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......
More....