Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Mexico Valladolid Museo de Ropa Étnica de México (Mexican Ethnic Clothing Museum)
AO Edited

Museo de Ropa Étnica de México (Mexican Ethnic Clothing Museum)

This small museum explores Mexican history and culture through clothing.

Valladolid, Mexico

Added By
linkogecko
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Bullfighting outfits, blood dramatically included.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
The hip-hop and ethnic-inspired outfit of Yucatec Maya rapper Pat Boy next to some hipiles.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
A map of Mexico with examples of the clothing to be found in the Museum.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
A selection of sandals (known as both chanclas and huaraches), some featuring soles made out of rubber tires.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
“Botas picudas” (spiky boots) from the North, they became a viral internet phenomenon.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Hipiles, the characteristic female Maya blouses.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Even baseball uniforms from the Yucatán Peninsula can be found here.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
The stitching known locally as “dechado”, and one of the machines that helped make them.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
A type of stitch that has its own name in Yucatec Mayan, “x’manikté” or “x-manikbe’e”.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
The gardens of the Museum.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
A selection of historical stitches found in hipiles.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
This architectural feature on the outer wall, which pre-dates the Museum, is now its logo.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Growing up in Mexico City, Angeles López-Portillo de Stiteler often wore the china poblana outfit for dance recitals and special occasions. This style of dress dates back to the 17th century, when it was created by an Asian woman (most likely from what is now India) who was trafficked into New Spain and then forced into servitude for a well-to-do family in the city of Puebla. At the time, anything or anyone Asian would commonly be referred to as "Chinese," so she came to be known as the China Poblana (Chinese Woman from Puebla). Her South Asian dresses came to be widely appreciated in the city, and they would eventually be adapted into a super-sequined local variant.

Angeles's own china poblana dress remained central to her life, even after she moved to the United States at a young age. After settling in Pittsburgh, she worked on cultural initiatives that focused on the Latino communities. Her daughter, Tey Mariana Stiteler, apparently inherited her mother's appreciation for clothing that reflected Mexico's colorful folkloric dress. After Tey's own retirement, both Stiteler women traveled to Mexico, where they often went on adventures to find unique pieces of clothing.

Having particularly liked Valladolid, Tey decided to house their growing ethnic clothing collection in the city. On what was formerly a hotel, the Mexican Ethnic Clothing Museum (MUREM) was established in 2020. One of Angeles's own china poblana dresses is still displayed in the collection. Given its location in the Yucatán Peninsula, much of the clothing found here reflects modern and traditional Maya cultures.

The characteristic female blouse worn by many Indigenous peoples of Mexico is known as huipil in the center of the country, but as hipil on the peninsula. MUREM's collection has numerous examples of both huipiles and hipiles, and for the latter, it has full sections dedicated to the types of stitching that have decorated them over a few generations. Some of the classic Maya patterns, such as x'manikté, have been further adopted in more globalized fashions, such as the hip-hop outfits of rapper Pat Boy.

The rest of the country is well-represented too, with spiky boots from the north, dried grass cloaks from central Mexico, and, of course, china poblana outfits.

Related Tags

Cultures Museums And Collections Clothing Textiles

Know Before You Go

Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entry is free but donations are encouraged.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Oaxaca: Markets, Mezcal & Home-Cooked Meals

A Culinary and Cultural Journey Through Oaxaca.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

linkogecko

Published

October 28, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.news-journal.com/features/lifestyle/new-museum-celebrates-ethnic-attire-of-mexico/article_088badc6-3e55-11ea-b0fb-6fc47f3dbc08.html
  • https://historicpittsburgh.org/islandora/object/pitt%3AUS-QQS-mss469/viewer
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/a-new-museum-in-the-yucatan-celebrates-the-traditional-clothing-of-mexico/2020/01/16/2f36b85c-33d9-11ea-91fd-82d4e04a3fac_story.html
Museo de Ropa Étnica de México (Mexican Ethnic Clothing Museum)
202A Calle 49A
Valladolid, 97780
Mexico
20.683582, -88.201096
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Cenote Ziiz Ha

Valladolid, Mexico

miles away

Cenote Zací

Valladolid, Mexico

miles away

Casa China

Valladolid, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Valladolid

Valladolid

Mexico

Places 6

Nearby Places

Cenote Ziiz Ha

Valladolid, Mexico

miles away

Cenote Zací

Valladolid, Mexico

miles away

Casa China

Valladolid, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Valladolid

Valladolid

Mexico

Places 6

Related Places

  • Maseru, Lesotho

    Basotho Hat

    Not only does this shop sell mokorotlo, the traditional hat of Lesotho, the building is shaped like one.

  • Clothing on display in the Nessebar Ethnographic Museum

    Nessebar, Bulgaria

    Nessebar Ethnographic Museum

    Housed in a historic 1840 home, this museum provides a window into the lives of everyday, 18th- and 19th-century Bulgarians.

  • Children’s musical instruments

    Athens, Greece

    Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments

    Dating from the 18th century to today, this museum houses a collection of over 1,200 musical instruments.

  • Before hearing aids, people used ear trumpets and ear horns used to communicate with Deaf people

    Olathe, Kansas

    Museum of Deaf History, Arts and Culture

    This small, independent museum documents the unique culture of Deaf people in the United States.

  • A look at the second-floor exhibit.

    Kyoto, Japan

    Hosotsuji Ihee Museum

    A strip of traditional hand towel serves as an admission ticket at this modern tenugui museum.

  • During the festival, those dressed as devils dance more intensely as they enter Píllaro.

    Píllaro, Ecuador

    Casa El Pacto

    The devil masks on display at this small museum are part of an annual festival that has been taking place for centuries.

  • Fuente de los Tres Sombreros

    Bécal, Mexico

    Fuente de los Tres Sombreros

    This hat-shaped fountain pays tribute to a centuries-old textile tradition in the Yucatán Peninsula.

  • Weaving a traditional palm leaf basket

    Vaiaku, Tuvalu

    Tuvalu Women’s Handicraft Centre

    Ancient weaving techniques are used to create these colorful souvenirs.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.