The Pollera

The pollera is a full skirt and blouse in fine white cotton or linen, hand-embroidered or appliquéd across the whole surface in a single colour scheme, and a good one takes months of work by several people and costs several thousand dollars. It is worn with a specific set of accessories that are as important as the dress: tembleques, hair ornaments of beads and fish scale wire that shake as the wearer moves, worn in pairs numbering into the dozens, and heavy gold chains and earrings. The Azuero towns are where it is made and where it is worn most, at carnival and at the festivals through the year.

What to look for

• The embroidery - months of hand work across the entire garment.
• Tembleques - the trembling hair ornaments worn in dozens.
• The gold - chains and earrings that complete the dress.
• Workshops in Las Tablas and Guararé - where they are made.

When to go

Carnival in February or March and the Azuero festivals through the year are when polleras are worn in numbers. Workshops in Las Tablas and the surrounding villages work on weekdays and welcome visitors.

Good to know

A genuine hand-made pollera costs thousands and takes months to order; the cheap versions sold to visitors are machine-printed and are not the same thing. It is national dress worn with real pride, so treating it as a costume goes down badly. Photographing wearers at festivals requires asking.

Nearby

Las Tablas and Guararé are the making centres; the Azuero festivals show them off.