Maya clothing

Maya clothing describes the clothing typical in the Maya civilization. The ordinary garment of men was a cotton breechcloth wrapped around the middle, with sometimes a sleeveless shirt, either white or dyed in colors. Mayan women usually wear traje, which is a combination of a woven, multicolored blouse called a huipil or a corte, a woven wraparound skirt that reaches to the ankles, and is held together by faja (sash) at the waist,^[1] and plaited their hair in long tresses. Sandals were worn by both sexes. Tattooing and head-flattening were occasionally practised, and the face and body were always painted. The Maya, then as now, were noted for personal neatness and frequent use of both cold and hot baths.

Due to the temperate type of weather of the Maya territory, there hadn’t existed a need in clothes as defense from the elements. Maya clothes were some sorts of adornment and the most amazing clothing was for the cleric. Big earplugs, beads, decorations attached to the mouth, nose, hands, waist, legs were worn by the Maya dignitaries for stunning effect. Mayan farmers did not wear much. The men wore a plain loincloth or somewhat a band of cloth that was winded around their waist. A number of them at least had moccasins made of deer skin. The female possessed two items of clothing a length of ornamented material with holes made for arms and head, well-known as a kub. Male and female used a heavier rectangle of material famous as a manta, that functioned as an overwrap on cool days, and as blanket at night. The manta served as a blind across the door. Sisal as well as cotton was planted on a large scale, and women were busy with weaving. Authorities believe that cotton was cultivated for nobility and clerics. At the same time as the clothing of the farmers was plain, that of the rich was a great deal brighter and elaborates. Even though their garments were thin, the Maya were partial to personal decoration. The masses wore knick-knacks of stone, bone, wood, mainly on their faces. For nobility, the adornments were made of metal and sometimes jade. Besides, they filed down their teeth and at times covered the ones with plates made of what considered to be valuable stones, for example obsidian, iron pyrites as well as most precious kinds of jade. They used paint in a very impressive way on their bodies, it could be applied using ceramic slices dipped in the pot with the paint. The hues of the paints meant a lot. The Maya also were fond of tattooing.†

References

1. ^ Quest Connect.org