It's really awesome to watch the hands of Panamanian women weaving perishable materials like fabrics, linen and lace into an eyeful of wonder

Seeing those skirts flutter open like a peacock's tail and swirl around gracefully with traditional moves from the bottom of the heart leaves anyone speechless. Thus, speaking of the pollera is a mention to the sensitivity of the Panamanian women who make them, live them and wear them.

It's nearly impossible to describe this piece of garment that has proudly become heritage of the Panamanian nation and a tradition well taken care of. For many people, the pollera stems from the dresses worn by Spanish ladies back in the 16th and 17th centuries. For other, however, the origins hark back further in time. Truth is that Hispanic garments made of linen, gold and silver embroidered in velvet or silk took on the enchantment of white cloth and a full skirt with two to three flounces, all that much overlapped or embroidered with handmade floral designs.

The pollera has no doubt a Spanish origin, especially from Seville and Andalusia. The pollera Panamanian women wear today is the result of a long skirt that was all the rage for centuries across the Iberian peninsula. As a matter of fact, it's a blend of dresses worn by Spanish women in different regions of their homeland that eventually took on new weather and geographical conditions, and has been evolving from the Spanish conquest to date.

As years rolled on, the garment churned out a number of versions: santeña, herrerana, ocueña, veragüense, coclesana, chiricana, darienita, colonense and bocatoreña. Each and every one of them got an identity of their own and lived out century after century. Today, the pollera is alive and kicking.