Liqui liqui

The liqui liqui (IPA: [liki liki] in Spanish) is the national costume for men in Venezuela and Colombia. It has its origin in the Llanos of both countries.

It is traditionally white, beige, cream or ecru, although it is available in other colors. Recently, liqui liquis have been worn by famous personalities in Venezuela for their weddings, in a renaissance of traditional dress – for example, Venezuelan folk musician Simón Díaz was known to almost always wear one. The liqui liqui is traditionally made of linen or cotton cloth, although gabardine and wool can be used. The outfit is made up of a pair of full-length trousers and a jacket. The jacket has long sleeves and a rounded Nehru-style collar, which is fastened and decorated by a junta (chain link similar to a cufflink), which joins the two ends of the collar. The jacket is fastened by five or six buttons, and may or may not have pockets (if so, no more than four). Overall, the outfit is very simple with clean, elegant lines. Traditionally, the liqui liqui is worn with alpargata – an open-toed sandal – and a llanero hat.

Because of the style of the collar, it is said that the liqui liqui was brought to Venezuela from the Philippines, although this is uncertain. The more accepted version is that the liqui liqui is derived from the uniform of colonial-era soldiers, whose jacket or liquette had a similar shape – hence the name and the collar.

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