palm. It is quite similar to the well-known Panama hat.

5- Mulera

It is a long piece of fringed cotton fabric that is slightly thicker than the poncho. In the typical costume it is placed on the shoulders; the idea is that it falls forward to the waist.

It is called a mule because it is placed in the eyes of the mule so that it does not see when merchandise or weight is loaded.

6- Espadrilles

They are shoes made of fique (a natural fiber obtained from plants) and leather. The sole is made of reinforced cabuya. Many times they are adorned with two red threads that go from the instep to the toes.

In this type of shoes, the feet are covered and the other half is exposed; they are also known as espadrilles.

Characteristics of the typical female costume

The chapoleras are women who collect coffee and this is their typical costume; It is the traditional costume of the women of Antioquia and the Andes.

It consists of a long black skirt that is decorated with colored patterns or bows, usually in bright colors.

A white blouse with a neckline and puffed sleeves is worn at the top. They wear espadrilles, sandals or go barefoot.

When it is cold, the costume wears a cloth (merino shawl) that is placed around the neck. In warmer climates, the fringed anascote shawl is used.

Sometimes a rather starched white background is used and decorated with letines. Hair is traditionally arranged in elaborate braids depending on the occasion.

References

1. The 20 most popular typical colombian costumes. Recovered from lifepersona.com
2. Tapapinche. Recovered from esacademic.com
3. Muleteer. Recovered from wikipedia.org
4. Wardrobe-antioquia. Recovered from sinic.gov.co
5. Carriel. Recovered from wikipedia.org
6. Typical outfits (2009). Recovered from discoveringlaculturapaisa.blogspot.com
7. Typical costumes of the andean region of colombia. Recovered from lifepersona.com
8. Antioqueño hat. Recovered from wikipedia.org