- Types of Huehuetenango costume according to the department
- Avocado
- Todos Santos Cuchumatán
- San Juan Atitan
- San Mateo Ixtatán
The typical costume of Huehuetenango is a clear example that cultural manifestations are one of the most striking strengths of culture in Guatemala. Each custom is rooted in a feeling for the most ancient aspects of the region.
While native dress has disappeared in many parts of the world, Guatemala remains a place where a high percentage of indigenous people still wear the clothing of that time.
Huehuetenango is one of the provinces that stands out the most for the aforementioned. Preserving the variety of its clothes, the region continues to be the focus of attention before the great multitude of tourists who seek to contact the ancient Mayan and related customs. Being a border with Mexico, its mountainous topography leads to temperate climates during most of the year.
It is in clothing that we find that traditionalist root. The typical costume of Huehuetenango is different for both sexes, ideal for temperatures, woven with indigenous materials.
You may also be interested in this list of typical Guatemalan costumes.
Types of Huehuetenango costume according to the department
Avocado
The headdress is an important item of women's clothing in many highlands. One of the most beautiful is the one worn by the Aguatecas, who, although they have largely abandoned their weaving of huipiles and skirts, still retain some trappings.
It consists of a 2-3 inch wide ribbon decorated with brocade designs and finished at each end with large tassels. Long hair wraps are worn, which are pulled across the forehead, with the full width of the ribbon exposed across the top of the head and the tassels hanging down either side.
Todos Santos Cuchumatán
In this region, the use of overshoes in both sexes is obvious. The man wears everyone's dark red and white striped boxer shorts, thus serving the royal function of covering the entire body.
In other villages it is used only for the ceremony. The remainder of the costume is made up of a shirt with narrow vertical stripes, a wide and heavily embroidered collar, topped by a western-style straw hat and a woolen jacket completes the outfit.
A few decades ago, men's pants tended to be whiter with red stripes, but as time progresses, these have been reduced, shifting to more red striped hues
On the other hand, the women of Todos Santos show their fabrics in the hope of sale. Her huipil is made of a red and white striped cloth, but the exposed portion is covered with brocaded designs that hide the cloth from view.
The white collar ruffle is decorated with a long braid. It is understood that within the tradition, it is women who work the cloth for men and children; without forgetting the elderly.
San Juan Atitan
The costume of San Juan Atitán is one of the most elegant in all of Guatemala. The shirt has a square collar made of two layers of fabric sewn around the edges, but with an opening that allows the hanging ends of the collar to be used as pockets.
A kind of sweater with short, partially open sleeves is worn over the red shirt and is held in place by a frame. The pants are white and plain. Some San Juan men still wear leather straps alongside their high-heeled sandals. The whole is completed with a straw hat and a strap bag for goods.
San Mateo Ixtatán
It is located in the extreme northwest of Guatemala, near the border with the Mexican state of Chiapas. Like many of the Mayan towns in Guatemala, it is a site occupied since pre-Columbian times.
The huipil worn by the women of San Mateo is different from any Guatemalan huipil. It's bulky, made from two layers of white cotton fabric, embroidered on both sides to make it reversible, and it's essentially the same design inside and out.
The embroidered area is a large circle, centered on the neck hole, mainly red in color containing bold stars. The huipil is very heavy, appropriate for the cool climate of this high mountain city.
Huipiles de San Mateo are often sold in well-known markets such as Chichicastenango, although most of them are of low quality because they are intended for sale to tourists.
These are characteristically relatively small, made from a single layer of fabric and embroidered with large stitches only on one side. Tourists who wish to purchase higher quality products may do well to consider purchasing used huipiles. In general, the clothing that the indigenous people have made for their personal use will be of better quality than the work done for the tourist trade.