Aztec clothing

This importance is seen when noting the processes of making the garments and how these fibers were a key part of the social structure of the Aztecs.

[2] These assets were paramount in the culture as they served as both an essential market good and a significant tribute item.

[5] Scholars were able to identify key elements of clothing due to their elaborate depiction in manuscripts that were made with a pictographic system.

[3] Not only were the fibers used to negotiate social standing but it was also exchanged to mark significant events in one's life, such as marriage, births, or even death.

[3] These fibers were used to mark such events because of the extent of the contribution of labor that was needed in order to construct these pieces.

Cloth and its many distinct implications give way to its notability within Aztec society in relation to facets such as both gender and ethnic identity, as well as a ritualistic and social function.

[6] The significance of the weaving process of making clothing is also seen in the motifs and iconography made that is present in other art produced.

There was a tremendous process of bringing the cotton from the fields then through marketplaces to end up in the homes of the individuals who would spin and weave the fibers into actual clothing.

[12] In the Classical Nahuatl language, the couplet cuēitl huīpīlli "skirt [and] blouse" was used metaphorically to mean "woman".

[14] For colder weather that would be experienced, the linen fibers were intertwined with other multi-colored threads that also helped show the wealth acquired by these elite individuals.

Items such as turquoise, jade, gold, feathers, and shells were intertwined within the fibers of the clothing to showcase the luxuries that the individual was able to obtain as well as show the power that they had.

[14] In peacetime, the Aztec emperor would wear a unique garment that consisted of a blue and white mantle that included the royal insignia.

Aztec women wore hair in two braids that projected in the front like horns[11] and this hairstyle was called neaxtlāhualli [neɑʃtɬɑːˈwɑɬːi].

Gold and silver jewelry was worn alongside ornaments made of feathers, shells, leather, and stones.

When they were recognized by the state for their bravery in battle, their status increased (regardless of original class) and they were rewarded with shell and glass beaded jewelry.

They served as a way to identify warriors according to their achievements in battle as well as rank, alliance, and social status like priesthood or nobility.

[15] Usually made to work as a single piece of clothing with an opening in the back, they covered the entire torso and most of the extremities of a warrior, and offered added protection to the wearer.