In this native dress the most remarkable item is the woman's blouse or huipil. The pattern of this straight garment is simply a rectangle composed of three strips of cloth, one narrow one sewed along each side of a wider central piece which has an opening for the head in the middle. This blouse is interesting not only for its cut and decoration but for the fine quality of its homespun textile. The cloth is woven on the horizontal loom or otate which dates back to pre-Cortezian times. It is operated with one end of the warp fastened to a post and the other to a belt around the waist of the weaver. The weft is manipulated with a kind of wooden shuttle. The pattern woven for the blouse is a stripe, usually yellow on a red background or vice versa. The yoke and front of the blouse are cross-stitched in silk, generally in tones of rose or violet, in odd geometric designs based on animal and plant forms.

With the blouse is worn a skirt of closely woven fabric-favoring the colors black, earth red, indigo and sienna-and the indispensable rebozo which is usually manufactured at the great factories of Tenancingo or Santa María del Río. High black shoes are often worn by these Indian women.

The dress of the Texcoco men is also of interest. Over a white shirt they wear a small jorongo of close cotton weave with a colored design. Two pairs of trousers are worn, long white under-drawers and shorter black woolen pants open at the bottoms as indicated in Plate 7. The masculine wardrobe is completed by a very wide brimmed straw sombrero and huaraches made locally that cover the feet all but the toes.

Carlos Merida

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