What do Mexican People Wear?

The world is colorful and vibrant with rich history and heritage. Different communities in the world have their own traditions and practices that mark their uniqueness. Today, we are going to talk about one such beautiful culture in the world, the Mexican culture. So, what do Mexican people wear in their daily lives and on special occasions as well? We will also see the traditional Mexican dress history and how it changed over time. So, let’s come!

1. What do You Call a Mexican Dress?

A Mexican dress is a beautiful costume with vibrant and eye-catching colors. These costumes are generally worn on special occasions like festivals, celebrations, and holidays. The dresses are heavily embroidered and lots of colorful ribbons are used to decorate them. The hairdo is done with beautiful flowers.

In Mexico, the traditional dress is different for both men and women. So, what do you call a Mexican dress? What do Mexican people wear? There are different pieces of clothing for both categories. Pieces of clothing for men are sarape, sombrero, Baja jacket, guayabero, charro suit, and ponch. Women have pieces called a huipil, quechquémitl, rebozo, and Mexican skirts. Mexican skirts are known by different names in different regions. (See Why is Mexico a developing country?)

2. What do Mexican People Wear?

Mexican clothes are full of vibrancy and uniqueness. They have Spanish roots and consist of bold and elegant colors and patterns. The dresses for both men and women are different. So, what do you call a Mexican dress, or what do Mexican people wear? Here, we are going to see traditional clothing pieces for men and women.

• Huipil: Huipil is a traditional piece of clothing similar to a blouse or tunic. This piece is heavily embroidered and decorated. The women who wear these are considered to become a part of the universe because of the designs on them like the cosmos, gods, and their helpers.
• Blouse: A blouse is a decorative piece of clothing. It is a kind of shirt with short sleeves. It is made with hand-woven white cloth with elegant embroidery.
• Skirt: Traditional skirts are an important part of women’s attire in Mexico. These are made with beautiful and bold colors with decorative embroidery and patterns. These skirts wrap around the body and are secured by a sash.
• Rebozo: A rebozo is a kind of scarf that drapes along the women’s bodies. It accentuates the fluid and feminine movements of a woman. It is made with rough cotton with traditional embroidery on it. It is mainly a decorative element.
• Sombrero: Sombrero is a piece of clothing for men in Mexico. A Sombrero is similar to a straw hat but it can have another variant made especially for celebrations. These are colorful with beautiful patterns.
• Sarape: Sarape is a men’s piece that is a cross between a poncho and a blanket. It is used in winter and is traditionally made with wool or fleece. The ones worn in everyday activities are made with muted tones whereas colors and patterns are used to make them for festivities.

3. What do Mexican Ladies Wear?

Mexican ladies wear beautiful traditional pieces of clothes that represent their country’s vibrant heritage. What do Mexican people wear? Here are the traditional pieces worn by Mexican ladies:

• Huipil: Huipil is a traditional blouse or tunic worn by Mexican women. It is sleeveless and is made from cotton or wool. A Huipil is worn with a traditional Mexican skirt. The designs of this piece are influenced by the region, marital status, and traditions.
• Rebozo: Rebozo is a kind of scarf. It is traditionally made with cotton, wool, or silk. It can be used as a decorative piece or as a utility product. It is made with vibrant colors.
• Quechquémitl: Quechquémitl is another piece of clothing important for Mexican women. It is a decorative poncho made for festivities. It should be handmade with a handwoven cloth. It is heavily embroidered with colorful and beautiful materials.
• Mexican skirts: Mexican skirts are beautiful clothing pieces, made with elegant colors and patterns. It is embroidered and can be of knee or ankle length. They are wide and make an outstanding silhouette.

4. What is Traditional Mexican Dress History?

Mexican dress has always been vibrant and dynamic with bold colors. Some of the facts related to the traditional Mexican dress history are:

• The traditional Mexican dress history and culture were influenced by the communities that lived there. Some of the oldest civilizations that lived in Mexico were Toltec, Olmec, Zapotec, Teotihuacan, Maya, and Aztecs. They had a deep influence on the clothing in Mexico for a long period of time until it was conquered by Spain. Some of the colors used to make traditional dresses were red, brown, green, yellow, and orange. They were obtained naturally. Fibers like agave, cotton, silk, wool, and bark were used to make the clothing.
• Traditionally, men wore pants, shirts, and boots, as everyday clothing. A special hat called a sombrero was worn by men. Sarape was a traditional attire worn by men during winter. For functions and celebrations, they wore charro suits.
• The clothing style for women has been vibrant too back then. Moreover, what do Mexican people wear? They wore skirts, vintage blouses, huipil, rebozo, and quechquemitl. For special occasions, they wore Puebla dresses.

5. How to make a Traditional Mexican Dress?

You can make yourself a traditional Mexican dress by pairing a Mexican skirt with a huipil and a rebozo if you are a woman. For men, pants, shirts, and boots go best along with a sombrero hat. This is the traditional clothing of Mexico for men and women. You can use bright and bold colors in your outfit to make it more appealing. Accessories like hats, ribbons, and flowers are also carried by Mexican people. (See Do people in Mexico celebrate Cinco de Mayo?)

6. What are Some Mexican Clothing Facts?

• Natural components found in local plants are used to dye most of the traditional Mexican clothing.
• Traditional Mexican clothing differs from region to region because of its influence, cosmovision, and geography. The type of fabric and technique implemented to make that costume varies accordingly.
• The Baja Jacket is a unique piece of clothing that has a banner to fly under for surfers everywhere. It was traditionally hand-woven in the early 20^th century in Mexico.
• The traditional fibers used to make clothing across the country are cotton, bark, and agave. Fibers like wool and silk were introduced by the Spanish.
• In Mexico, the design of the attire represents the marital status of women.
• The traditional table cover or a bed cover could take from 3 to 5 years to get completed whereas a huipil can take a month.

7. What are the Traditional Mexican Dresses by States?

Let’s know the traditional Mexican dresses by states. Different states in Mexico have different dresses. Some of the prominent ones are: 

• Veracruz: In Veracruz, women wore dresses with ruffles and black aprons with floral detail. So, what do Mexican people wear there? For men, the classic white guayabera became very popular and it became the typical dress of the region.
• Nayarit: Nayarit has community called Huichol or Wixarikas. They are one of the most representative ethnic groups. They wear colorful fabrics with lots of beautiful accessories. These accessories have traditional motifs made on them.
• Oaxaca: Oaxaca has a traditional costume called Tehuana. It is made of three elemental pieces, mainly, the huipil, the skirt, and a white ruffle on the head.
• Jalisco: The region of Jalisco is popular for its traditional dance form called Jarabe Tapatio. Both men and women wear a special dress which has gained popularity worldwide. The dresses are of beautiful patterns and bold colors with traditional embroidery done on them.
• Yucatán: Yucatán is famous for dresses with marvelous embroidery. Men wear guayabera and palmilla. Women have a three-piece dress with beautiful accessories.

8. What is Michoacan Traditional Mexican Dress?

What do Mexican people wear in Michoacan?  Michoacan is a Mexican region where Purepechas have lived for a long time. It has its own distinctive attire. Women of this region use sophisticated clothing. They wear a skirt with a pattern. A long blouse is worn with embroidery at the bottom and around the neck. A belt is also a part of the attire which is strapped on the back. Along with this, usually, a rebozo is also worn. For special occasions, blouses with more embroidery and vibrant colors are used. Aprons with nice cross-stitch embroidery are also worn. (See How can You preserve Culture in Today’s Living?)

9. What is the Traditional Clothing of Chihuahua Mexico?

If you don’t know what is the traditional clothing of Chihuahua Mexico or what do Mexican people wear in Chihuahua, then don’t worry! Here we are going to talk about it. The typical costume of the Chihuahua region is a combination of pre-Hispanic elements and colonial elements. This is one of the characteristic elements of almost all regional costumes throughout Mexico.

Chihuahuan women wear a typical dress that includes four pieces: a blouse, skirt, sash, and huaraches (or guaraches). The blouse has long sleeves while the skirt reaches the feet and is quite wide. A belt is worn on the waist. Typically, men wear costumes like a military suit, accompanied by a warrior, known as a tight military jacket. It has a high neck and booties. Suede and denim are the preferred fabrics. In rural areas, a dress of three pieces mainly, a shirt, trousers, and cowboy boots are worn. (See Does Rayon Wrinkle: A Guide into Rayon Fabrics)