Dress
The traditional clothing of Mexico begins with the clothing the indigenous people worn prior to the arrival of the Spanish and other Europeans, then changed to more European styles. Among the most common and popular of these indigenous clothes for women are the huipil, which is a long dress-like sleeve-less cloak, a covering called a quechquemitl, which is a woven poncho, and a rebozo, which is is a simple piece of cloth often wrapped around the shoulders when it's cold, or used as a sling of sorts to carry objects, including young children. These clothes were originally fairly dark in color, but with the arrival of the Europeans new dyes arrived and today these pieces of clothing can be very bright and colorful. The men wore very little prior to European arrival, so were quick to adopt western-styled clothing when it arrived, including shirts and pants. However, the men also incorporated the sarape, which is a woolen cape and the sombrero, which is a hat.
Today many people still dress in these traditional clothes, but they are generally found in more rural places and many are indigenous people as many Mexicans today prefer to wear modern western-styled clothing. As a visitor to Mexico there are few dress restrictions. Many tourists visit Mexico solely for the beaches so scantily clad dress is commonly accepted in these areas. However, elsewhere the Mexicans tend to dress a bit more on the formal side as long-sleeved pants and shirts are common for both women and men while some women prefer long dresses. This conservative dress is especially true in business settings, as suits are the norm, and in churches the arms and legs should be covered. Although the Mexicans are fairly relaxed on dress rules, sunbathing naked is rarely permitted, even on tourist beaches so be sure to check with locals before doing so.