Not
too long ago the knowledgeable traveller needed only one glimpse of
a local lady’s distinctive clothing to tell him exactly where he
was. Even in areas where a particular style was widely worn there was
always something—the width of a stripe, the color of a tassel—to
pinpoint the home village of the wearer. And, even though all women
in a village wore similar costumes, each incorporated some small detail
of design or color to make it individually hers.
Traditionally, there were only two types of tops. The huipile, worn
mostly in the southern states and made from two strips of material sewn
to leave only arm and neck openings, could be of any length. The quexquemetl,
more common in the north and roughly square, had only a neck hole and
was worn like a poncho with the corner points hanging front and back.
Skirts were either simple lengths of cloth wrapped like a sarong or
yards wide with a single seam. Either style could be pleated or draped
in endless variations.
Although many of today’s costumes echo these pre-Columbian styles,
a few date from colonial times or even later. Hand woven textiles are
often replaced by machine made goods in patterns formerly unknown. Such
accessories as decorative aprons and the wonderfully versatile rebozos
are strictly post-conquest.
Unfortunately, except on very special occasions the wearing of regional
costumes is being abandoned. Aesthetically, while admittedly more practical
and undoubtedly more comfortable, the jeans and t-shirts that are replacing
them leave a great deal to be desired. .
A tight bodice with elbow length puffed
sleeves tops a long, swirling skirt inset with tiers of bright satin ribbon
to make Jalisco’s entry one of the most charming and colorful of
all. A lovely senorita wearing this, especially when accompanied by a
caballero in the elegant, and equally Jaliscan, charro costume, is the
very essence of colonial Mexico.
The
Totonac ladies of tropical Veracruz keep their cool in pristine white
organdy and lace. Though the materials are modern, the style is more than
attractive enough to make up for any lack of authenticity. Each fluffy
skirt is topped with a quexquemetl featuring a deep Ounce of sheer lace
which is often folded into a triangle and draped over the shoulders like
a shawl.
The
distinctive feature here is the more modern blouse, usually of white cotton,
with a low, round neckline set off by a deep ruffle which is embroidered
with floral motifs in brilliant colors. Skirts in matching colors have
a white flounce at the hemline. On feast days the women often carry shallow
baskets of fruit and flowers.
.
The
unusual high-buttoned, long-sleeved blouses of these desert dwellers boast
short peplums and bright colors, sometimes with contrasting stripes, but
have little other decoration. The Seri woman seems to devote most of her
considerable artistic talent to her face, which she paints with stripes
and dots of bright pigment in the intricate pattern that is uniquely her
own.
.
The
Huicholes, on the other hand, decorate everything in sight and men often
outshine women in extravagant ornamentation. Not that the heavy, hand
woven quexquemetls with their bands of brilliant color are by any means
plain. Worn over full white skirts and set off by numerous strands of
beads, they make a pleasant contrast to the gaudier males.
Zapotec
huipiles are usually woven in narrow strips with bands of white alternating
with bands of colored designs. Three strips are sewn together with a square
neck opening in the center and the seams are covered with vertical bands
of embroidery or ribbon appliqués. Dark skirts usually complete
the striking outfit but colored ones appear on festive occasions.
.
Even
the everyday costumes, still widely worn, of Maya mestizas are works of
art; long, white, machine embroidered square necked huipiles with colorful
bands of flowers encircling neck, sleeves and hemline. (Given the primitive
conditions in which most of them still live, one can only wonder how on
earth they manage to keep them clean!) Feast days find them in similar,
but finer woven, lavishly hand embroidered versions just short enough
to show to advantage the lace trimmed flounces on their skirts.
Tarascan
ladies once wore voluminous skirts of red or black homespun wool hand
pleated and held in place by several long, narrow belts which are hand
woven in intricate designs. The type of pleating and the number, design
and method of tying the belts were distinctive to a given area. Embroidered
tops and matching rebozos completed the outfit. Modern versions may be
of printed cotton or lustrous satin with the addition of lavishly embroidered
aprons.
The
small quexquemetl worn by the Huasteca features a v-neck and overall embroidery,
usually in a single color, against a white background. It is worn over
a simple blouse in a matching color. Though the traditional wrap-around
skirt is still worn, it is no longer woven by hand but made of commercially
produced black poplin.
The
simple shawl takes on the stunning elegance of a work of art in the talented
hands of Otomi women. Each outfit must represent countless hours of intensive
labor but the result is certainly spectacular.
Usually of wool, embroidered with a ríot of flowers or mythical
animals and birds, this dramatic garment drapes from the top of the head
to sweep the floor with a border of knotted fringe. It is worn over an
equally ornate matching skirt and quexquemetl.
Tradition
says the incredibly elaborate head-dresses the Tehuanas wear on special
occasions were copied from a European style christening dress cast ashore
after a shipwreck. Made from starched and pleated white lace, these
frothy concoctions are arranged on the top of the head to frame the
face of the wearer and fall in graceful folds down the back.