What makes Papalotl clothing authentic?

Every Papalotl garment is sourced directly from indigenous women's cooperatives in Chiapas, Mexico — never from intermediaries or mass manufacturers. The garments are made using traditional backstrap loom weaving and hand embroidery techniques that have been practiced by Tzotzil Mayan women for thousands of years. Papalotl is a Native-owned brand with over 20 years of indigenous cultural work through Huey Tlahtokan — La Gran Palabra — ChicagoAztlan.

What is the difference between a huipil and other Mayan garments?

A huipil is a tunic-style blouse constructed from hand-woven or hand-embroidered panels. A quechquemitl is a pre-Hispanic triangular cape, most sacred in the Tzotzil tradition and extremely rare. A jorongo is an open-sleeve poncho-style blouse. Each garment type originates from a specific community and carries its own symbolic and cultural meaning. Papalotl carries all three styles, along with belts, purses, and jewelry sourced from the same indigenous artisans.

Are Papalotl garments fair trade?

Yes. All Papalotl garments are Fair Trade, Indigenous Made, and Native Owned. We source directly from women's cooperatives, ensuring that the artisans who create each piece receive fair compensation for their labor and skill. Supporting Papalotl directly supports indigenous women's economic sovereignty in Chiapas.

How do I care for a handmade Tzotzil Mayan garment?

Handwoven and hand-embroidered garments require gentle care. Hand wash in cold water, hang dry, and iron on low heat inside out if needed. Dry cleaning is recommended for wool pieces such as the San Juan Chamula quechquemitl. Avoid machine washing — these are one-of-a-kind works of art, not mass-produced clothing.

Do you ship across the United States?

Yes. Papalotl ships throughout the contiguous United States with free shipping on orders over $200. A $20 flat rate applies to all other contiguous US orders. Alaska and Hawaii ship for a $25 flat rate. Most orders are dispatched within 2 business days via UPS or USPS.

What does Papalotl mean?

Papalotl is the Nahuatl word for butterfly — a symbol of transformation, beauty, and the continuity of life across cultures throughout Mesoamerica. The name reflects the mission of Huey Tlahtokan — to carry indigenous culture forward, thread by thread, generation by generation.

Papalotl Clothing is the indigenous clothing line of Huey Tlahtokan — La Gran Palabra ChicagoAztlan, a Native-owned organization founded in Chicago in 2004 with over 22 years of Aztec, Mexica, Mayan and other indigenous Mexican cultural diffusion and advocacy. Learn our story.

Cafe Zoque™

We are proud to introduce our small batch private label premium double certified organic gourmet coffee from Chiapas, Mexico

Cafe Zoque™ is grown in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range of Jaletenango Chiapas. Located between the Two Biospheres - La Sepultura and El Triunfo areas that are both rich in volcanic soil and grown at a High Altitude of approximately 1200 meters or 3,960 feet.

Cafe Zoque ™ is a curated blend of five fresh grown, double certified, organically grown coffee beans certified organic from BIOAGRICERT & IFOAM

The Five Beans are: Ora Azteca, Caturra, Arabica, Garnica, & Mundo Novo. These beans give the coffee a low acid, smooth, and well balanced taste.

We currently have Two bag sizes. The Large bag is 17.6 ounces or 500 Grams. The small bag is 9 ounces or 20 grams.

The 17.8 oz Whole Bean Bag is - $27.00

The 9 oz Whole Bean Bag is - $18.00

The 17.8 Ground Coffee Bag is $25.00

The 9 oz Ground Coffee Bag is $15.00

Cost per 8oz cup with 10gm coffee is $0.60

Cost per 8oz cup with 15gm is $0.77

Each 17.6 oz (500 gm) bag makes approximately

50 - 8 OZ CUPS

40 - 10 OZ CUPS