CLOTHING OF THE MAYANS IN MEN AND WOMEN - HISTORY - 2024

The Mayan clothing was characterized by the use of very bright colors, precious stones, and striking feathers. Each Mayan social class dressed differently, as their outfits were representative of their status.

For example, the clothing of the lower classes was closely related to the main economic activity of this civilization: agriculture. The suits worn by both women and men were designed with the intention of allowing them to be productive and protect themselves from the difficulties associated with their work.

The Mayans were characterized by wearing very colorful clothes. Source: Ericwaltr

On the other hand, the nobles adorned their garments much more thanks to the use of feathers, stones and animal skins.

However, despite these differences, it is possible to find common elements that identified them as a community. For example, one of the most widespread features was the use of vivid colors.

Thanks to the use of vegetable dyes, they managed to give life to their garments and represent in these part of the cosmology of civilization. The red, blue and yellow tones were the most used.

Clothing of the Maya in men

Two figures from Palenque, Chiapas. Public domain

The daily clothing of the men dedicated to the work of the land consisted only of a short skirt or a loincloth called pati, and the bare torso. This garment allowed them to have greater mobility in their daily tasks.

Some farmers decorated the pati with colorful embroidery, thus personalizing their clothes and making them more striking.

Diego de Rivera mural. Source: Wolfgang Sauber

In contrast, the Mayan nobles were characterized by wearing more elaborate garments, which represented their superior social status to less powerful men.

These nobles wore clothes that were made from the skins of animals considered dangerous, such as big cats. Within the outfit, the use of jewels and feathers that were placed in a headdress also stood out.

The nobles also used precious stones in their costumes and many elements of gold, both on their heads and throughout the body in general.

In the following video of the movie Apocalypto you can see the clothing of the lower classes of Mayan society:

In the following scene you can see how the priestly class could have dressed:

Footwear

As for footwear, Mayan men used to wear thin sandals that were attached to the feet thanks to thin laces.

Those of the nobles differed from those of the rest of the men, as they wore additional ornaments that were usually held at the ankles. Likewise, they could also be decorated with animal skins, precious stones and some small bones.

For combat or sport

Mayan warrior, Jaina Island, Campeche. Wmpearl

The Mayans used all the natural resources that they had on hand to add accessories to their costumes, in this way they adapted them to the specific function that these costumes had.

Mayan warriors. Mayavase.com

Men wore special clothing to fight or to play sports. This was based mainly on the use of armor made with tree bark, or with some trunks that were resistant but malleable. They could also wear thick animal skins or clothing made from leather.

For celebrations

For the Mayans, religious celebrations and ceremonies were very important. For this reason they had clothes specially designed for those events.

For example, in celebrations the most marked use of jewelery and ornaments with feathers was common. This was the Mayan way of showing respect to their gods.

The colors of these costumes were very striking and a hat or headdress should always be worn on the head. In these headdresses they used large and colorful feathers, as well as the skins of animals common to the area.

The pompousness of the costumes was in contrast to the lightness they had, since very lively dances used to take place at these festivals and rituals, for which it was necessary to move with ease. For this reason the costumes should be light, while full of jewels, stones and feathers.

Search for comfort

For the Mayan men the most important thing was to be able to have freedom of movement. For this reason, all the clothes they used were not designed to be tight to the body.

On the contrary, they were somewhat loose and were held to the body through thin ropes, or a kind of thicker belts made of textiles.

This characteristic was present in the different outfits of the Mayans: ceremonial, sports or combat and those for daily use.

Clothing of the Mayans in women

Huipil attributed to Malinche. Some scholars consider that the huipil was made during the 18th century. Source: Maurice Marcellin

The female costumes also had differences between them that allowed distinguishing women belonging to the lower classes from the more privileged.

For example, women with fewer economic resources wore simple tunics called huipil, which were sewn on the sides and without much adornment. These women tied a rope at the waist to hold the costume in place.

On the other hand, women of slightly higher classes used to wear wide and long skirts that could be tied with some colorful textiles at the waist. On the torso they wore loose shirts that did not have sleeves, in order to facilitate movement.

The wealthiest women added a great deal of adornment to their outfits. These accessories included precious stones and other inlays in the fabrics, as well as elaborate headdresses that featured large feathers and striking pearls.

For all Mayan women, bright colors in the garments were very important. The brightest and most intense tones were used in the costumes of the higher class women.

The following video shows the clothing of a low-class Mayan woman:

Footwear

Women's footwear was very similar to men's. They also wore thin and comfortable sandals that allowed them to have greater mobility.

Like those of noble men, the sandals of upper-class women were often adorned with inlays with precious stones and brightly colored feathers.

For celebrations

Like men, in ceremonies and rituals women wore more ornaments and feathers. The reason for this was to show obeisances to the gods whom they worshiped.

Headdresses were very important to women. In these they incorporated feathers and other ornaments, always with a lot of color.

Were there differences in the Mayans of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras?

Page from the 16th century Lienzo de Tlaxcala (1892 reproduction) showing the conquest of Ytzcumptepec (Quauhtemalla (Guatemala, or Iximche, in Guatemala).

In general, the clothes used by the Mayans were very similar to each other, despite living in a fairly extensive territory. However, despite the similarities, there were details in the costumes that differentiated the Mayans who came from one region or another.

For example, several Mayan tribes in Guatemala used to use blue and brown as one of the protagonists of their garments. On the other hand, in Honduras the suits could be of different colors, only giving priority to the most striking.

Likewise, in the hottest areas of Mexico the suits used to be much lighter, in order to withstand the high temperatures to which they were exposed. In the case of Belize, floral shapes were given priority in women's costumes, especially skirts.

Despite these differences, there were elements that were common to all the Maya. These include light sandals, huipiles for women, the use of cotton in garments and headdresses made of feathers and precious stones.

Mayans today: photos

Yucatecan dressed in a «huipil, a traditional Yucatan costume, with which the Yucatecan jarana is danced. Source: Comvaser

Mayan children. Renée Johnson from Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA

A Mayan man from San Juan Atitán, Guatemala, weaving a bag. ArtProf

References

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2. “Chʼortiʼ people” in Wikipedia. Retrieved on November 11, 2019 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org
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6. "Clothing of the Mayans" in Ethnic Groups. Retrieved on November 11, 2019 from Etnias: etnias.mx
7. "Mayan clothing" in Educar Chile. Retrieved on November 11, 2019 from Educar Chile: educarchile.cl
8. "Typical costume of Honduras" in EduRed. Retrieved on November 11, 2019 from EcuRed: ecured.cu
9. "Typical Belizean costume" in EduRed. Retrieved on November 11, 2019 from EcuRed: ecured.cu
10. "Maya textiles" in Wikipedia. Retrieved on November 11, 2019 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org