---
node: garment_chullo
type: garment
slug: chullo
title: "Chullo"
lead: "The chullo is the knitted Andean cap with ear flaps, worked in wool or alpaca against the cold of the high mountains. Patterned in bright bands and figures, it is one of the most familiar garments of highland Peru and Bolivia."
published: 2026-08-10
updated: 2026-08-10
image_file: chullo.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Q%27eros_Paqo_calling_Apu.jpg"
image_author: "McKay Savage"
image_license: "CC BY 2.0"
---

## Overview

A chullo is a close-fitting knitted or woven hat that covers the head and, with long flaps, the ears, often finished with ties and a tassel. Knitted from sheep, alpaca, or vicuña wool in dense colourful patterns, it holds warmth at altitudes where the nights are bitter.

## How it is worn

It is pulled down over the head and ears and tied under the chin, worn by men and boys under a wider hat or alone, its flaps hanging or tied up. In some communities a boy's first chullo is knitted by his father, and its patterns and pompoms can mark age, region, or marital status.

## History

Knitted caps of this kind spread in the Andes after Spanish sheep and knitting arrived, blending European technique with Andean colour and design. The chullo remains everyday cold-weather wear in the highlands and a widely recognised symbol of Andean dress.