Mexican Clothing Guide

Mexican clothing is one of the most captivating things about Mexican Culture. Garments are beautiful, unique, and fun with a variety of colorful and monochrome designs and styles. Mexican culture is well portrayed by authentic Mexican garments.

There are different ideas when people talk about Mexican clothing.  We created this page to define Mexican attire

Mexican Clothing Types

Mexican Apparel

Mexican traditional styles.

Today there is a trend for the general population to use modern garments heavily influenced by traditional clothing.

These are blouses and dresses that evolved from the traditional style and have a more sophisticated design.

Examples are blouses with embroidery along the neck or designer dresses with embroidery.  For men, the typical Mexican guayabera with unique designs.

Within Mexican apparel we can also find Mexican wedding dresses and Mexican fancy dresses used in a formal party or celebration.  An example of this is a sweet sixteen birthday party also called quinceañera.

Traditional Mexican Clothing

With this we mean, original pieces used by the indigenous people which have evolved with the Spanish colonization and modern times. It is full of vivid and strong colors using natural fibers such as cotton, wool and agave.

Typical women clothing includes a skirt, a huipil (a kind of sleeve-less tunic), a quechquemitl (a closed shoulder cape) and a rebozo (a kind of a shawl).  Many of these designs with embroidery or fraying typical of the region.

Traditional clothing for men consists of trousers and shirts that are unique garments in more than one thing because they have so many interesting details. Within traditional clothing we have the typical dresses from the different regions and states of the country.

Within traditional clothing there is the very traditional Aztec and Mayan clothing.

Mexican Outfits

Mexican outfits are those outfits and costumes used in festivities.

These garments are used as part of tradition in events and celebrations.

Typical clothes include the charro and mariachi suits, and accessories like the typical Mexican sombrero.

Mexican outfits are also a type of traditional clothing, and can be used in a fun party and referred to as Mexican costumes (see below).

Mexican Costumes

People use the word costume in a variety of ways, but the most widely accepted term is for the type of garment that is used in special occasions for example in a Halloween party or a special celebrations. (You normally would not wear a costume to go to work or in a normal day).

  • Mexican Costumes – This is the general term used for any kind of costume or outfit to be used in a party or a special occasion including the traditional and the fun costumes.
  • Traditional Mexican Costume is another name for Mexican outfits which are used in a special events or celebrations.

Authentic Mexican clothes all share beautiful craftsmanship. Preserving the beauty and style of Mexican clothing is an important part of culture that many Mexicans want to promote including the editors of this site.