Skirt

1962

Very finely pleated skirt, at the time of collection still worn by older women in Zinacatepec. The cotton fabric, made on a step loom, comes from the vicinity of Oaxaca. Dark blue, with fine, slightly lighter longitudinal stripes. The fabric is put on a strip of manta (commercial cotton) of 25 cm, on which a narrow manta strap is attached, which is fastened above the chest instead of around the waist. The front and back of the skirt are pleated separately (there are specialized families in Zinacatepec, Cordry 1968) and then sewn together by hand by someone else (white cotton, coarse stitch) and sold by her. This skirt has a wide hem of 10 cm, and around the edge a narrow red-purple statin ribbon is sewn. About 7 cm below the waistband a white cotton thread has been threaded through the folds to keep them in shape. Both sides have a slit up to the middle of the mantle piece (loosened on one side). The slits are bound by the waistbands of the front and back piece forming a 14 cm band on both sides.