Mexican clothing is rich in tradition, combining Indian and Spanish elements. Weaving is an ancient Mexican craft. The oldest loom-woven fragment in the country dates back to between 900 and 200 BC. Fibers used include: bark, agave, and cotton. The Spanish introduced wool and silk. Later on, man-made fibers and dyes came into use. Before the Spanish came to Mexico, fabrics were woven on the backstrap loom. This is still used by Indian women today to weave narrow panels of cloth. Men weave on the treadle or floor loom (introduced by the Spanish), creating wider pieces of cloth.

As in all cultures, Mexican clothing comes in many varieties. It is often set apart by gender (female, male), by class (rich, poor), and by occasion (everyday, ceremonial).

In Mexico, especially among Indian groups, in addition to a skirt, women wear one of two common forms of blouses: a sleeveless tunic (huipil) and a closed shoulder-cape (quechquémitl). Today, many women are wearing sleeved blouses, introduced by the Spanish. Men’s clothing has changed more. The shirts and pants they wear are both European fashions. Around their shoulders women sometimes wear rectangular shawls (rebozo). In the 19th century men often wore large blanket capes (sarape).