Fashion in the Postclassic period

Published: July 28, 2026 · Updated: July 28, 2026

In the Postclassic period, under the Aztecs, dress was strictly assigned by rank: commoners wore maguey fibre and nobles cotton, and the length and decoration of the cloak (tilmatli) marked class.

Fashion in the Postclassic period — Author: Codex Mendoza (Aztec, 16th century) Public domain Source

Overview

In the hierarchical society of the Aztec Empire, sumptuary laws regulated dress in fine detail by rank.

Key garments and style

Men wore the maxtlatl loincloth and the tilmatli cloak, women the huipil and a wrapped skirt. Commoners’ clothing was maguey fibre and nobles’ cotton by law, and elaborate cotton decoration, featherwork and gold ornament were reserved for the elite. In the north, the Mississippian and Puebloan peoples had their own dress.

Transition

After 1492, the arrival of Europeans shook this world of dress profoundly.

History of this period

Postclassic period Postclassic period