This white cotton blouse is representative of the "traditional" blouses worn by Tojolabal women in the community of Saltillo, Chiapas. Saltillo is a small agricultural village in the municipality of Las Margaritas northwest of Comitán. The striking cover photograph on the book "Living Maya" shows a woman from Saltillo in a similar blouse, colorful skirt, and headcloth.
The traditional gathered skirt, or "tojol juna," is made from solid colored fabric, and the lower half is lavishly embellished with horizontal ribbons and bands of lace.
Although this blouse was purchased in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Tojolabal clothing is made for personal and household use, and little traditional clothing enters the commercial marketplace.

In January 2006, we met three young Tojolabal women who had come to San Cristobal to sell white muslin shirts they had made for sale. These long-sleeved shirts had no needlework decorations and may have been stripped-down versions of men's traditional shirts. The women were wearing western-style dresses and rebozos, which suggests that they may have been Protestants, evicted from their home communities, and forced to find new ways of making a living.