A Winter Wonderland? - An analysis of Cusco fashion

When I realized that I would traveling to Peru during its winter months since it lies below the Southern Hemisphere, I became upset that I would be leaving Nashville's warm temperatures for Cusco's much cooler ones. As a person who hates the cold, I may have shed a tear or two when I looked at the packing list and saw the recommendations to bring a winter coat, gloves, hats, scarves, layers, etc. However, since being in Cusco, I've noticed that winter here is treated much differently than winter in the States. I'll explain how.

Despite all of my fears, it really hasn't been too cold in Cusco. Granted, it has been chilly a lot of times– especially at night and in our heatless classroom. But I've never found the cold unbearable, and I haven't been wearing ridiculous layers or my big winter coat. In fact, it can be quite warm during the day when the sun is out, which of course, I've grown to appreciate.

Still, walking around Cusco at night I have noticed how differently the locals dress from me and my fellow Americans. Even when I don't think it's that cold (I'm a very cold-natured person), Cusco locals really do walk around the city in scarves, hats, and gloves. I remember once in the States I dressed similarly for weather that was probably 5-10 degrees colder and my friends called me "dramatic." It's simply not as common to bundle up in the U.S. unless it really is freezing. This is the most dramatic difference in fashion that I've notice between the U.S. and Cusco. And I kind of wish it was more common for Americans to wear more clothes when it gets cold out. I'm interested to see how "winter" is treated in Lima, which has significantly warmer temperatures.