The Mayan blouse is called a huipil or güipil, or in on the more common Mayan languages – Kaqchikel – it is called a po’t. A huipil is generally woven by hand on a backstrap loom. The woman weaver generally spends several hours a day seated on her knees weaving the panels to make the huipil. This work can take up to 6 months for one huipil.
Woman in Guatemala have passed down their traditional dress called ‘traje’ for centuries. The tops, ‘huipils’ and the skirts are ‘cortes’. The Mayan culture has used the same techniques of weaving textiles for generations and continue to do so today. The intricate brocade decor on the huipils varies slightly from village to village, but the patterns and their meanings have not changed since the classic Maya period. Not only is traje an important component of the Guatemalan culture, the tradition of weaving provides a viable income for the weavers and artisans who make these textiles to provide for their families.
Each garment is uniquely decorated with a variety of designs and symbols, each with its own sacred meaning. The symbols range from the diamond, representing the universe and the path of the sun in it’s daily movement including the four cardinal directions, to geomorphic representations of mountains, rivers, animals, corn plants, and people. Sometimes a weaver will sew a small representation of her nahual in a discreet location on her garment so that it can always be kept close. Among the Quiché Maya (K’iche’) each person has his or her own nahual who watches over and protects him or her.
There are also variations in the garments based on the climate. In high mountainous regions, where the weather is cold and there is sometimes snow, the huipil can be very thick and heavy to keep its wearer warm. Some can weigh upwards of 5 pounds. In warmer regions, where it can be very hot and humid, the huipil might be lightweight and almost gauze-like in its design. After many centuries, the Mayan people still make up a majority of the population in Guatemala, and their fabulously colored traditional clothing can be seen throughout the country. For a smaller country, about the size of Tennessee, there is huge diversity within the Mayan community. This is particularly obvious when one looks at the varied designs in the clothing that are primarily worn by the Mayan women.
