Apparel

The Aztecs were an ancient civilization that strived during the fourteen hundreds (Nicholson, H.B. “Aztecs.” World Book Encyclopedia. 2005 ed. Print. ) Similar to all ancient civilizations, the Aztecs wore certain items of clothing. Although there are certain items worn, the Aztecs showed lots of variety. The clothing that they wore often depicted their social standings. In general, ancient Aztec clothing was very loose-fitting and often covered a majority of the body (“Aztec Clothing.” Aztec-Clothing. Aztec-Indians.com, 2010. Web. 16 March.2010 ) Women were the ones to make the clothing by hand since their technology was very limited. Using simplistic hand tools, they were able to make (mainly) loin cloths for men, and blouses and/or skirts for women like themselves. The material was usually of cotton or an ayate fibres which was made into beautiful, colourful, exotic clothing with intricate designs (“Ancient Aztec Clothing.” Aztec History. Aztec-history.com. 2006-2011. Web. 16 March. 2011.) As said before, Aztecan clothing would often depict the social standings of a person. Generally, they are divided into four groups; the nobles, commoners, serfs, and slaves. The noble would usually have lots of power or be a religious leader. Their clothing would consist of vibrant colours (the more vibrant, the more powerful they seem to appear)( Soisson, Pierre. “Life of the Aztecs in Ancient Mexico.” 1987. Print. 16 March. 2011.) Feathers and the colour gold was also a sign of nobility. Their goal is to attract as much attention as possible with their attire. Involvement in the government was also a gateway to being a part of the nobility. Despite the fancy and vibrant, clothing choices of the nobility, the commoners and serfs have definitely showed a fine line between their social standings. Unlike the noble, commoners and serfs’ clothing choices were not as “flashy”. They did not wear as much accessories and their clothing lacked a bit colour-wise. Also, they dressed for convenience, commoners and serfs need to wear clothing that is suitable for agricultural work and such. Slaves, on the other hand, often wore very little clothing and had feathered mantles. There is no specific purpose to their clothing choices; their purpose was to work for others. Jewellery was also a prominent part of Aztec attire, the amount of jewellery worn was also an indicator at an individual’s rank in society. Within those who could afford it, copper, silver, gold, turquoise, emerald, and jade were most commonly found on clothing. Apart from the four basic social groups, the warriors/soldiers in the military also dressed differently. Their torso area was covered with a close vest of quilted cotton. Even though the material was strong and difficult to penetrate, the wealthier warriors liked to wear a thin layer of gold or silver instead of the vests. The thin layer of gold/silver would be covered with feathers on the outside. Helmets, made of wood, would often be made to resemble the heads of animals. Along with the rest of the attire, they also had shields to fend off arrows and such. They were usually made of woven reeds and would be decorated with various animals on the front; they believed that animals would give them strength to carry on with the battle. Accessories such as bracelets, collars, and earrings of the same material would also be worn. Body paint was also worn by commoners. The colours of the body paint would almost always have to correlate to how the chief is dressed. Despite wearing the vest, warriors wore very little clothing in general; they only wore a simplistic girdle around the lions. If a warrior is worthy, he may be granted permission to wear an army dress. It is essentially the hide of another animal. Army dresses provide many functions for a warrior. One may use it for protection while others may use it as a visual representation of their ranking. (“Aztec Clothing” Angelfire. Anglefire.com. 20. Web. 16 March. 2011 .) Religion also plays a role in how the Aztecs dressed. Individuals who were being sacrificed would be painted red and black. Red represented blood and a new life/beginning while black represents sin. Priests who were conducting the ceremony would wear black robes stained with blood. Portions of the sacrificed body would be consumed because the Aztecs believed that it would give them extra strength. (“Aztec Clothing” Angelfire. Anglefire.com. 20. Web. 16 March. 2011 .) In conclusion, Aztecan clothing plays a very prominent role in how they went about their lives.