In Cuenca, like in many Ecuadorian cities, it’s wonderful to see how many different ethnic groups live together: a genuine mosaic. During a walking tour through the city, you will encounter indigenous people descendant of the "Cañari" wearing purple and black clothing and white hats of beaten wool. You will also see white descendants of Spain that still proudly preserve many things in the pure Sevilla style: interior patios, fountains, beautiful gardens, and the metallic paneled ceilings and ornate wallpaper brought from Italy or France in their houses. Some typical Spanish houses have been converted to hotels.

Among people from Cuenca, the "cholas cuencanas", a mestizo group of women, stand out for their colorful woven clothing.

You will easily distinguish "cholas cuencanas" because of their two long braids on the sides and the colorful embroidered skirts ("polleras") they wear. Some of them sell fruits or flowers at the corners or plazas inside the city, while some are dedicated to making and selling handicrafts. Their personality is as colorful and unique as their clothing. Most of them do not like to be photographed, and they will make this clear to tourists.

"Cholas cuencanas" preserve their traditional style of dress in spite of the modernization of the city, although many do not always wear the complete outfit. Each piece of clothing is distinct and if you observe carefully you will be able to distinguish details that depict the laborious artisanship of people of the region.

Most of the "cholas cuencanas" that live in Cuenca and its surroundings still wear Panama hats with a black hatband, a high top and a short brim. These hats are handmade of "toquilla" straw through a laborious process of harvesting, cooking, drying, dying and weaving. Originally made in the Ecuadorian coast, the artisans of Cuenca and its surroundings have adopted this craftsmanship.

The "cholas cuencanas" wear short sleeve white blouses with a pleated low neck. The smooth fabric is decorated with detailed embroidery, pearls and sequins. Cholas wear two skirts: the interior one or "centro" is of one plan strong color, and has multicolor embroideries at the bottom. On top of the "centro" they wear the "bolsicon", which is either dark green, blue, purple or black. This top skirt has seven pleats and ends in a woolen garland of the same color called "barredera" (sweeper). The black and purple skirts are worn during days of mourn, and the other colors on a daily basis.
"Cholas cuencanas" also wear big shiny earrings that represent social prestige. The most traditional designs are of palms and birds.

The most laborious piece of their clothing are the shawls or “macanas”. The ends of the shawls are loosely woven and decorated with embroidery. The embroidery’s motifs are mostly of flowers or animals, however, they sometimes depict a love story or display a coat of arms. The longest part of the shawl is the middle and is woven with an ikat design. One can still find antique silk shawls, but nowadays most are made of wool and cotton.

You can find these clothes for sale at Handicraft Markets inside the city:
• Plaza Rotary: Gaspar Sangurima between Mariano Cueva and Vargas Machuca / Mon-Sun 8h00 to 17h00
• Mama Kinua Cultural Center: Hermano Miguel 6-40 and Juan Jaramillo / Mon-Fri 8h00 to 17h00
• Casa de la Mujer: General Torres 7-33 and Presidente Cordova / Mon- Sat 9h00 to 19h00

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