ZGB's CDMX Dispatch
- Z. G. Burnett
- Mar 21
- 2 min read
It’s already summer in Mexico City and the season’s looks are out in full force. Excluding the featured outfits, the urban catwalk boasted a variety that were all somehow as fashionable as European dress, with varying levels of ease and/or machismo. Though trend awareness was evident, the emphasis is on personal style, often showing flags or Virgin of Guadalupe images to quietly or loudly remind people that the wearers were indeed Mexican. The pride of their country was refreshing, not in a nationalistic way, but displayed a confidence that one just can’t buy.
For a city with blocks of bursting clothing shops and a single stream recycling system that includes separating refuse by hand, I was surprised that vintage or even second-hand fashion was elusive. Vintage-specific shops are mostly located in and around the Roma neighborhood, and admittedly I didn’t visit all of them. Those I did were mostly streetwear and jeans-forward, with prices not unlike those of a mid tier Brooklyn spot. One exceptional piece I left behind was a vintage emerald velvet toreador jacket. It’s going to haunt me, but the price was just too high for its condition. Yes, even with the exchange rate.
What Mexico City has in abundance are local designers from within and outside of town whose work is overall effortlessly cool. Should you be heading south anytime soon, you won’t need much in the way of layers, and I guarantee you’ll come home with at least a few more shirts. Ikal in the Polanco neighborhood has a large selection of different makers, as does JPEG in Juárez. Though these may not be your everyday duds, I encourage you to branch out a bit. Souvenirs can be much more than trinkets (though I did buy more than a few), and what better way to remember a trip than to wear it?
Z.G. Burnett is a New England-based writer who specializes in history, fashion, and material culture. She is a contributing editor for Antiques and the Arts Weekly, and her work has appeared in Ivy Style and The Vintage Woman Magazine. Burnett is currently editing her first book, The Preppy Witch Primer. Find more at www.zgburnett.com
Image credit: Annie Minicuci Photography.
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