The serape blanket has been a cultural staple in Mexico and Central America for hundreds of years. Despite its main use as a garment for cowboys and laborers back then, certain uses and designs have evolved over time to match more modern trends. Original hand-woven serape blankets are highly sought after by collectors since not many of them are left in existence. No matter what your serape blanket is made from, you’re guaranteed to add extra vibrant color and serious western flair to any outfit or décor arrangement.
You may be wondering how serape blankets rose to be popular in the first place, or where they first originated from. These questions and more are answered below in our handy serape blanket guide!
What is a serape blanket?
A serape blanket is a thick, multi-colored, striped blanket that first gained popularity through wear as an outer garment. Many serape blankets feature long white fringe at the ends, and various color patterns and prints are on offer depending on your specific tastes. Color choices like gradients, flowers and detailed geometric designs are only a few of the hip variations that have shown up in modern times.
Authentic Mexican serapes made before the early 20th century were usually hand woven, constructed from wool fibers and featured basic designs. Today, however, serapes are usually made from acrylic and cotton fibers for simplified manufacturing, lower cost and ease of wear. The length of serape blankets varies depending on the brand, but the normal length for front & back is around knee length when worn as a garment.
Some serape blankets have also been modernized over time to include a head opening. This quick addition means the blanket can easily be worn as a garment without issues. Accessory hoods are another common modification that transforms the serape blanket into more of a poncho, while retaining the serape’s standard colorful appearance. Instead of holding the serape blanket in place, these adaptations make serapes more friendly for everyday wear.
Serape blankets can be used for many other purposes besides garment wear, including use as a wall or window covering, sleeping mat, table cloth, rug, horse blanket, or pillow. The only limit is your imagination!
How Do You Pronounce ‘Serape’?
Ser-ah-pee or Ser-ah-peh
Whether it’s spelled serape or sarape, there are two ways to say this word. These two pronunciations are most accurate ways of saying the word ‘serape’ depending on your preference. The ‘E” at the end is not silent like certain American words, and you don’t want someone thinking you’re referring to syrup!
How Much do Serape Blankets Cost?
The price of serape blankets depends on the period in which they were made. Authentic serapes from before the 20th century are usually made from hand-woven wool and are incredibly rare. Some experts estimate that only about 300 original serape blankets are still in existence. Not many of these variations still exist in good condition, and they are a cultural staple both for their talented weaving techniques and historical significance. While these types of serapes are great to view in a cultural museum, they are not the same serapes you’ll find today.
Around the 1930s, convenient machine weaving was introduced that made the serape blanket construction process easier. While these later versions are still rare, they are not as sought after as the hand-woven versions of long ago. Wool and cotton blends were the norm for these 20th century updates, as compared with newer fibers that surfaced later on.
Many affordable modern variations of the serape blanket are made from a blend of cotton and acrylic. These updated serape styles usually start out around $20 depending on the quality and craftsmanship that was put into the construction. Specialty versions are available from certain shops for a higher price depending on the craftsmanship and time involved.
Are Serape Blankets Popular?
Serape blankets are very popular in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries. Since Spanish conquistadors introduced the serape blanket to much of the world after colonization, it has become a popular item in many different places.
While the serape blanket may not be worn as often in some regions, use as an accent piece for rustic décor is a popular way to style it in your home. There’s no one way to wear or decorate with a serape blanket as long as you’re willing to get creative!
What is the origin & history of serape blankets?
Spanish conquistadors first reported Aztec civilizations dating back to the 1500s to have worn blanket garments made from cotton and agave fibers. These smaller worn blankets (called mantas, or ‘tilma’) were fastened at the shoulders or neck. This Aztec example seems to be the earliest known proof of a worn blanket or covering in the region.
Many of these early serape blankets were dyed bright colors by using crushed plants, flowers and bugs to form vibrant pigments. Aztec culture believed that bright colors warded off evil spirits and put the wearer in good favor with the gods, so this tradition continued throughout hundreds of years. Like family crests, serape blanket colors were also sometimes used to denote social status, family lineage or regional heritage.
It’s unclear if the Aztecs were the first people to wear colorful outer clothing or blankets, but the serape blanket eventually evolved out of the colonization of Central and North Americas. There’s evidence that the serape blanket was taken back to Spain and adapted to fit the Spanish climate before being worn around the world. Serape blankets are now an international staple and closely associated with Mexican and Central American cultures for this reason.
Many different weaving hubs in Mexico flourished in the 18th & 19th centuries because of their serape blanket production capabilities. Ranchers and cowboys especially were a fan of this design for the ease of wear and use while in the saddle. Despite both men and women being in charge of producing serapes, women did not wear them. Even at the time, hand-woven serapes weren’t cheap! In today’s money, each serape blanket costed about $500.
Early hand-woven serape blankets sometimes took up to two years to make between dying all of the fibers and actually weaving the serape. Marino wool production was high in the region, and this resource was essentially responsible for much of the production capability of these weaving hubs. There is also some evidence that serape blankets were not taxable because they did not fit with common clothing of the time, meaning this lack of tax may have boosted their popularity in the region.
At first, serapes only featured geometric designs that were commonly associated with Aztec culture. That all changed during the brief rule of Emperor Maximilian, who began incorporating French and other European themes like animals, flowers and portraits into serape designs. These specific serapes are still referred to as “Maximilians”, and the shared themes were usually combined with traditional patterns for a very unique look.
Numerous period artists have illustrated horsemen wearing serapes both for warmth and to keep their weapons hidden, but it also served as a comfortable pillow or blanket when not in use as a garment. Despite starting out as a staple garment for laborers, the serape blanket grew in popularity among a variety of social classes over time. Mexican nobility has famously adapted the more vibrant variations as a necessary component for social events.
Historically, the serape has been worn by both sides of the War of Independence, in refugee camps for warmth or clothing, as a flag, or even as an heirloom for loved ones killed in battle. The 1835 Texas Revolution saw a limiting of serape production since many soldiers wore serapes to differentiate themselves from their commanders in battle.
Even though serape is the American way of referring to these colorful blankets, other spellings like ‘sarape’ or ‘zarape’ may be used depending on the region. Saltillos, another name for serapes, is adapted from the region that was most famous for hand-making them before machine weaving was possible. Other names like jorongo, frazada and Chamorro refer to the serapes that are now made in different regions of Mexico.
While there are many textile traditions that have been passed down through history, serapes are special for their unique design. Vibrant pigments like cochineal red, originally made from crushing parasitic cacti bugs, make the design almost blinding in its own way. The rainbow of Central American pigments, combined with the skilled craftsmanship that went into the hand-woven variations of this design, will forever be an inspiration to consider both form and function in a traditional garment.
Serapes have evolved out of being worn strictly by men or cowboys and are now ideal for multiple modern uses. Despite starting as a masculine garment for mostly functional purposes, they’ve gained popularity in various pockets of society that value them for being the spirited form of expression they are. People worldwide can now celebrate Mexican culture in their own creative ways thanks to the serape!