The Colorful Heritage of Mexico-
Part 1 of Series Tara A. Spears
Part of the allure of visiting Mexico is its vibrant colors, steamy climate, and exotic flora. Mexico is a country proud of its heritage and proud of the perseverance and contributions of its indigenous people. This series will introduce one of the unique groups each month, showcasing its distinctive textiles and clothing. Ever since I first learned that each Mexican state has not only its own flag, but a particular color and style of clothing that proudly identifies 
that area, I’ve been fascinated with the idea. The Mexican minority groups stand tall by continuing with centuries of tradition by wearing their unique clothing.
The huipil is a typical dress of the Triqui Indians that are centered throughout Oaxaca. (There are some splinter groups throughout the country, even in the mountains ring Jaltemba Bay.) The huipil is long garment that starts at the neck and covers the whole body until it reaches the ankles. The huipil represents an identity symbol for Triqui women who proudly wear the huipil for their daily activities. Huipils are mainly made of different shades of red that is interwoven with bright and striking colors. It is only made only by women and used only by members of that community. The Triqui women weave the huipil using a waist loom. The time it takes to make a huipil depends on its size which depends on the height of the woman who will wear it. For example, a huipil for an adult woman takes from four to six months to create. Of course, due to the labor intensive nature, the going price for an adult huipil is around $4,800 pesos. Each one is hand made.
There are two types of huipil: one is made with woolen yarn and the other is made with silk thread. Yarn is generally use to protect against the cold since it is a thicker weave. On the other hand, silk is lighter and is used for warmer season. The silk huipil is more expensive due to its costly thread and greater weaving time. Sometimes the silk huipil is favored by the young population and the more affluent; the silk huipil might be considered elitist.
The huipil is formed by three strips: the right, the left and the central part. Each part is woven separately and subsequently joined by special embroidery to form the complete huipil. The right and left side of the huipil is not as time consuming to weave as the central part because these two parts are less broad than the central part. The center is more difficult to weave and requires more time because it is the one that carries the decorative pattern and figures . The huipil has red strips and white strips that symbolize nature: the red is the caterpillar and the figures that are in the red strip are the butterflies.
Weaving of the huipil is a cultural activity of the Triqui women because it’s their daily dress. Every Triqui woman and child needs at least three huipils that are used for different occasions. One type huipil is used for domestic activities, one type for when they go outside of their communities and a huipil for special events within the cultural practices of the community.
Currently, the weaving of the huipil is also an economic activity for the Triqui women. Apart from weaving to make their own clothing, the women weave to sell huipils within their community and, in recent years, sale of huipils has spread to non-Triqui people. Outsiders want to acquire the huipil for their beauty and authenticity as an indigenous garment. Just think how easy it is to bring home in a suitcase!
Previous Triqui generations took nature as the basis for the huipil design. Weaving is a complicated activity that takes many years of practice to acquire the knowledge about the huipil fabric designs. Young women will often learn the weaving basics then add her own design element, such as, incorporating lighter or darker colors and new figures.
Every aspect of a huipil has meaning; each figure, color, shape signifies something important to the group. A very dominant figure is a butterfly but other figures might be: inclined figure, pines, birds, soldiers, corn tortilla or jug. To make the figures the weaver has to count how many threads are left and how many have to be taken or removed so that the figure comes out well and carries a sequence both along and across the huipil. Otherwise the remaining figures may become distorted.
Frequently the completed huipil is adorned with ribbon embroidery around the neck that symbolizes the sun and the moon due to the round shape they have. The ribbons symbolize the cheerful color of the rainbow that marks the beginning and end of the rainy season.
Each huipil is more than just a garment; it is more than an impressive Mexican handicraft. The Triqui huipil is symbolic of the heritage, pride, and traditions of a special people.