How to Style Your Guatemalan Huipil

You're home from your trip to Guatemala and you have accidentally bought a suitcase of huipiles back with you - I totally understand as I did the same thing, although I went a tiny step further and also shipped a few 20 kilo boxes to my home😅

Now you're wondering what to do with all these huipiles as they're not like anything you have in your wardrobe and you're wondering if perhaps you went just a tiny bit overboard with your selection.

Never fear, I am here to not only completely validate your holiday purchase decisions but to help you get the most wear from your gorgeous selection of huipiles. 

The Jeans and Corduroy Style

First style that is guaranteed to work is the huipil with a pair of your favourite jeans or corduroy pants. This is pretty much the only style shown on the internet, also it's my favourite style - I have a drawer of huipiles like some people have a draw of tshirts, and underneath is my jean/cord drawer. I mix and match them like a superstar and invariably get complimented when out and about.

Below is a sample of huipiles with pants - short styles that just reach the waist, long tunic styles that cover the hips - something for everyone. Lightweight cotton huipiles for summer that also look super cute with shorts, or warmer heavily embroidered huipiles for change of weather days - casual tribal looks that will raise eyebrows and start conversations - the best part being where you reply "sorry but no, there isn't another huipil quite like this on the planet". 

The Denim Skirt Style

Next on the list of the "what to wear with my huipil" dilemma are denim and cord skirts. If you've watched Yellowstone (I hope you love Beth as much as I do) you will note her incredible style of mid calf denim skirts with boots. This is a winning combo with huipiles - a very chic country western style with the added touch of being wildly authentic. 

Knee length corduroy and denim skirts and if you have the legs then by all means a mini skirt with calf length boots will also look amazing. In summer a pair of pretty sandals or dressy canvas shoes gives the outfit a lovely summer casual vibe.

The Elegant Maxi Skirt Style

The final and never before revealed on the internet style is a huipil with an elegant maxi or mid length skirt, when a classic leather belt is added it takes the huipil to new levels of elegance. The only reason I know this style even exists is via all my customers sending me photos of their huipil outfit and I realised just how many women are taking these huipiles to the next level - far beyond what I originally considered. 

So I'm sharing my customer inspired education with you and the entire internet because after the lockdowns in the recent past we all got a bit fashion lazy and frankly the world is in desperate need of better dressed people...  so ladies, are you ready to take this challenge on board and make more effort? What better way than with that forgotten drawer of huipiles that you've never known what to do with. 

Dressing up your huipil like this also honours the Mayan culture - the Mayan women always pair their huipil with high waisted, mid length elegant skirts and they look fantastic in them.

They make far more effort before they walk out their front door than most of us, I lived there for years and every now and then I'd catch an unguarded expression from them of confusion or disappointment when I'd obviously made no effort on my way to the local cafe. 

So let's honour the Mayan culture while looking amazing at the same time. Let's buy at least one gorgeous maxi skirt (from a small local business, please don't support Temu or Shein) and swish around our neighbourhood raising the standard of fashion and receiving compliments like the superstars we all are! 

Adding The Accessories

Lastly because I have put a lot of work into creating style sheets of many of the huipiles I sell (see the entire collection of them here) I am adding some of these styles below for fashion inspiration. I'm not a high heel girl, I only wear flats and I assume most of my customers are the same. I'm also a bit of a bag girl and swap out all my colourful bags depending on the outfit - I assume most of my customers are also the same in this.

I've had a lot of fun putting these styles together and hope that they give you fabulous new ideas that will coax your huipiles out of your wardrobe and on to the streets. 

Lastly I posted the Elegant Maxi Skirt collection on my Instagram page and a Texan woman commented that in winter she wears her huipiles over a turtle neck, gauchos and boots - so the different ways to wear them is never ending. Tell me if you wear them in a different manner to the above - the more ideas out there the more the huipiles will leave their wardrobes and get worn. 

Love 
Willow xxx