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Bowler hats are worn by Bolivian and Peruvian Indian ladies. Not by the men. I discovered the reason for this during a recent trip to both countries. It seems that in the mid-19th century some Englishman hat factory owner arranged to send a huge shipment of bowler hats to Bolivia..for the men. It turned out that the sizes were too small for the large (by English standards) male Indian heads. Rather that chalk it up as a total loss, a local merchant decided to market them to the ladies instead ...as the "latest European fashion." Well, he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams...such hats 150 years later are still considered quite chic by the ladies. Notice that they sit on top of the head...which means that the small size, itself, has become.... à la mode! Talk about a marketing "coup"!