Fashion and Image as Anthropographic Elements in Nineteenth-century Colombia.

This article examines the role of fashion and anthropography—the study of human ethnic groups and their customs—in shaping nineteenth-century Colombian national identity. It highlights how clothing and textiles functioned as visual markers of social status, race, and republican identity, reflecting the colonial legacy and the stratified society transitioning from subjects to citizens. Drawing on museum collections, travelers’ accounts, and the Chorographic Commission’s watercolors, the study reveals a complex interplay between indigenous, mestizo, and European influences in garments such as the ruana, alongside the elite’s adoption of European styles amid industrialization and free trade. Despite political upheavals and archival losses, the article underscores fashion’s significance as a cultural symbol in Colombia’s nation-building process and calls for further research into early twentieth-century developments.