with a slit in the middle for the wearer's head to pass through: this garment is allowed to hang from the shoulders. Usually a white cotton blouse, shirt, and pantaloons are worn underneath, and the costume is completed with a brilliant sash and leathern sandals, while the familiar sombrero crowns all.
The peon woman wears an everyday dress which might be found among the lower classes in almost any European country. She attires herself in a fairly full skirt, a white tunic blouse over which she throws a rebozo—the enveloping shawl described above.
The livery of the Mexican coachman is rather incongruous when compared with the gorgeous equipages he attends, and consists of an ordinary tweed suit with a bowler or crush hat. Occasionally liveries are worn, but only very rarely. The house servant wears a suit of rough cotton, in shape not unlike a man's pyjama suit; while the female servant dresses, as a rule, like the peon women.
On certain festal days it is a custom for bodies of girls clothed in white to sing in unison on their way to church. The orthodox dress of an aldeana on such occasions is somewhat elaborate a white muslin garment trimmed with lace, over a short parti-coloured petticoat; a sleeveless, bright-coloured, satin vest, open in front; a long, coloured sash and rebozo; and as many gold or silver ornaments as the wearer can afford to purchase.
A unique and beautiful dress was that designed and carried out by Señora E. Leon, of Aguascalientes. In the making of this exquisite gown, which is composed of drawn-work, she was assisted by 300 expert needlewomen. It consists of a short Zouave jacket, and a berthe with a full skirt and long train. No seams are to be seen in this marvellous piece of work, which is valued to the extent of $40,000 Mexican (about £4,000). Señora Leon must have had wonderful patience, as this dress, which was designed for a Mexican exhibit at a Paris exhibition, but unfortunately was not completed in time, took nine years to finish. When finished,
