The Men In White

by Mildred Boyd

     Paintings and statues from pre-Columbian times show that the female of the species had to take a back seat when it came to personal adornment. Kings and nobles bedecked themselves in gold, silver and jade in the form of pectorals, armlets, lip plugs and ear spools and wore feather mosaic cloaks and magnificently plumed head-dresses. The Aztec Emperor, Montezuma even wore golden sandals and was so heavily laden with ornaments that he could only totter a few steps without the support of two of his attendants. Even warriors went into battle loaded with jewels, wielding lavishly decorated weapons and wearing elaborate costumes, usually representing some fierce animal totem such as the eagle or the jaguar.
      How times have changed! Today, even in those out of the way places where regional dress has not been replaced with the tasteless modem uniform of blue jeans, tee-shirts and Adidas, the women wear stunning outfits but their men are usually limited to simple white cotton trousers and loose tops. Perhaps that is why most men leap at the chance to wear colorful costumes. On special occasions, feast days and official ceremonies village elders and ritual dancers shine forth in a sartorial splendor that rivals, and sometimes surpasses, that of their ancestors.

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