Over the almost 14 years I have been living in Oaxaca, I have had the opportunity to meet many artisan weavers who make extraordinary clothing. I often made a purchase to support their work. I also selected outstanding pieces from collector Remigio Mestas at his gallery shop, Los Baules de Juana Cata in Oaxaca and at Remigio’s in Mexico City.
Some of these finer pieces are for sale here. As I continue to take long walks, shed a few pounds and wiggle into skinny jeans, my body and personal style is changing. So, I am passing along the opportunity to you to own one of these amazing blouses or dresses — some of which are no longer being made at the same quality level.
How to Buy: Each garment has a number. If you want to make a purchase, send me an email, tell me what you want to buy by number, your name and mailing address. I will send you a PayPal invoice and add $8 mailing cost via USPS Priority Mail. (Note: if you live outside the lower 48, I will need to calculate a custom mailing cost.) I’m going to the US soon and will mail your purchase by December 15, 2018, just in time for the holidays.
#1: Chakira Beaded Mexican Flag Blouse from Puebla State, rare, collectible
#1 is a smocked cotton blouse with Chakira (beaded) bodice with an amazing Mexican flag motif, from Xochitlan, Puebla, Mexico, high in the mountains. Same design front and back. Tiny beads trim the hand-embroidered neckline and sleeve. It comes from a fair trade cooperative that has earned its reputation for using the highest quality cotton cloth and dense, precise beading. Rare and collectible. 22″ wide x 22″ long. Size M-L. $350 USD
#1 bodice detail
#2 is a soft native white and coyuchi brown cotton blusa, made on the coast of Oaxaca in the town of Pinotepa de Don Luis. Here, women still spin using the drop spindle malacate and weave with the back-strap loom. There are hours of labor that go into making a top like this one. Comfortable and elegant. 31″ wide x 31″ long. Size L-XL $225 USD.
#2 Native white and rare coyuchi cotton tunic, Pinotepa de Don Luis
#3 is a stunning blouse from San Juan Colorado on Oaxaca’s Costa Chica. All natural dyes — cochineal, indigo and coyuchi brown cotton, woven on a back-strap loom. The white is also cotton native to Oaxaca. Seams and neckline hand embroidered. 23″ wide x 26″ long. M-L. $165 USD plus mailing.
#3 blouse from San Juan Colorado, indigo, cochineal + coyuchi
#4 tucked into the fold of a mountain that borders Oaxaca and Veracruz states lies the village of San Felipe Usila, where women weave and embroider the most amazing and graphic textiles. This one is a showstopper. I personally chose and bought it in the village directly from the maker. 26-1/2″ wide x 45-1/2″ long. Size L-XL. $550 USD
#4 Gala Huipil from San Felipe Usila, Oaxaca
#5 is a Puebla masterpiece of smocking! Notice the iconography/pattern of the deer in the smocked bodice. How do they do that? Also note the smock detail of the shoulder and sleeve hem, too. Cream colored manta cotton and black yarn. 22″ w x 28″ long. Sleeve length from shoulder seam is 21″. Size M. $165 USD
#5 intricate smocked Deer blouse from Puebla state, manta cotton
#5 bodice detail
#6 is a rare beauty, difficult to find blouse from Michoacan. The bodice is attached to the lower part of the blouse with hand smocking. The bird pattern is achieved by using needle lace, a technique brought to the Americas from Europe and incorporated into indigenous clothing. Above and below the needle lace is a cut-work pattern, where the threads are pull out of the fabric and tied. 29″ wide x 30″ long. Size L-XL. $350 USD.
#6 is a white blouse from Michoacan, needle lace, smocking and cut-work
#6 bodice detail, all intricate handwork — needle lace and cutwork, a rare textile art
#7 is a huipil or dress from the Amusgos group that lives in the region of Oaxaca along the coast that borders the state of Guerrero. The pattern, from native brown rare coyuchi cotton, is woven into the cloth using a technique called supplementary weft. The base fibers are dyed with nanche, a local fruit. 27″ wide x 39″ long. Size L-XL. $225 USD
#7 San Pedro Amusgos coyuchi huipil
SOLD #8 this huipil (dress) has a beautiful flowing drape and the colors are glorious blue and gold, derived from the indigo plant and oak (encino) leaves and bark. This is a fine, gauzy fabric, carefully sewn and hand-stitched together in the Mixe region of Oaxaca. Purchased from Remigio Mestas at Los Baules de Juana Cata in Oaxaca. 35″ wide x 35″ long. Size L-1X. $285 USD.
SOLD #8 is a Mixe huipil with indigo and encino (oak) dyes
#9 Chakira beaded floral motif blouse
#9 was made by the leader of the Xochitlan cooperative in Puebla state, high in the mountains four hours from Puebla city. The bead work, flower motif and workmanship is an art form. 22″ wide across bodice x 30″ long. Size L-XL. $295 USD
#10 Xochistlahuaca finest detailed weaving
#10 comes from the Amusgos region that borders Oaxaca and Guerrero states. This is a fine, exquisite, intricately woven huipil that is dense with flowers. It is three wefts wide, is lightweight, and is perfect over leggings, a flouncy skirt or jeans. The top of the bodice and the shoulders have a beautiful embroidered detail that picks up the motif in the weaving. Yes, all those flowers are woven into the cloth. 37″ wide x 30″ long. Size L-2X. $495 USD
#11 Tlahuitoltepec blouse, dense machine embroidered
#11 is one of the most popular blouses in Oaxaca. It comes from the Mixteca mountain region, in the town of Tlahuitoltepec that is about 2 hours from Oaxaca city. This one is a particularly nice with excellent embroidery, densely accentuated, in the traditional colors of red and black on white manta cotton. This particular one is special because of the hand-braided tie. 19-1/2″ wide across bodice x 27″ long. Drop shoulders with 14″ sleeves. Size M. $135 USD.
