Indigenous Garb
María Teresa Pomar

This is a brief overview of indigenous garb in Mexico, the cultural, social, and religious symbolism it entails, and its utilitarian value. Albeit brief, this history delves into the roots and essence of clothing in Mexican culture, as well as its transformation and characteristics from pre-Hispanic times to the present.

TEXTILES
From the remote past and at different latitudes in the world, woven filaments have been made that we refer to as textiles. Perhaps its origins date back to the time when nomads twisted plant fibers they found in their surroundings: reeds, vines, sticks, flexible twigs, cane, bulrushes, and so forth, to tie up their few belongings in a bundle and to thus facilitate transport.
Baskets, hunting traps and fishing baskets, hammocks, mats, cloth and capes woven from soft or semi-hard fibers malleable enough to be spun and woven are considered textiles. In the beginning, these fibers were worked with one’s fingers and with a loose warp.
Some researchers place the emergence of textiles prior to the creation of ceramics, which would make it one of the most ancient of crafts. Parallel to its development, human groups needed to protect their bodies from the adversities of climate, then perhaps due to a scarcity of animal pelts, woven garments appeared on the scene. As society advanced, garments evolved as softer fibers were woven, such as pochote, wild cotton, henequen, ixtle (agave), and so forth. A rudimentary type of loom, referred to as a “frame” was produced to facilitate working these fibers and which was eventually transformed into the backstrap loom. Both types are still used today and thanks to human skill and ingenuity, it has been possible to make larger weavings, based on more complex techniques.

PRE-HISPANIC CLOTHING
In addition to its utilitarian function, clothing permits the ethnic, social, economic, and cultural identification of its wearers. Upon their arrival to the American continent, European invaders found textile production at an impressive stage of development. Missionary-historians and 16th century travelers have left accounts of the garb worn at that time. Perhaps the most detailed descriptions are those of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún and Fray Diego Durán. Considerable information on the attire of different cultures inhabiting the continent can also be gleaned from codices, pictograms, and sculpture. Early in the 16th century, a major shift took place in the clothing worn by indigenous peoples, due to the morality inherent in religious and cultural notions brought by the conquerors. As is well-known, the majority of men only wore a maxtlatl or loincloth, made of agave fiber for commoners and of cotton for the upper classes, which “covered their private parts.” This fabric was passed between the legs and was held in place by a belt. Men also wore another piece of cloth called a tilmatli, made of the same materials as the loincloth, which was knotted at the shoulder and served them in gleaning corn and transporting things, among other purposes.