Santa Catarina Palopó
Sololá
Linguistic Community: kaqchikel
Components of the attire: Huipil, faja, corte
Everyday wear
Do you know the traditional dress of Santa Catarina Palopó?

A three-panel huipil woven on a backstrap loom, predominantly red and accented with thin white and yellow lines. The huipil features vibrant brocaded motifs executed in multicolored supplementary weft threads, including geometric, phytomorphic, zoomorphic, and anthropomorphic figures.

Today, the huipil of Santa Catarina Palopó stands as a clear reference to the rapid processes of change within contemporary Maya textile traditions, having undergone changes that reflect a living and continually evolving tradition.

The corte or skirt is woven on a treadle loom. The two panels that make it up feature a predominantly blue with narrow white lines arranged at regular intervals. The sash shares the huipil’s intense red background though it is more restrained in design, as it lacks brocading and it only has striped patterns created through color changes in the warp.

Materials: Mercerized cotton.

In recent years, the traditional dress of Santa Catarina Palopó has incorporated new materials and techniques in its production. Rayon, iridescent beads known locally as tornasol, and black cortes now coexist alongside historical designs.

What else do you know about this traditional attire?

To view a video of the piece, click here.