Tilmàtli

A tilmàtli (or tilma; Classical Nahuatl: tilmahtli, Classical Nahuatl pronunciation: [tilmaʔtɬi]) was a type of outer garment worn by men as a cloak/cape, documented from the late Postclassic and early Colonial eras among the Aztec and other peoples of central Mexico.

The garment was to be worn at the front like a long apron, or alternatively draped across the shoulders as a cloak.

Upper classes wore a tilmàtli of cotton cloth knotted over the right shoulder, while the middle class used a tilmàtli made of ayate fibre, a coarse fabric derived from the threads of the maguey agave.

[2] A very famous tilmàtli was that worn by Juan Diego in 1531; according to tradition, an image of the Virgin Mary appeared on it in the presence of the bishop of Mexico City.

[3] The image is preserved in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe which attracts millions of pilgrims annually.