Weaving is one of the oldest Mayan skills and was practiced eons before the arrival of the Spanish. In Pre-Colombian times, the majority of the Mayan population were thought to wear long white cotton tunics, but after the conquest, wool and new dyes were introduced and the Mayan developed their unique textiles and garments.
Most present-day Mayan people live in the rural areas of Guatemala. Their costumes, like so much else in the Mayan world are not simply a relic of the past but a living skill re-created by each generation and each village and varies from one side of a mountain to the other.
The traditional costume worn by women is the huipil, a loose fitting blouse usually made of two panels of cotton fabric. They are woven on a backstrap loom with complex patterns and decorative embroidery and joined together along the sides without separate sleeve sections.
Mayan women do wear a skirt or corte with the huipils. They are made of loomed fabric up to five meters long and joined to form a tube into which the women step. The skirt is secured by woven sashes in bright colors and intricate patterns.
Contrary to the Mayan women's costume, today men's traditional costume is worn in only a few villages. Their clothes include superb weaving and designs and consist of pants, shirt and sashes in spectacular colors and imaginative patterns. The shirts and pants are usually machine stitched and decorative hand-woven collars are used to personalize the shirts. The pants are calf length with wide, straight legs and often embroidered with beautiful designs. Only the Mayan men carry tightly woven shoulder bags or mesh bags.
Although fewer me
n wear traditional costumes, the styles that remain are spectacular and diverse. The tzute is arranged as a head covering and additional tzutes may be worn over the shoulders. The tzute often marks an important member of the village.
The designs used in the traditional Mayan costume of both men and women are as diverse as their ancient history and provide a delight for the eyes for the adventorous traveler.
Most present-day Mayan people live in the rural areas of Guatemala. Their costumes, like so much else in the Mayan world are not simply a relic of the past but a living skill re-created by each generation and each village and varies from one side of a mountain to the other.
The traditional costume worn by women is the huipil, a loose fitting blouse usually made of two panels of cotton fabric. They are woven on a backstrap loom with complex patterns and decorative embroidery and joined together along the sides without separate sleeve sections.
Mayan women do wear a skirt or corte with the huipils. They are made of loomed fabric up to five meters long and joined to form a tube into which the women step. The skirt is secured by woven sashes in bright colors and intricate patterns.
Contrary to the Mayan women's costume, today men's traditional costume is worn in only a few villages. Their clothes include superb weaving and designs and consist of pants, shirt and sashes in spectacular colors and imaginative patterns. The shirts and pants are usually machine stitched and decorative hand-woven collars are used to personalize the shirts. The pants are calf length with wide, straight legs and often embroidered with beautiful designs. Only the Mayan men carry tightly woven shoulder bags or mesh bags.
Although fewer me
n wear traditional costumes, the styles that remain are spectacular and diverse. The tzute is arranged as a head covering and additional tzutes may be worn over the shoulders. The tzute often marks an important member of the village.The designs used in the traditional Mayan costume of both men and women are as diverse as their ancient history and provide a delight for the eyes for the adventorous traveler.
