About Our Vests

The wonderful floral vests we wear hail from the market town of Chichicastenango, Guatemala, a K’iche’ Mayan cultural center famous for its textiles. Purchased for the group by an early member who was traveling in Central America in the 1990s, our beloved vests have long been the signature concert attire of the Halalisa Singers.

The ancient Mayan art of weaving ornate images of brightly colored flowers, animals, and people into geometric designs reaches back to pre-Columbian times. These embroidered garments continue to highlight the artistry and dexterity of the traditional backstrap loom weavers. To make their beautiful brocade art accessible to Western fashion, they adapted to more modern needlepoint techniques first introduced during the European colonial era.

In wearing these beautiful vests, we hope to honor and show our gratitude for the brilliant creativity of primarily female Mayan artisans who for centuries have worshiped Ixchel – their goddess of the moon, love, fertility, medicine, water, and textile arts – and blessed the world with their colorful textiles.