The typical costume of Aguascalientes was designed by Jorge Campos Espino. The ladies' wardrobe consists of a blouse and a wide skirt. In the case of men, it is a jumpsuit with a straw hat.
For its design, Campos was inspired by the traditional ways of dressing that the poor and rich inhabitants of Aguascalientes had at the beginning of the 20th century. In the case of the male suit, the allusion to the railroad men is direct.
The decoration of the ladies' suit is the product of elaborate handwork. It shows a cockfight, some grapes (alluding to the production of the area) and the San Marcos garden.
Although many versions of typical costumes are shown at the San Marcos Festival, only the one designed by Campos is considered official.
You may also be interested in the traditions and customs of Aguascalientes.
Main features
Female suit
The blouse is white with wide sleeves at the top, and adjusted at the level of the forearm. This blouse has a tight fit at the waist. Victorian influence is noticeable in its design.
The skirt is white, wide and long. It is held up by a green or red ribbon. The skirt shows a native technique of Aguascalientes called fraying.
In its elaboration some cuts called "blades" are applied. Tucks or hems are also put on it.
On the apron of the skirt you can see the embroidered figure of the balustrade of the garden of San Marcos. In its central arch there are roosters in a fighting attitude, in reference to the state anthem.
On the frill of the skirt there is a decoration with the figure of the arches of the Government Palace, among which there are bunches of grapes.
The suit is complemented with a white shawl or cloak, to which the unraveling technique is also applied.
When a woman wears this suit, she usually wears long braids with orange and yellow ribbons, tied with large bows.
Male suit
This suit is a tribute to work, specifically to railroad work.
It consists of a denim overalls with a plaid shirt. It is completed by a bandana with a straw hat.
Unraveling technique
Unraveling is a very old textile technique. It consists of lifting and pulling the threads of a fabric with the tip of a needle, in order to form a grid on which embroidery is made.
It is believed that it came to America from the hand of European conquerors. Unraveling was a hobby, but with the arrival of the railroads in Aguascalientes, customers for the precious works of art also arrived.
The fame of the fabric grew until workshops for its manufacture arose and it became an economic activity that marked the history of Aguascalientes during the 20th century.
In fact, at one point the commercialization of garments with this type of fabric came to represent 20% of the state's Gross Domestic Product.
With the passage of time and the modernization of the textile industry, the mechanization of many processes was generated to lower costs, which has made unraveling is disappearing.
To prevent it from disappearing altogether, efforts are being made by different entities of civil society and the local government, such as the Cultural Institute of Aguascalientes (ICA).
References
- Aguascalientes (s / f). Traditions of Aguascalientes. Recovered from: aguascalientes.gob.mx
- Encyclopedia (s / f). Costume of the Garden of San Marcos. Recovered from: encyclopedia.us.es
- González, María Luis (2017). Deshilado de Aguascalientes refuses to die. Recovered from: elfnanciero.com.mx
- National Park Service (2015). Aguascalientes. Recovered from: gov
- Online Teacher (s / f). Typical costume from Aguascalientes. Recovered from: profesorenlinea.cl
- Rodríguez, Mario (2017). Typical costume from Aguascalientes. Recovered from: mexicolindoyquerido.com.mx
- Turimexico (s / f). Typical costume from Aguascalientes. Recovered from: turimexico.com