What to Buy in Latin America: A Fashion Shopping Guide to the Region’s Signature Pieces

Photo: David Adam Kess / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0); destination context image.

Jet Set LatAM · Fashion Shopping Guides

Every region has the thing you should bring home. In Latin America the list is long and very good: hats woven from a palm that grows on Ecuador’s coast, sweaters spun from Andean fiber, bags crocheted by Wayuu women in La Guajira, silver hammered in a Mexican mining town, emeralds from the mountains of Boyacá. This guide is our map of those signature pieces — what each one is, where it is made, how to tell good from mediocre and which of our city and buying guides will take you further.

It sits alongside our guide to the best luxury shopping neighborhoods city by city: that one tells you where to shop; this one tells you what is worth buying.

The short list: one signature piece per place

• Panama hat — Ecuador. Woven from toquilla straw on the coast and in the Andes, finished in Cuenca. How to buy a Panama hat in Cuenca.
• Alpaca and vicuña — Peru. Baby alpaca knits, alpaca throws and, at the very top, vicuña. Our alpaca and vicuña buying guide.
• Wayuu mochila — Colombia. Crocheted bags from La Guajira, each pattern a family language. How to buy an authentic Wayuu bag.
• Emeralds — Colombia. Bogotá is the trading heart of the world’s most famous emeralds. Buying emeralds in Bogotá.
• Silver — Taxco, Mexico. The hill town that turned silver into modern design. Taxco silver buying guide.
• Leather — Argentina. Jackets, bags and gaucho-made goods in Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires leather and handbag shopping.
• Swimwear and resortwear — Brazil. Cut, color and fit that set the global standard. Rio de Janeiro swimwear shopping.
• Textiles — Mexico and Guatemala. Huipiles, rebozos and backstrap weaving. Where to buy Mexican textiles.

Boutique towns worth a shopping detour

Some places are better for browsing than for one specific object. These are the destinations where small boutiques, ateliers and concept stores are the point:

• Buenos Aires — Palermo Soho designers, Recoleta classics and San Telmo antiques.
• San Miguel de Allende — hand-dyed fashion, folk art and the Fábrica La Aurora design center.
• Trancoso — Brazilian resortwear and craft around the Quadrado.
• José Ignacio and Punta del Este — summer boutiques, antiques and hand-dyed linen on Uruguay’s coast.
• Salvador da Bahia — Afro-Bahian design, authorial fashion and craft in the historic center.

How to shop it well

Three rules run through every guide in this series. First, buy close to the maker: workshops, cooperatives and designer-owned stores pay the people who make the work and usually know its story. Second, learn the one quality test for each piece — the weave of a hat, the hand of a knit, the stamp on silver, the certificate on a stone — before you start bargaining. Third, pack for the purchase: leave space, bring a foldable tote and keep receipts for customs. Our guide to shopping Latin American designers well goes deeper on provenance, fair pay and fakes.

Dressing for the trip

If the shopping is the point, travel light and let the trip fill the suitcase. Our Buenos Aires edit shows a quiet-luxury city wardrobe built around a few good pieces, and our destination wedding guide covers what to wear to celebrations from Cartagena to Trancoso. For packing lists by destination, the Luxe Jetter app builds outfit-by-outfit plans.

Pieces to start with

A few pieces from our ShopMy edit that travel well and pair with what you bring home:

• Artesano Sevilla toquilla straw hat — the classic Panama shape
• JW Anderson × La Mochila Wayuu pouch — a Wayuu-woven collaboration
• Amiya baby alpaca sweater — Peruvian luxury knitwear
• Mercedes Salazar earrings — Colombian statement jewelry
• Johanna Ortiz dress — Colombian design for evenings
• Wool & Oak Nova duffle — room for the haul home

Frequently asked questions

What is the best thing to buy in Latin America?

It depends on the country: a Panama hat in Ecuador, alpaca in Peru, a Wayuu bag or emeralds in Colombia, silver in Taxco, leather in Argentina and swimwear in Brazil are the most iconic fashion buys.

Where is the best boutique shopping in Latin America?

Mexico City, São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Bogotá have the deepest designer scenes, while smaller places such as San Miguel de Allende, Trancoso, José Ignacio and Cartagena are excellent for boutique browsing.

How do I avoid fakes when shopping in Latin America?

Buy from workshops, cooperatives and designer-owned stores, learn the key quality test for each item (weave, fiber, silver stamp, gem certificate) and be wary of prices that seem too low for handmade work.

Are Panama hats really from Panama?

No. Panama hats are woven in Ecuador from toquilla straw; the name comes from their history of being shipped and sold through Panama.

Keep reading

• Buenos Aires Boutique Shopping
• How to Buy a Panama Hat in Cuenca
• Peruvian Alpaca and Vicuña Buying Guide
• What to Wear to a Destination Wedding in Latin America

Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy or book through them, Jet Set LatAM may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This is a researched editorial guide; shops, hours and prices change, so confirm details directly before you go.