How to Wear a Chumpi Belt
How to Wear a Chumpi Belt
Traditionally a chumpi(belt) not only referred to the woven yarns of a garment used to cinch clothing around the waist, in Andean mysticism, this term also referred to the belts of living energy that surrounded the human body to make up the human ‘bubble’ or energy field.
Our chumpi belts are very beautifully woven pieces made by the Q’ero of Peru. Since the chumpisdo not have buckles on them as sold, we thought we’d give you some tips on how to wear them.
Most chumpishave one “unfinished” end and one end with various loops. The wearer of the belt has the option of weaving the rough end through the loops and pulling it to the right size for your waist and garment. This style works well worn over long tunics or shirts. (Figure1)
Another way to wear our chumpis is to simply tie the ends together and let both ends hang loose. This way works well with tunics and shirts or blouses as above, or on pants with belt loops. (Figure 2)
Still another way to tie off the belt is a combination of the above. Insert the rough end through one of the loops and then pull the rest of fabric around the waist or garment and tie it off, leaving one end loose to hang. This way to wear a chumpi is good for jeans or other casual slacks. (Figure 3)
No matter which way you choose to wear your chumpi, we hope you enjoy your piece of artwork from the Q’eros from Peru.