A tailor's perspective on the history and cultural significance of the traje de charro

The traje de charro, a traditional three-piece suit, is a recognizable Mexican symbol with a long history. Today, it is commonly associated with mariachi musicians and charros (Mexican horse riders), but little is known about how it came to be such an iconic symbol. In this thesis, I look at the history and development of the traje de charro from the sixteenth century to the twentieth century. Through this examination, I attempt to understand the ways in which Mexico’s history has influenced the design of the traje de charro and the role that the traje de charro has played in defining a national Mexican identity. This research includes a series of interviews with sastres (tailors), who specialize in the creation of these trajes, as well as a series of interviews with mariachi musicians, who wear the traje de charro during performances. I interviewed them about their own relationships with the traje de charro in order to understand how it informs their own identity and the ways in which it connects them to their own Mexican culture. Through these interviews, I gained insights into the ways in which wearing or making a garment from one’s own culture can affect the way they feel about it and add a layer of importance to that cultural garment. Lastly, I investigate my own relationship between my background as a tailor and the ways in which the construction of a traje de charro helps to connect me to my own Mexican culture. I also describe my own process in designing and constructing a custom traje de charro for a mariachi musician. This process allowed me to bring a personal perspective to a craft that I have been developing for almost a decade.