I think you are correct, Joe. My husband's ancestors from Jalisco were merchants and tradesmen, not farmers or cattlemen and they would never have worn "ranchero" clothing, nor would their houses have included serapes and clay pots, stuff some Americans think of as "Mexican". Their women wore lace, etc. as I have seen in some photos. Maybe the men wore aprons and other clothing appropriate to their occupation. My husband's most recent ancestors were merchants (meat markets, bakeries, groceries, taxi companies, auto shops) in El Paso.
In the big cities in Mexico, of course, they would emulate what they saw on their trips to Madrid and Paris. They had pianos and paintings in their homes in Mexico City. Their apartments looked like those anywhere in the US or Europe

Emilie
Port Orchard, WA

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> To: research@lists.nuestrosranchos.org
> From: jlblonde@sbcglobal.net
> Date: Mon, 28 May 2012 02:40:30 -0700
> Subject: Re: [Nuestros Ranchos] What colonial clothing style
>
> Most of the replies here have been from the republican era and that style of clothing which probably began in the 1830's after the revolution. Prior to that most styles of clothing reflected the prevailing european styles that made it's way from Mexico City to Guadalajara. Then again, it depends on the status of your family. Pictures of my family from a 120 years ago show a Victorian style of dress for the women and a typical charro and tight pants (mariachi dress) for the men.
>
> In colonial times, I'm sure it was similar to the French and Spanish styles with small local variations. Say a few dresses arriving in Guadalajara might be copied using local fabrics and patterns giving it a distinctive regional look. Of course this is my opinion and is not based on real evidence it is merely my observation on what people have done in the past throughout history.
>
> Joe Rubio

Yes, like many folks back then, my ancestors were hardworking ranchers and farmers who wore jeans and chaps or bib coveralls, long johns, and straw hats, but they had pride and took care of their nice things, and they "cleaned p" well and looked great in the finery they saved to wear for special occasions.

Emilie
Port Orchard, WA
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> To: research@lists.nuestrosranchos.org
> From: eltobias2003@hotmail.com
> Date: Fri, 25 May 2012 12:07:45 -0700
> Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] Colonial Costumes
>
> I have seen very few pictures of my ancestors from the time period being discussed, but it always amazes me how well dressed they appear, in their pictures.

Alice - It was not bizarre for your well-off ancestors to ride in carriages and wear fancy charro (cowboy) outfits everywhere. In that link I sent about the China Poblana outfit, the article that the photo came from is from the website of the Autry Western Museum from a few years ago when they had a "charreada" in Los Angeles.

That article explains about the various charro outfits, from the ones for the working cowboy to the black tie charro outfit worn by wealthy "rancheros"--catllemen of the time. Just like the Anglo Texans wear their best Western style suits with expensive 10-gallon hats (think of the show "Dallas") and drive Cadillacs, the wealthy cattlemen in Mexico wore their best finery and had the best transportation -carriages for leisure and business, and fine riding horses. My father told me about them, and I saw some in Zacatecas, the charro outfits and horses, no carriages of course since now they have expensive pick-up trucks, SUVs, etc. The poor people were and might still be lucky to have a burro to carry things, nothing to ride or ride in.

Emilie
Port Orchard, WA

> Date: Wed, 23 May 2012 16:18:00 -0700
> From: alice_wissing@yahoo.com
> To: research@lists.nuestrosranchos.org
> Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] What colonial clothing style would you wear if there were a colonial costume party?
>
> I'm also interested to learn more about the carriages because my aunt told me that my grandfather's family used to go to church in a carriage. They would also wear their finest charro outfits to church. I found that fascinating, maybe a little bizarre. I suppose it would have been as late as the 1890's/early 1900's that they were doing that in San Juan de los Lagos. My grandfather was a Campos Munoz, and I believe that a lot of Irma's relatives who are into the charro culture are Munoz, as well. And to think I'm scared to death of horses!

When we went to Zacatecas with my father back in the 1960s, he bought me a doll like the one pictured in this link: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://theautry.org/explore/exhibit…

Her costume is very elaborate and she is wearing a sombrero. Each region I think had their own way for the women to wear the rebozo, so if you Google "China Poblana costume" you will see many ways that the rebozo was worn. The blouse and skirt could be very different in coloration from one region to another.

Emilie
Port Orchard, WA

----------------------------------------------------------

> Date: Sun, 20 May 2012 21:01:27 -0700
> From: alliecar@pacbell.net
> To: research@nuestrosranchos.org
> Subject: Re: [Nuestros Ranchos] What colonial clothing style would you wear if there were a colonial costume party?
>
> Zacatecano,
>
> I think I would dress like a China Poblana, very colorful skirt, braids in my hair interlaced with multicolored ribbons, a hand embroidered blouse with birds and flowers and a big red flower behind my ear with dangling silver earrings and a charro to escort me to the dance.
>
> Alicia
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: "zacatecano020@hotmail.com"
> To: research@lists.nuestrosranchos.org
> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 2:03 PM
> Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] What colonial clothing style would you wear if there were a colonial costume party?
>
> The Colonial era of Mexico facinates me. I am curious about those carriages that were used for transportation. I saw one in a museum in Zacatecas.
>
> Also I am curios about the styles of clothing. For instance, the triangular colonial hats that they wore and also another style where some of the men wore scarf or cloth covering the scalps of their head. Kind of like what pirates wear.
>
> On the mexican 50 peso bill, the picture Jose Maria Morelos wears one.
>
> Can someone tell me what do you call that style of cloth that people from the colonial days wore covering the scalp of their heads? It is like what the pirates wore.
>
>
> If there were a Nuestros Ranchos Colonial Costume party, what style would you wear?
>
>

My ancestors were the same groups as Emilies. I remembered being told abt our families love of white horses and burros.   In the 1930s Some cousins visited riding into town on white burros with their red hair.. my Dad called them cabezas de Mole! El Durazno was abt 5 miles from Jerez and Dad said the grandparents in late 1800's road horses or walked to Jerez. The men wore sombreros with wide brims turned up in the back. My Dad talked abt his grandfather always wearing leather chaps. I would think their station in life and occupation made all the difference in what they wore so it had to do more abt money than desire..
 
when I went to Jerez, Zac in 2003 I was surprised to see the local Yndios still wearing what I would call traditional clothing that one might have seen in the late 1800. White pants with no shoes and the women wore the traditional rebozo that is still worn today. In fact all the women especially the older women still wore the rebozo.
Linda in Everett

________________________________
From: Emilie Garcia
To: research@nuestrosranchos.org
Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2012 11:30 AM
Subject: Re: [Nuestros Ranchos] What colonial clothing style would you wear if there were a colonial costume party?

Being from my father's mestizo, espanol, mulatto and indio lines in Zacatecas, I guess I would wear something like what the mestizos wore in those paintings from the books about the castas.Those books show not only the various colors of skin, but features, clothing, and homes of the various races.

Emilie
Port Orchard, WA

> To: research@lists.nuestrosranchos.org
> From: zacatecano020@hotmail.com
> Date: Sat, 19 May 2012 14:03:19 -0700
> Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] What colonial clothing style would you wear if there were a colonial costume party?
>
> The Colonial era of Mexico facinates me. I am curious about those carriages that were used for transportation. I saw one in a museum in Zacatecas.
>
> Also I am curios about the styles of clothing. For instance, the triangular colonial hats that they wore and also another style where some of the men wore scarf or cloth covering the scalps of their head. Kind of like what pirates wear.
>
> On the mexican 50 peso bill, the picture Jose Maria Morelos wears one.
>
> Can someone tell me what do you call that style of cloth that people from the colonial days wore covering the scalp of their heads? It is like what the pirates wore.
>
>
> If there were a Nuestros Ranchos Colonial Costume party, what style would you wear?
>
>