Sombrería Boliviana (Cholita Hat Shops)

Where to buy a genuine cholita bowler hat and the story behind how they got there

The bowler hats worn by cholita women are not decorations but genuine cultural markers, and buying one is one of the better souvenirs from La Paz. The main hat shops are clustered along Calle Sagarnaga and the Witches' Market area. The hats come in different sizes, colours, and qualities — the better ones are made of felt and hold their shape; cheaper versions are lighter and crush more easily.

Specialist hat shops have fitters who will adjust the hat to your head on the spot. Don't buy a hat that doesn't fit: the whole point is the tilt, and you can only get the tilt right if the hat sits properly. Prices range from around 50 to 200 bolivianos depending on quality and how aggressively you negotiate. Buying from an established shop rather than a street stall means you're more likely to get the real thing.

shopping things to do culture
A story
The bowler hat (bombin) arrived in Bolivia in the early 20th century as part of a consignment sent to European railway workers building the La Paz–Oruro line. The hats were the wrong size for the European workers and were sold off to local Aymara women, who adopted them as a status symbol and made them definitively their own. The tilt is meaningful — worn slightly forward means you're single, tilted sideways indicates you're married, and angled back shows a kind of devil-may-care attitude.