Bright and sunny Mexico is inhabited by cheerful and temperamental people. There is always a lot of attraction in it: cacti, tequila, ponchos, maracas ... A spectacular combination of a burning white-hot desert with incredible color combinations and national patterns are all key elements of the world's most successful clothing trend "Mexican style".

Rich heritage of cultural traditions

Typical Mexican attire differs significantly from the modern clothing of the indigenous population. However, the influence of folklore motifs on the fashion of today is very great. Eminent designers and casual fashion aficionados find it hard to completely abandon the bright, practical and ornate traditional solutions.

Mexico is a rich variety of ethnic cultures. Despite the specific features of individual regions, everyone is united by the tastes, beliefs and lifestyle of the country as a whole.

Long dresses embroidered with floral ornaments are considered traditional women's clothing. Mexican motifs woven on canvas are a frequent adornment of holiday dresses.

The male national costume is called charro. It consists of a short jacket and tight-fitting trousers, complemented by a white shirt and a wide-brimmed sombrero hat. The costume is richly decorated with silver buttons and braids. Another version of men's clothing is distinguished by the white color of clothes and shoes. A scarf looks like a bright spot in a suit.

A cozy and practical poncho cape is considered a peculiar symbol of Mexican national fashion. This type of clothing is equally worn with great pleasure by women and men. Poncho is made of knitted fabric, leather or knitted by hand. It is customary to decorate the bottom with fringe, fur trim or patterned braid. The cape reliably warms in the cold and masks the costs of the figure.

Clothing colors

Dynamic style does not accept pastel shades. His preferences are bright saturated colors of exotic flora and sunny climate. Red, yellow, orange, green, blue, blue colors perfectly complement each other, forming contrasting combinations and harmonious combinations.

The colors of the Mexican style, unusual for the European eye, are a direct heritage of the Mayan and Aztec culture. Ancient people decorated their bodies, faces and houses with bright colors inspired by the surrounding nature. Ethnic images filled with Indian motifs give a special freshness and dynamism to the clothes.

Ornament motifs

Traditional patterns of Mexican clothing are patterns of stripes, rhombuses, squares, pyramids and other geometric shapes. The most common decorative themes are images of chrysanthemums and skulls. The reasons for such popularity lie in national traditions and a peculiar attitude towards human life and death.

No less common are the drawings on clothes in the form of cacti - a plant typical of the South American continent. The images of the Guadalupe Virgin Mary are especially revered by the Mexicans. It is customary to richly decorate such clothes and wear them on holidays.

Modern Mexican Style Clothing (Photo)

Many eminent designers are inspired by the ancient Indian culture, creating relevant models not only for high fashion, but also for everyday life. First of all, these are dresses that amaze with their originality and uniqueness. They have a simple practical cut based on brightly colored fabrics of natural origin.

The skillful combination of prints and folklore patterns gives dynamics and temperament to the images. Particularly impressive look wedding dresses decorated with patchwork elements, hand embroidery, multiple accessories made of leather, beads, stones.

The traditional cape never goes out of style. Her appearance in a fashionable set unmistakably determines the belonging of an exotic style. Poncho goes well with almost any clothing, but especially with dresses, long skirts, tight jeans.

Any clothing made in the Mexican spirit looks lively, fresh and relevant. The colorful colors of the carnival, the bitter taste of tequila, the burning sharpness of chili peppers - all these are the main components of an exotic and natural Mexican style that can give people the joy of a holiday and the beauty of life.

The Mexican national costume is very comfortable and elegant at the same time.

Mexico is a country of national costumes. Each region has its own outfit, which contains the origins of Latin American culture. Mexican style in bright motifs is one of the recognizable and attractive features of such a suit, which makes each outfit beautiful in its own way.

For example, in the state of Chiapas, local women wear richly embroidered dresses. Here, the Mexican style is evident in the creation of patterns on black tulle. Craftswomen embroider with silk threads both manually and by machine. The neck of the upper part of the outfit is identical to the pattern on the hem. The costume is complemented with ribbons, fresh flowers, jewelry or bijouterie.Mexican clothing has always been made from natural fibers, it was always cotton and agave bark, natural dyes were used.

Women's and men's clothing

Speaking of Mexico, the image of a temperamental macho with a mustache, always in a sombrero, immediately arises. He sits by the cactus in a snow-white shirt and wide trousers. A colored Mexican poncho completes the picture.

Stereotypical Mexican

In fact, this is not the case, men in Mexico prefer the charro suit, made in a combination of black and silver. It includes a jacket, skinny trousers and a wide-brimmed hat. A neckerchief can become a bright accent of the look.

Charro suit
Charro is the main clothing of Mexican musicians - mariachi

A typical Mexican women's outfit is a long multi-colored dress with a floral print or embroidery. Sometimes the dress is replaced by a blouse and a skirt of 12 wedges to the floor. The addition to the costume is a red scarf, silverware and red or white shoes.

The traditional Mexican dress is striking in its variety of color patterns.
This version of the traditional dress is not so bright, but no less elegant and feminine.

wedding fashion

With the growing popularity of themed weddings, Mexican style is a great option. A bridesmaid dress made of thin fabric in combination with a bright bolero, or a model with lowered sleeves with a pattern of folklore ornament looks very gentle and charming.

Don't Forget the Details Like the Wedding Cake
And, of course, what is a Mexican wedding without mariachi?

For the groom, a toreador suit, or a classic with accessories in the form of a neckerchief, will be spectacular.

A sombrero should be truly festive

mexican shoes

National shoes have accompanied Mexicans since the very beginning of their history. At first, the soles of people were reliably protected by yucca leaves. Later came the huarache, an improved rawhide sandal. Wealthy people could afford to decorate their shoes with gold, precious stones, expensive embroidery and colored ribbons. Now the Huaraches are worn with maxi skirts, white trousers and even cocktail dresses.

Mexican national sandals of the 19th century

In the north of Mexico, moccasins are popular; these are the shoes of the indigenous population of North America, a kind of prototype and ancestor of sneakers. And now the whole world walks in moccasins.

Ancient moccasins in the museum
And their more modern counterpart

The youngest are cowboy boots. The Mexican style involves dressing this type of shoe from the skin of an armadillo, buffalo and ostrich. Initially, boots were made with smooth soles, but under the influence of America, heels appeared. This made it easier for the cowboys to ride the horse, as the leg stopped popping out of the stirrup.

More recently, young people have begun to literally go crazy, with the advent of guarachero, a new fashion has arisen. It all started on the dance floors of the state of San Luis Potosi. Guys started lengthening the toe of their shoes to stand out from the crowd. The spontaneous elongation of the toes of shoes occurred very quickly, and soon their length became incredible. Dancing in such shoes is extremely uncomfortable, but this is how Mexicans now find out which of them is a real man.

Guarachero in David Guetta video

Colors and ornament

The Mexican style of a bright and sunny country does not accept calm pastel shades. Contrasting colors at first glance, yellow, green, red, orange, blue, blue, create harmonious combinations in clothes.

Mexican clothing harmoniously combines bright and seemingly incongruous colors.

The ethnic component is transmitted in the dynamics of Indian motifs. Since ancient times, people have decorated themselves, their homes with natural colors, protecting themselves and loved ones from evil spirits. Mexicans owe their motley pattern to the Mayan culture and the Aztecs. Traditional patterns are reduced to the image of geometric shapes: rhombuses, squares, pyramids, lines and others.

Traditional mexican patterns

The Mexican clothing style is famous for depicting chrysanthemums and skulls. These are the national traditions and the special attitude to life and death among the Mexicans.

Another notable feature is cacti, which grow in abundance on the South American continent. They are depicted on all items of clothing and everyday life.

The cactus is even depicted on the flag of the country

The image of the Virgin Mary is revered and popular. A Mexican poncho or other women's outfit is richly decorated, embroidered with beads and stones, worn only on holidays.Despite the ancient history, the Mexican style does not leave the fashion catwalks. Designers around the world use vibrant Indian motifs to create collections, skillfully combining folklore patterns with modern prints. Original dresses made of natural fabric are also relevant in everyday life.

The feeling of carnival, the joy of life - it's all Mexican style, exotic and natural, with a lot of fringe, leather, suede and decor in.

Mexico can hardly be called a paradise on Earth, but this country has a peculiar, incomparable appeal. It will captivate with harmonious inconsistency: a cheerful character against the backdrop of the worship of death, brutality coupled with sentimentality, a mixture of ancient Aztec beliefs with fanatical Catholicism. All this influenced the visual appearance of Mexico: bright, contrasting, catchy.

The preacher of the Mexican style in world culture was Frida Kahlo, one of the most original painters of the 20th century. At first she was in the shadow of her husband, the legendary revolutionary artist Diego Rivera, but his fame faded amid the decline of communism. Frida managed to create from her works a timeless image of the unique Mexico, a kind of encyclopedia of the country and its people.

In Mexico, they prefer bright, saturated colors - no pastels and halftones. The alternation of stripes of blue, green, orange, hot pink, white and black is popular and often seen on traditional Mexican textiles. It can be both solid color planes and stretch marks - from white and black to saturated shades.

One of the most characteristic color combinations for Mexican coloring is juicy ultramarine with orange or terracotta, in addition, pairs are typical: pink and orange, orange and green, blue and pink (lilac). These duets are often used for interior and exterior design - in general, the design of facades and interior decoration of houses in Mexico is striking in its diversity.

ornaments

In addition to stripes, in the Mexican tradition, one can observe other geometric patterns made up of rhombuses, triangles, crosses, zigzags, stepped pyramids. Many of them are strikingly reminiscent of Hutsul ornamentalism - and, if you think about it, you can find common features in the cultures of the Ukrainian Carpathians and Mexico, first of all: a peculiar attitude to life and death.

Most clearly, Mexican patterns are expressed in textiles, wall paintings, as well as in the design of ceramics.

Top Mexican decorative motifs are not difficult to compile: these are skulls, cacti and flowers, including chrysanthemums. Also widespread is the replication of images of the Holy Virgin of Guadalupe - sentimental, somewhat kitsch, richly decorated.

Skulls and chrysanthemums are symbols of one of the most important holidays in Mexico, All Souls' Day. On this day, people gather in cemeteries to spend the night next to the graves of their loved ones, build special gates decorated with flowers for the souls of the dead. Also, the invariable attributes of this holiday: Judas, stuffed skeletons, which are burned in the squares; bread in the form of headless figurines embodying the souls of dead children; painted sugar skulls. Memorial Day is also the day of Death, whose worship in Mexico, by the way, has resulted in a kind of cult, Santa Muerte. Its echoes can be observed in modern culture and fashion: remember the images of girls with faces made up like skulls, in luxurious dresses, with flower wreaths on lush hairstyles.

The iconography of traditional Mexican skulls is quite specific - they are stylized, have smoothed, rounded edges, look somewhat cartoonish, often composed of
ornate patterns. They, along with other symbols, can be seen in many paintings by Frida Kahlo.

In general, the Mexican style captivates with its simplicity and stunning decorative expressiveness - therefore it is an inexhaustible storehouse of ideas for handmade. It can be embodied in the design of jewelry, textile techniques: batik, tapestry, embroidery, in the design of interiors and household items. The main thing is not to be afraid of sharpness, contrasts and contradictions that are so characteristic of Mexico and its aesthetics.

Learning about the origin of the things around us, we begin to appreciate them more. Today we would like to talk about Mexico, and more specifically about Mexican textiles.

Bright bedspreads with ornaments, embroidered pillowcases and cozy, traditionally decorating the houses of the inhabitants of this country, have long and steadily been popular all over the world.

We love them for their consistently high quality, natural composition and the ability to instantly transform the interior, making it unique and voluminous.

Mexico is a huge country with the richest artistic and craft traditions, but the products made in the city of Saltillo, as well as local indigenous peoples such as the Otomi and Zapotec, are considered the most exported.

The origin of the product can be quite easily established by the nature of the pattern that forms the recognizable style of a particular region. Let's analyze all three options mentioned above.

Saltillo

A colorful Mexican throw, or the famous Saltillon serape, can be used as a chair cover, especially if the chair is vintage and you never have time to reupholster it. Since the bedspread is not a static design element, do not be afraid of extremely bright shades in its colors. Let them dominate your interior for a while.

Saltillo is the administrative center of the northeastern state of Coahuila, which has become famous all over the world thanks to the multi-colored bedspreads produced on its territory. Serape has become an integral symbol of the national culture of Mexico, so today the country's artisans have practically mastered the art of making it.

Even if you prefer neutral colors, you don't have to deny yourself the pleasure of having a Saltillo bedspread. Patterned stripes combined with black, gray and white bring depth to this eclectic bedroom.

Fabrics with traditional Saltillo motifs are ideal for upholstery. A vintage ottoman, upholstered in turquoise-based striped textiles, has suddenly become the focal point of a 50s-style living room.

Such bedspreads, of course, should be in every home. They can be laid on the floor or even on the table, which is especially true during themed parties.

otomi

Otomi, one of the indigenous peoples of Mexico, the world owes the appearance of delightful embroidered ornaments that convey images of flora and fauna in a recognizable artistic manner. Stunning combinations of bright colors, or simply contrasting motifs on a light background, can decorate any textile product, from clothes to carpets.

Hot pink embroidered pillowcases balance the colorful suzani bedspread. The white background allows you to examine in detail each element of the skillful ornament.

Large, otomi-inspired embroidered cushions bring life to this simple interior. The animalistic pattern is the perfect companion for the forest landscape outside the window.

This is not an embroidered canvas, but a printed fabric that mimics traditional otomi motifs. A relatively calm combination of colors does not overload the interior.

These intricate patterns are eloquent evidence of painstaking, hours-long work of Mexican craftswomen.

Zapotec

Carpets with contrasting geometric patterns, the art of which the Zapotecs have mastered for many centuries, look great in any interior, but are best combined with a rustic style.

Zapotec weavers sacredly preserve the traditions of their craft, which is much older than many similar crafts in North America, although many of the craftsmen switched to making simplified analogues. At the same time, there is a partial mixing of Zapotec, Aztec and even Navajo motifs.

The laconic ornamentation of this Zapotec rug makes the interior of a traditional bedroom in neutral tones more voluminous and interesting, without disturbing its color balance.

From a woven fabric intended for sewing pillowcases, you can make covers for poufs.

Zapotec weavers create amazing works of art that look especially great in rustic and beach interiors, but can decorate any space if desired.

In conclusion, I would like to note that authentic Mexican textiles are made only by hand and are very expensive, so it is permissible to use high-quality analogues, which are quite widely represented on the market, instead of original products.

I will highlight two:

millefleur(Millefleurs - from French - “many flowers”) - a pattern of small flowers on cotton fabrics; the name was first used in the art of tapestry, where images were often placed against a background of flowers.

Fleur-de-lis or "Fleur-de-lis" - a sign of royal power in France. Coats of arms and flags of various cities of the world - Florence, Quebec, New Orleans and many others are decorated with this image. Many researchers believe that Fleur-de-lis is an image of an iris, not a lily. One way or another, this symbol is often found in textiles, wallpapers, tiles, etc.

Just different in style floral patterns:

Turkish cucumbers (paisley)

Oriental trace in the tradition of modern interior ornaments - paisley. Its main pattern is similar to a curved drop, it is suitable if you are planning to decorate a room in an oriental style.

Paisley Flourish Lace Pattern

Arabesque

The coloring of the fabric from ornate patterns in the form of stylized flowers and leaves.

damask pattern

Damascus pattern is also arabesque. The roots of the damask pattern go back to ancient times, when in the Syrian city of Damascus, fabric craftsmen began to create peculiar patterns on them. Damask can be called a seamless pattern of any size, often with vertical axes. The style is mostly ornamental and floral. The damask pattern is easy to recognize - it is like a stencil applied to the base, most often of a rather impressive size.

Ikat

Ikat is one of the most difficult techniques for creating silk fabrics and a print with an oriental flavor, which is actively used by European designers, trying to add a little exotic to their collections. However, the ornament has long ceased to be only textile, now it can be found both on ceramic tiles and on wallpaper sheets.

Ikat is translated from Malaysian as "to wrap around, bind". The essence of the method is that the threads are dyed before they get to the loom, and not after it, as is usually the case. They are pulled together in bundles and twisted - with adhesive tape or ropes, by analogy with how a silkworm caterpillar wraps itself with threads. Peculiar "cocoons" are placed in the dye and all the threads acquire color, except for those that have been pulled together.

The modern ikat is a computer-generated print and digitally applied to the overlay.

Damascus pattern in the "technique" ikat

Ikat Art Damask Pattern

Lattice (tellis)

Now the modern ornament "lattice" is very popular. The typical geometric pattern "imperial trellis" can be seen in the decoration, fabrics and furniture upholstery. Lattice patterns will make both modern and classic interiors prettier. It is especially good to include them in monochrome designs. The "lattice" is unobtrusive and goes well with any kind of furniture.

Round Circle Lattice Trellis Geometric Pattern

Hourglass Geometric Lattice Swirls Trellis Pattern

Mac Trellis Pattern

Lattice Trellis Allower Pattern

Floral Trellis Pattern

Quatrefoil

The four-leaf ornament has very ancient roots, leading to the basics of heraldry and other traditional patterns. It consists of repeating elements, each of which is a circle of the same diameter. Something similar can be found in Moroccan traditions. Such a pattern is not only used for drawing a picture, even some household items and decor are made in the form of this ornamental figure.

It can be seen on screens, partitions, in a variety of interior elements. It is suitable for almost any style of decoration, with the only difference being that in different styles it can be used with different intensity. For example, modern technical directions allow it in minimal quantities.
Ornament_chetyrehlistnik

Quatrefoil Lattice Trellis Allower Pattern

Moroccan prints

An integral part of the Moroccan culture are patterns that combine Moorish, Arabic and a touch of Berber styles. In the form that is known to us now, the Moroccan ornament appeared as early as the 13th century. A complex rich pattern was used everywhere: on the floor, household items, walls of mosques.

Casablanca Moroccan Allower Pattern

Morocco Large Geometric Pattern

Moroccan Lattice Trellis Allower Pattern

Morrocan Lattice Trellis Pattern

Moroccan Allower Pattern

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Marrakech Trellis

A few more ethnic prints (I will only talk about those that can be found quite often).

Meander

And the meander style, which is black and white closed geometric patterns, has been known since the Neolithic. A border composed of right angles forming a continuous line. It got its name from the meandering river Meander (now Big Menderes) in Asia Minor (Ephesus). In ancient Greece, the meander symbolized eternity achieved by reproduction: an aging creature, replaced by a young one, becomes thereby immortal; the old entity shrinks and the new one expands.

Now, in design, it is considered a typical Greek pattern. Use the "meander" mainly for edging, for example, carpets, curtains or walls. This is a kind of decorative border.

Instead of the name meander, you can find something else:
A-la-greek

translated from French "à la grecque" - "in Greek", an antique geometric rectilinear ornament that adorned the friezes and cornices of buildings, as well as the hems of clothes. The ornament looks like an alternation of intertwined straight lines, meanders, located horizontally and vertically.

Usually alagrek is a strip of meanders, bounded above and below by wide lines. Depending on the number of such bands, complex and simple alagrek are distinguished. The combination of several of these types of alagreks allows you to create complex ornamental compositions, complemented by patterns or images.

Aztecs (Aztec)

Another variety of ethnic prints is Aztec patterns. They originate in the woven, carved and painted ornaments of the ancient civilizations of Latin America, India and Africa. Aztec ornaments are zigzags and waves, checkerboards, spirals, circles and triangles, elements of stair and step patterns.
The traditional palette is rich and deep colors: red, blue, green, yellow and their diverse shades.

mexican ornament

Mexican ethnic print is no less interesting color combinations. The colors of Mexican prints evoke thoughts of hot deserts, cacti and the scorching sun. The prints are dominated by brown, sand, red and green. Unlike other prints, Mexican motifs often use black, which makes an original contrast with yellow, white, red and green. In Mexican prints, you can often find a zigzag meander pattern and alternating small colored squares.

African patterns

African prints are directly related to the bright colors of the tropical jungle. In most cases, the print is an alternation of zigzag stripes, various circles and ovals in yellow, red and green. In addition, one African print may consist of several repeating patterns. Quite often, the ornament of African prints depicts idols and gods, which are painted no less brightly.

Chinese ornament

The Chinese have a lot of patterns, very diverse, including very complex geometric and floral patterns. I will note one variety that is often called "Chinese pattern" - chains:

Animal prints

Snake print - the creation of a pattern that imitates the pattern of snake skins.
Tiger print - an imitation of the color of a tiger skin.
Leopard print - imitation of leopard skin colors.
Zebra print - imitation of the color of the zebra skin.

What of the very famous forgot?