March 14, 2022
How It's Made: The Snap Bandana
These stunning bandanas are truly a work of art. Made from vintage one of a kind huipils, each piece is handmade from start to finish.
One of the huipils from Arloom.
Let's start with the huipil, pronounced wee-peel. These are the blouses worn by indigenous Mayan women, pictured above. They are multi-colored and are often embroidered with flowers or birds, for example the Quetzal, which is the official bird of Guatemala and also the name for their currency. The embroidered designs and colors can vary from village to village but they are all equally beautiful.
This was from one of my last trips to Antigua, Guatamala.
The huipil begins as a textile that is woven on a back strap loom by women then made into the huipil. Arloom works with women in Guatemala to acquire these beauties and then transform them into beautiful accessories like these snap bandanas.
It is also important to note that Arloom creates steady employment for the women in the small villages of Guatemala and they earn fair wages.
Visit their Arloom's website to see ALL of the beautiful things they create.