(In Yucatan, they are called 'hipiles'.) The entry panel for a wonderful exhibit of traditional Yucatecan women's dress. What is the meaning of 'mestiza'? Read here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mestizo Different parts of Mexico have their own regional traditions for constructing and decorating the traditional dress, or "huipil". This old photograph shows how Yucatan's version of the style, which began as a rural one, came to the city and moved into the middle and upper class gentry during the 19th century. Yucatan has tropical weather. While traditional dress in the highlands may be hand-woven of wool, here in Yucatan it involves white cotton and a cooling effect. As this museum exhibit shows, the style is varied and intricate, involving a great deal of extremely fine embroidery. Regions of Yucatan had their own decorative traditions, which the exhibit explains and demonstrates with elegant examples. During the 20th century, as the sewing machine came to Yucatan, the technique became largely mechanized (but not entirely). Today, one sees occasional examples of artistic experiments in which the designs are PAINTED onto cloth, as an homage to the needlework tradition. And the needlework tradition of hand-embroidered dresses remains strong and appreciated. It's grand to see this fine exhibition at Merida's Palacio Canton, the regional museum of archaeology and history, giving full expression to the beauty that is the traditional Yucatecan dress. The show just opened and remains up through April 2013. More images to follow.