Prehispanic Women's Basic Dress

huipil

(from the Nahuatl: [h]uipilli "blouse"), a loose sleeveless tunic made of two or three joined webs of cloth sewn together lengthwise and then completed with a cut-out neck opening and sewn-up sides to create either very tiny arm openings or very large ones, depending on the geographical area. From: The Worldwide History of Dress, by Patricia Rieff Anawalt.


Common Thread is finding some beautiful vintage huipils. The symmetrical front-and-back design, embroidery work, and construction of these garments is extraordinary. Each is an original work of art!

Colotenango / Girl's Huipil

Santiago Atitlan