What To Wear To A Mexican Themed Party Or Fiesta: 5 Outfit Ideas
If you’re feeling a bit confused about what to wear to a fiesta, don’t worry! Here’s a guide on what to wear to a Mexican themed party.
Have you been invited to a Mexican-themed party or fiesta? Congratulations! You’re likely going to have lots of fun. One problem many face when planning to attend such an event, however, is what to wear to look both appropriate and fashionable.
The term “fiesta” is derived from the Spanish language and refers to a celebration or holiday. Mexico has a variety of festivals, some religious, national, and local in nature, held throughout the year.
For example, Cinco de Mayo celebrations are Mexican holiday that celebrates Mexico’s victory over the French Empire. A Mexican fiesta party is often loud, fun, and filled with lots of vibrant colors.
The parties held with these titles often aim to encompass Mexican and Latin American culture, through its flair, vibrance, and style.
This article will shed light on the history and customs surrounding this type of celebration as well as provide suggestions on what to wear to a modern Mexican themed party or fiesta.
Festivals in Mexico are typically religious, national, and local events that are celebrated with parades, dancing, and music. The celebration of the foundation of a city or the adoption of a constitution is regularly marked with events such as these.
Although many religious ceremonies in Mexico have roots in pre-Hispanic civilizations, most festivals were introduced after the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
Dancing and music are significant components of the celebrations, many of which include a traditional piñata. Not only that, but delicious Mexican food is also a huge part of these parties.
To discover the history behind a Mexican festival, look up its name in Spanish. Most festivals have a significant religious reference and are named after saints. The word “fiesta,” however, is not limited to religious connotations and is often used for any activity involving music or dancing that takes place outdoors.
Let’s explore some fiesta outfit ideas now that we’ve covered the history of such gatherings, so you can come up with your own perfect fiesta look.
Understanding The Basics
During a Mexican fiesta, a general dress code is to wear traditional Mexican clothing, Mexican fiesta clothes, or Mexican costumes. Whether you’re attending a Cinco de Mayo party or simply celebrating all things Mexican culture, this is usually the baseline.
Within this outline, however, there are several ways in which individuals can bolster their appearances based on different characteristics pertaining to a particular event.
What To Wear To A Mexican Themed Party
1. Patriotic Colors
The Mexican flag’s green, white, and red colors add brightness and a cheerful air to clothing for both males and females. Wear skirts, pants, or blouses in the traditional colors of Mexico, or add scarves to your clothing about your waist or neck for a simple yet elegant finishing touch with their vivid colors.
This type of traditional dress is specifically appropriate for fiestas pertaining to Mexican culture as a whole, like Cinco de Mayo or Aniversario de la Revolución.
2. Bright Colors and Fabrics
At a Mexican celebration, you can’t go wrong with bright colors. Consider popular staples of these parties such as a multicolored piñata or serape when picking an outfit. Seek to include as many bright colors as possible, like hot pink, lime, purple, canary yellow, and crimson lipstick red into your outfit.
You can also choose to accent your clothing or accessories with a bold, bright color. Popular choices of clothing are the traditional Puebla blouse or a shoulder top (you can also go for a colorful shoulder dress!).
Pair your colorful outfit with an accessory such as a red-beaded necklace and multi-stone earrings for a pop of vibrant hue.
If you want to be a little more subtle in your color play, but still add in some brightness and vibrance to your outfit, opt for a simple white shirt paired with red accessories so you can still embody that playful fiesta feel. You really don’t need fancy dresses to follow the fiesta theme!
3. Celebration Accessories
Having fun at your celebration also means accessorizing! Adding pieces of flair such as jewelry, sunglasses, or even a handbag can add color or personality to your outfit, which is a great way to add in some fiesta flair fashion.
Both men’s and women’s outfits look even more festive with add-ons such as hats and sombreros in bright colors or studded with sequins and glittery designs, embroidered sashes and belts, or a pair of mariachis hanging over the shoulder, affixed with ribbon or leather.
Accessories for women include fiesta pins in the shape of butterflies, flowers or small mariachis, and halos or head wreaths made with bright, paper flowers and streamers dangling from the back.
4. Sombreros
Whether a sombrero is the central theme of your outfit or simply an accessory, this item typically adds to one’s outfit in order to give it a festive touch.
Wearing a sombrero can also help you stand out from other people attending the event or the fiesta. This is an ideal accessory for Mexican-themed parties, like Cinco de Mayo.
To wear a sombrero in your outfit, you can purchase it online or at any party store near you. If buying one sounds overwhelming, use this trick to create your own hat at home: take a sturdy paper plate and fashion it into a hat shape, then decorate it with marker or paint.
5. Fiesta Fringe
Consider adding fringe to your outfit for an extra touch of Mexican tradition. For example, add fringe to a purse or the hemline of a skirt. Fringe can be crafted from almost any type of material; thin faux leather strips are easy to find, but you can also create fringe with felt.
If you’re looking for an elegant way to add fringe to your outfit, consider adding a leather fringe necklace and earrings. This adds color and texture to your look without overcrowding your ensemble or turning it into a carnival costume.
6. Sashes And Beads
These are just three of the most popular accessories in Mexican culture. Hats are perfect for adding a touch of color to your outfit while sashes can give your street look an air of royalty. Fringed beaded necklaces and bracelets are both fun to wear and have a unique texture that can become your signature look.
The mariachi band is an iconic part of Mexican culture. If you want to recreate this type of party atmosphere, take inspiration from Mexican “charro” fashion and decorate yourself with lace embellishments, or beaded trimmings on your clothes and accessories.
Also consider adding mariachi elements to your outfit, such as a ruffled shirt, sashes or belts with fringe (somewhat like those for “charro” attire), or large jewelry beads.
Quick Fiesta Outfit Ideas
Now that we’ve covered the most important aspects about what to wear to a Mexican themed party, we’ll briefly go over some simple yet stunning outfits you can easily put together.
This is a great idea of a both subtle yet on theme way to dress for a fiesta. By pairing any sort of solid color with bright and decorative embroidery or accessories, you can easily flash some traditional flare without going overboard.
Here is an elegant example of a fiesta outfit that embraces Mexico’s culture and likewise conveys femininity and beauty.
A simple dress with an accent scarf is a great idea, as it offers variability in terms of ways to be worn. Even better, a cute sombrero really completes the look and can be worn in many styling options.
This is a paramount example of Mexican heritage, encompassing the color and clothing of traditional Mexican fiestas. A bright patterned dress like this is sure to be on point for anyone looking to flaunt some individuality and style.
Once again, this is a great embodiment of Mexican culture that combines color and flare without being too straightforward. Pairing an accent piece of clothing with a neutral one is a good way to integrate some color into your wear if you don’t want to go all out.
Red is always a good color to wear to any party, and it works equally well for a fiesta party! Red is an especially great color because it’s part of the Mexican flag, and thus a patriotic color for Mexicans.
Special Considerations
There is a blend of colors, styles, and fabrics that are characteristic of Mexican fiesta clothing. For example, typically the skirt will consist of an extravagant style, full of bold colors and patterns. These skirts are rotated with solid colors to create a less distracting outfit choice. A rule of thumb for dressing in this fashion is that the bolder the clothing is, the simpler it should be styled.
Another important aspect of dressing in this fashion is that there should be no accessory overkill. This means that the outfit should not consist of too many pieces of jewelry or flashy accessories.
This is due to the fact that Mexican fiesta fashion is already very colorful and extravagant, so any more accessories may cause an unpleasant distraction for party-goers or guests.
While no two Mexican themed parties are the same, there is a general culture to keep in mind when dressing for one. It’s pivotal that when wearing traditional Hispanic clothing that you respect the culture from which it originated, and likewise refrain from engaging in any stereotypes.
It’s also a good idea to ask your Mexican friends for advice. With that being said, fiesta clothing is a beautiful style of garment that should be celebrated and appreciated and can be worn when done with a respectful intent.
We hope you learned a thing or two and got a couple of ideas about what to wear to your next Mexican themed party! If you’re looking for more party outfit ideas, make sure to check out the related posts below!
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