Güipiles of Guatemala

Here at Hiptipico, we try to use snapchat for "good" not just to show what we are eating or hang out with funny filters (although we love doing that too!) But, operating out of Guatemala allows us to share LIVE moments from the local community with our followers. The best part is, that we are not close to any city, so every experience comes right from the heart of the Maya world. Based on Lake Atitlan, we are surrounded by the many indigenous villages that originate in these highlands. After spending so much time in these communities, you start to notice something about the traditional garb. 

During a community meeting, you notice that everyone is wearing the same thing. While there are slight differences in pattern placement and color tone, women from the same village always wear the same garb. On top, a huipil/güipil which is an embroidered blouse and then for a bottom the traditional "corte" wrap skirt. When you start venturing around Guatemala, you start to notice how these güipiles and cortes vary more significantly from village to village. That's right, each individual town can be identified by their unique güipil and corte pattern. By observing the type of embroidery, the figures represented, the color palette used - one can begin to recognize the Maya community behind each and every garment. 

We did a live broadcast from the local textile market in Panajachel on snapchat, explaining the history and significance of the various guipiles of Guatemala. If you missed it, here is a quick re-cap of that day!