What’s the dress code in Mexico? What clothes do they wear in Mexico?

In Mexico there is no dress code. It is easier/cheaper to dress here in Mexico than in other parts of the world such as Europe, as they do not have seasonable fashion. Europe has four seasons and people have a different fashion for almost every season, so it’s more expensive to dress there. Here in Mexico, you don’t have to spend as much on clothing.
 
If you live along the coast like in Yucatan or in the Pacific Coast, the weather is warm and you don’t need to...

In Mexico there is no dress code. It is easier/cheaper to dress here in Mexico than in other parts of the world such as Europe, as they do not have seasonable fashion. Europe has four seasons and people have a different fashion for almost every season, so it’s more expensive to dress there. Here in Mexico, you don’t have to spend as much on clothing.
 
If you live along the coast like in Yucatan or in the Pacific Coast, the weather is warm and you don’t need to buy sweaters or boots. The entire year, women can wear dresses.
 
In the highlands, such as Oaxaca City, San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, Monterey or Mexico City, it can get cooler in the winter so you would need to buy some warmer clothes, but fashion is something that you will not see here a lot. 

 

(Traditional clothing in Chiapas, Mexico, pictured.)

In my experience, outside of the tourist/beach areas of the country, there is a sort of informal dress code in that people tend to dress more conservatively.  

 

Where I live in Mexico City, people tend to wear pants rather than jeans, shirts rather than T-shirts, closed shoes rather than sandals, and long pants rather than shorts.  In fact, the easiest way to look like you are "from away" is to wear T-shirts and shorts!  In Mexico,...

In my experience, outside of the tourist/beach areas of the country, there is a sort of informal dress code in that people tend to dress more conservatively.  

 

Where I live in Mexico City, people tend to wear pants rather than jeans, shirts rather than T-shirts, closed shoes rather than sandals, and long pants rather than shorts.  In fact, the easiest way to look like you are "from away" is to wear T-shirts and shorts!  In Mexico, shorts are often viewed as appropriate for children but not really for adults.  The exception seems to be on Sundays, where people will be out and about in yoga pants and riding shorts.  

 

In general, however, it is important to remember that Mexicans tend to equate how they - and others - dress with the degree of respect that they are showing to - and are shown by - others.  In practice, this means that people dress as well as they can afford to - clothes are clean, well-fitting, and conservative even if they might not be particularly fashionable or new.  Of course there are exceptions - especially among teens and young adults who might adopt a more "street style" approach to clothing.  That said, most school-age Mexicans spend much of their day in uniforms.  Anyone who has seen the many shoe cleaning stands on the streets will know that it is important even that your shoes be in a good state. 

 

When it doubt, it is always better to over-dress than under-dress.  Thinking specifically about Mexico City, it might help to remember that Mexico City is very much like New York City - wandering around in shorts and flipflops in Mexico City would look as out of place as it would in Manhattan.

 

It can get chilly in Mexico City at night during the winter months, so you would definitely be able to make good use of light sweaters and jackets.  From my perspective as a Canadian with a different tolerance for cold, one of things that used to stand out to me was how bundled up everyone was in the mornings in December.  Even though it was 10 degrees (50 degrees Farenheit), people were wearing puffy jackets and scarves - even the dogs wear sweaters!  Now, perhaps due to a certain nostalgia for the Canada autumn, I am happy to take the opportunity to put on a cosy sweater, and people have stopped asking me,"Aren´t you cold?"

 

 Like any other world-class city, Mexico City is very fashion forward, and those who can afford it have access to the world´s top brands - Prada, Gucci, Luis Vuitton and all the rest.  It is more difficult to find clothes in the mid-range in terms of price and quality - US stores like The Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy are in Mexico City but tend to have smaller inventories and are more expensive than stores in the US or Canada.  There are local brands and chains which tend to be more affordable, with the exception of the higher end lines. 

 

(Mexican blanket sweater, pictured.)

Puerto Vallarta is a beach community where the dress code is very relaxed.

 

The tourists wear mainly shorts, jeans, and tee shirts unless your are going to a fancy restaurant or event.  You can pretty much dress the way you want and no one seems to judge you.

 

(Tourists on the Malecon, the boardwalk in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)

Puerto Vallarta is a beach community where the dress code is very relaxed.

 

The tourists wear mainly shorts, jeans, and tee shirts unless your are going to a fancy restaurant or event.  You can pretty much dress the way you want and no one seems to judge you.

 

(Tourists on the Malecon, the boardwalk in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)

The dress code in Mexico depends on where in the country you are located. How you dress when you go to the office depends on where your office is located. Our office environment is more professional so we wear corporate attire like black slacks. In the Riviera Maya area (which includes Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum), they wear lighter and casual clothing.
 
The dress code in Mexico is just the same as the dress code in the US. It only varies based on where you are located...

The dress code in Mexico depends on where in the country you are located. How you dress when you go to the office depends on where your office is located. Our office environment is more professional so we wear corporate attire like black slacks. In the Riviera Maya area (which includes Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum), they wear lighter and casual clothing.
 
The dress code in Mexico is just the same as the dress code in the US. It only varies based on where you are located and the purpose for which you are dressing.

 

(Boho poncho inspired by Mexican patterns, pictured.)

Asking what they wear in Mexico is like asking what they wear in the USA. Are you in Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, New York or St. Louis? Mexico is a big country with vast climate differences as well as vast cultural differences.

 

I am a business owner in Valladolid, Yucatan. My everyday "uniform" is a colorful, loose-fitting guayabera shirt, shorts and flip-flops. If I am going to a somewhat more formal meeting or presentation, I will wear long pants. And if...

Asking what they wear in Mexico is like asking what they wear in the USA. Are you in Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, New York or St. Louis? Mexico is a big country with vast climate differences as well as vast cultural differences.

 

I am a business owner in Valladolid, Yucatan. My everyday "uniform" is a colorful, loose-fitting guayabera shirt, shorts and flip-flops. If I am going to a somewhat more formal meeting or presentation, I will wear long pants. And if the governor is coming, I will actually wear shoes, black long pants and a white, long-sleeved guayabera (this is my most formal wear...I no longer own a suit, sports coat or tie).

 

Of my many local acquaintances, I am the only one who always wears a guayabera. I tease my local friends that they are dressing like gringos with button-down collar shirts, tucked into long pants.

 

(Governor of Yucatan, Rolando Zapata Bello, third from the left, wearing a guayabera shirt, Yucatan, Mexico, pictured.)