Tarahumara Indian
hand sewn
traditional dresses
Please write to me at tarahumara@ojinaga.com to inquire about what I have in stock currently. I also have a few children's sizes.
click on this photo to see a larger view with more detail
This is Esperanza, a Tarahumara Indian woman who sews these traditional dress and sells them to other Tarahumara Indians.It is rare that these dresses are offered for sale, as there is a tremendous amount of labor involved in making one. Also, because of all the pleats, there are actually 5 meters (almost 6 yards) of fabric in each dress. This is actually a skirt and blouse combination. Spanish explorer Alvaro Nuņez Cabeza de Vaca, described, in 1535, Tarahumara women wearing exactly this same style of dress, although at the time they made them from rabbit pelts.
Tarahumara women pretty much always make these dresses the same size, and women, small and large wear them. Since the blouse has so many pleats, it fits just about anyone, and the skirt, although it has a button in the back, is actually held up by a traditional woven belt called a "faja". The blouse is short, but the dress is worn high, covering the mid-section which would otherwise be exposed.
These dresses are brand new, and have never been worn, except when Esperanza modeled them for me. I will tell you right now that you cannot buy these under any circumstances for much cheaper than what I am selling it for, simply because it contains so much fabric. Go down to the fabic store and see how much 5 or 6 meters of fabic like this costs! In addition, Tarahumara women will not sell these normally, because these are their most prized possessions. They are status symbols, showing that a woman has a man who can afford to buy this much fabric. I can get these items because these Indians are good friends of mine who treat me much differently than they would other people. My cost to you is 80 dollars, plus five dollars shipping and handling. The fajas are 15 dollars each, and I will choose one for you, to match the dress, if you want one. Write to me for more information on how to purchase one of these. I take cash, checks, money orders, Paypal, and VISA/Mastercard.
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These are the braided belts they use:
