Aztec Clothing

Ancient Aztec Clothing and Jewelry

Aztec clothing was often made of beautiful fabric, though the extent of the quality of the cloth was generally dependent on the wealth of the wearer. With the art of clothes making an important craft of the ancient Aztecs, however, it is no wonder the Aztec clothes contained vivid colors and intricate designs.

Making Clothe for Ancient Aztec Clothing

The Aztec women were held responsible for making Aztec clothing. This was accomplished by first twisting cotton and fibers onto a stick, which was weighted down with a clay spindle whorl, in order to make thread. Through their simple hand tools, they were able to use this thread to make clothe for use in capes and loincloths for the men. The capes were generally worn knotted over just one shoulder. The female Aztec dress, on the other hand, consisted of sleeveless blouses and long wraparound skirts. The Aztec headdress was also made with this cloth and contained knotted feathers created by Aztec craftsmen.

Ancient Aztec Jewelry

Jewelry was also an important component of Aztec dress. In fact, the amount of decoration on Aztec clothing indicated the wealth of the wearer. Favorite additions to Aztec Indian clothing included copper, silver, gold, turquoise, emerald and jade. These stones were cut for use on Aztec clothing with a rawhide cord and a special type of abrasive sand mixed with water.