a week of outfits in CDMX
I spent a couple weeks in Mexico City just as it was starting to warm up. Historically a city surrounded by lakes and covered in canals, I was told that it used to have an eternal spring climate. Now, with the water all drained out and increasing amounts of pollution in the air, it’s a much dryer and dustier place. The mornings and evenings are cool, almost chilly, while its drastically hotter during the day.
On our first day we spent some time around Centro Histórico, visiting the postal palace and other historical buildings. I wore a top that I’ve been working on for a couple weeks. It’s not finished, and the fit isn’t quite right yet, but as I wouldn’t have access to a sewing machine for a while I figured I might as well take it out for a test run anyways.
The front is meant to have a ripple effect while I kept the back as straight vertical pleats. I had conceptualized this piece as an experiment to create pleats with a natural fabric (pleated fabric is usually heat pressed from polyester) such as linen. I’m excited to finish it soon.
We went on a tour of the chinampas in Xochimilco, riding through the canals to a small regenerative farm. We were advised of bugs and sun, so I covered up wearing my jeans and cardigan.
Later, we stopped by Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo, a colorful bridge house that was the couple’s first home, which they commissioned their friend to build. I had packed these old sneakers on the trip with the intention to throw them away as they’re developing holes, but they were a good choice for a day of walking around dirt paths.
It was cooler the next day but I wanted to wear this dress, so I layered it over my pants. I’ve especially seen a lot of girls in Asia dress like this, and it’s a very practical and cute look.
We walked around Roma Norte a bit, wandering around some stores and working out of the Cafebrería El Péndulo. In the evening we had a lovely anniversary dinner at Masala y Maiz. Founded by a husband and wife duo, they serve fusion food reflecting their heritages. The restaurant interior is also very interesting, serving an almost post-apocalyptic design. They were very sweet and gave us a little surprise dessert at the end.
I bought these shoes in NYC before this trip and this was my first time wearing them out. I love the chartreuse-yellow color and they are very comfortable! The only downside is they’re not very breathable, and my feet got quite sweaty in the hot weather. I’ve since learned that leather shoes are only breathable when they’re vegetable tanned.
I wore my black cargo skirt that I recently thrifted from Brick Lane, paired with this sheer top that used to belong to my mom. It was originally a cardigan, but a few years ago I added hooks along the front to turn it into a blouse. Something old along with something new.
I also recently bought these grey velvet mary jane flats from the Dover Street Market in Paris. They are very soft, but very flat and lacking any support whatsoever. This photo made me realize how much my feet are supinated outwards, awkwardly twisting the shoes even when I’m standing perfectly straight. I started looking into getting insoles after this lmao.
I did some shopping around Juarez, where there are a lot of small boutique shops featuring local designers and brands. I noticed a common format of the “concept store”, where various brands with a similar ethos are curated together.
I wore the same dress again, without pants this time, as the balmy weather in Mexico was making me feel free and flirty. I’ve found in many countries with hot and humid weather, like Mexico, locals will tend to still wear longer pants and skirts in the summer. Wearing short hemlines will sometimes garner looks on the street, marking you out distinctly as a tourist.
We spent some time in the Polanco area, hanging out in cafes, popping into some stores, and walking around the green spaces. A couple hours was spent on the balcony of Cafebrería El Péndulo, a chain of cafe-bookstores that we liked working in due to its ample seating, free wifi, and plentiful natural light. By the end of this week we had visited every single Cafebrería El Péndulo location in the city.
In the evening we took a long walk through Chapultepec Park, where we got lost and traversed up and down many footbridges to find our way out.
I bought these flats the week before in Paris. They’re a gorgeous deep maroon color and the double bow peephole is so cute. I set out to buy a pair of slingbacks when I went to Europe, and though it took a while to break them in, the lack of a heel make them perfect for those long days.
I had trouble deciding which shoes to wear with this outfit, with one matching the top and one matching the bottom. This is an old skirt from my mom’s closet, which I altered to fit my waist and bring the hemline way up. I decided to ask my friends, with the majority preferring the yellow!
At night we dropped by the beer hall downstairs of where we were staying, where we tried chapulín, aka fried grasshopper. They were crunchy, and surprisingly acidic and juicy. We had a delicious dinner while the Easter parade went on in the background on the streets. Finally, we went to a bar where they set our drink on fire.
On the Sunday, we toured Chapultepec castle and the nearby Museum of Anthropology. It was long day of a lot of walking, and my feet were completely sore by the end.
I’ve really enjoyed wearing long skirts made of a thin airy fabric for the summer. You can lie down impromptu anywhere you go, and they’re a great way to stay cool by keeping the sun off your skin. Unfortunately this off the shoulder top did end up giving me a strong burn on my left shoulder.
At night I changed into this bandana top that I bought a few days earlier from nin studio, a local brand that uses locally pleated fabrics. They had a lot of silhouettes reminiscent of Pleats please, but I liked how they also had a lot of fun colorful prints.
I found that many Mexican brands have a strong emphasis on textiles and color. Most styles are quite relaxed and casual, but the cloth is great quality, and often there are bold patterns and prints used. One such example is Agnes, which produces gorgeous small batch naturally dyed garments. This was reflected in the traditional artisan markets that I visited later on, that were full of colorful intricately embroidered items, all 100% cotton.
All photo credits to my lovely boyfriend ♡
