Cinco de Mayo is a colorful celebration of Mexican culture, which takes place both in Mexico and the United States on the 5th of May. Whether you’re accustomed to celebrating this holiday or not, there is one thing you will take away from it every year, awe for the bold, stunning, and colorful fashion statements that grace the streets.

There are a plethora of different fashion trends that have been inspired by Mexican culture and history. Some of the more popular fashion statements that explore the Latin/Hispanic influence on today’s culture are:

Sugar Skulls

Sugar Skulls or Dia de los Muertos “Day of the Dead” skulls are a colorful facet of Mexican fashion. While sugar skulls are predominantly used to celebrate the Day of the Dead in Mexico; their popularity in American culture means can also be found throughout the celebration of Cinco de Mayo as well.

These skulls are colorful, vibrant, and incredibly intricate. From painted faces, tattoos, and printed fabrics; there are hundreds of different ways that Mexican culture has integrated into daily style with sugar skulls. These images can now be found in clothing from t-shirts, dresses, leggings, and skirts.

Serape

The serape or sarape is a long shawl that often times resembles a stunning multi-colored blanket. Typically Serapes are found with bright colors and fringed ends. This Mexican staple is still worn in Mexico or Latin-America today.

While the rectangular blanket-like shawl is typical of the Serape, there is also another version that is a rectangular blanket with an opening for one’s head, which is very similar to how you’d wear a poncho. This version of the Serape is called a gabán.  The length is typically meant to hit knee-height, but may vary from front and back depending on the height of the person who’s wearing it.

This is definitely a staple in Mexican Cinco de Mayo celebrations and is versatile enough for many summer events.

Peasant Tops

While the men may dress comfortably yet colorfully for Cinco de Mayo, the women of this beautiful culture usually outshine everyone with their vivid and meticulouslyembroidered peasant tops, skirts, and sundresses. They can be found in an array of different colors and patterns, but more often than not the designs are hugely inspired by Mexican culture and their history.

Peasant tops and dresses have become mainstream with the popularity of Boho fashion and are the most popular ways of dressing in a way that highlights the beauty of the modern Mexican culture and the rich history that has lead to it.

And though the festivities may only last for a day, the bright and colorful looks are something to be celebrated all season long, which is why we included our favorite pieces to stock up on, of course!