Job Discussion Forums

[monkeylady]

Hello. I am hoping to come to Mexico soon to teach. I have a couple of questions about what clothing to bring:

-Just how smart should I be at work (language school) - suits or shirts and skirts? Would smart sleeveless tops be ok at work? How about bare legs under a smart skits? And smart sandals that show my toes - ok?

-How about in my free time? Are people generally more conservative in mexico than in the uk? Is anything low cut or skimpy a bad idea, or do young Mexican women dress like that out of work too?

-Is it easy to buy clothing that fits in Mexico? Are the sizes of clothes and shoes a little smaller than Europe, or will I be able to buy stuff easily?

I would totally appreciate any advice you might have to offer, as I am about to invest in some new stuff before leaving! Thanks

[moonraven]

Your post is missing some very critical iinformation, such as:

1. What part of Mexico you will be living/working in, and

2. Whether the language school you will be working for is a chain operation.

Some chain language schools--Harmon Hall, e.g. require you to wear uniforms--which can range from ugly polyester dresses (in 90 degree weather) to ugly blouse and skirt and jacket combos (ditto on fabric and weather). Some expect you to wear panty hose. And closed shoes.

Sweating yet?

Most places, however, allow you to have bare legs and to wear sandals. They would also not look askance at sleeveless blouses (Mexico is not Afghanistan, or even Saudi Arabia).

Young Mexican women in most areas of the country do wear skimpy clothing. It's a fad all over Latin America to wear jeans cut so that you must shave your pubic hair.

Buying clothing in Mexico can be problematic, however. You can buy some decent imported stuff at Palacio de Hierro and Liverpool, as well as in designer boutiques such as MaxMara, Emporio Armani, etc. But you can expect to pay 3 times for them what you would pay in the US or in Europe, and you can't shop at those places on a language school teacher's salary. Once in a while you might be able to afford something at Zara--especially if you are tiny--or can wear men's clothes and look decent in them like I can--and have the stamina to wait in long lines at sale times.

Made in Mexico clothing tends to be ill-fitting and very overpriced for the low quality of fabrics and workmanship. Some of us buy "ethnic" clothing (traditional Oaxacan skirts and tops a la Frida Kahlo) to get around that, and there is a brand called Dunes that is essentially resort wear that is decent and it is made in Mexico. Depending on where you buy them, the very same model of dress can range from 300 to 800 pesos. (I have bought that brand in Oaxaca City, Cuautla, Huatulco, Zihuatanejo and Cuernavaca.)

I have always shopped in the bazars (thrift shops). As I worked in retail in the US (specialized in business services for retail stores), I know brands and fabrics--and 95% or more of the clothes in the used clothing bazars comes from the US. It is contraband, as the Mexican government provides a subsidy to the garment industry here, but trucks of stuff from Value Village and Goodwill and Salvation keep making their way across the border and all the way down to southern Mexico. If you know what you are doing, you can put together a very decent wardrobe of designer duds from the bazars--and maybe spend 40 pesos per skirt and top, 50 for Italian linen pants, 75 for silk dresses and leather jackets, etc. Shoes are a little dicey, especially if you have short narrow feet like mine, but I have bought some nice Italian ones for around 80 to 100 pesos--and did find a sexy pair of vintage Charles Jourdan slingbacks for 10 pesos once.

Here's my best Mexican thrift shop story (which has wide-reaching implications for how stuff actually makes it way to us):

In 1989 I took my daughter to France for a month for her high school graduation gift. In Paris we went to the Et Vous store (there are a few retail stores that carry that maker in the US, including one of my former clients--but not the complete line), where I fell in love with a wonderful linen jacket in an ochre "Prince of Wales" pattern with a solid color skirt to match. They only had the jacket in small and large--and I needed a medium. Fortunately, I bought the skirt anyway--and took it with me when I moved to Mexico a few years later.

In 1997 in a bazar in Cuautla, Morelos, I found the Et Vous jacket--size medium, new condition--for 35 pesos. It took 8 years to get to me--but I finally had the suit. And 35 pesos was a heck of a lot less than the 450 dollars (at 1989 7 francs to the dollar conversion) I would have paid for it in Paris....As an added bonus I bought a Louis Feraud silk/linen suit with the Nieman Marcus tags still on it at the same bazar for 90 pesos....

So--my advice would be to buy very little before leaving home, and treat yourself to combing the bazars in Mexico.

[Ms. Atondo]

As far as clothing goes this is what I found... You can find very cheap and well made clothes in Mexico if you fit the measurements. I am 5ft 9 and never found pants that were long enough, they all tended to be very high-waisted too. My shoes are a size 10 (in Canadian/US standards) and a few times I was laughed at when I asked if the store had a shoe in my size. I usually just asked them what they had in my size, if anything, and chose from there. But, I did find a pair of leather high-heeled boots for 99 pesos! I was also never able to find a bra that even came close to fitting me.

I would recommend bringing enough to get by on and looking for deals for fun.

Also, as far as the sweater/uniform thing goes I had to wear long polyester pants and a long sleeve sweater with blouse underneath. It almost killed me for the first month or so but I became quite used to it in the end. Hope this helps

[thelmadatter]

Id just like to add that Ive never been able to find cotton underwear anywhere - despite that several people swear they exist somewhere!

I have about 5 value-packs of Hanes underwear in my closet, so Im set for some time

MR- I havent had such great luck in bazars... Can you recommend any in DF? I remember fondly the treasure troves that are thrift stores in the States. Still go to my favorite one in Tucson when I get up there.

[lozwich]

[MELEE]

If you have your job lined up, ask to talk to one of the current female teachers about work dress. But things that can be easily layered is probably a good bet as all parts of the country can have wide temperature ranges in a given day.

Young Mexican women and girls dress rather skimpily these days. But I'd like to add that you will draw unwanted attention to yourself no matter what you wear, so you may be more comfortable and save yourself some potential problems if you error on the side of conservative!

You didn't say how "big" you are and my UK shoe sizes are not clear in my mind, but if you wear larger than a US size 8, don't plan on just popping out to buy new shoes. You can find bigger ones in Mexico, but it would mean a search. (My experience is in southern Mexico)

If you stay for a while, you should also explore the option of having clothes made for you. A great seamstress can make you up copies of your favorite dress in five different colors if you're so inclinded.

Also how your clothes will be washed and dried should be something to keep in mind. At first I had a women come to my house and hand wash my clothes, I paid her well and believe in sharing my salary around. But she destroyed many items of clothing, and the intense sun that they were drying in helped speed along the process. The laundromat, where you left your clothes and they machine washed them for you was equally bad. When I decided I was staying here I invested in a washing machine and I now have a great shade tree in my back yard under which my clothes dry. (excepted for the whites, no need for bleach the sun does wonders!!!)

I've haven't been out of Mexico for three years now, so I've obviously been shopping locally. If you enjoy shopping (it's been breed into me) you can find great things. If you just want to run it, grab your size and run out, you'll probably dread the thought of buying clothes in Mexico.

Hope that helps.

[MELEE]

I found a great Mexican brand of all cotton underware and bras. The name is 9 Months...

...unfortunalely as the name suggests they are maternity and nursing bras and maternity panties...

[moonraven]

Berlei brand has several styles of cotton underpants that are decent. They can be found in some of the supermarkets as well as Liverpool stores. They run around 65 pesos per pair, so are not super-cheap, but they are the only brand I have worn for about 8 years now.

There are some cotton bras available in Liverpool--some are made in Mexico US brands, and some not. I can't say much else as it is very hard to find large cup size bras, so I don't have much available to me.

Thrifts in the DF--can't say much about them, as my home base for thrifts is Cuautla. On Tacuba street in the Centro Historico near Cafe Tacuba there are sometimes guys with racks of clothes on the sidewalk that they are selling at 20 pesos each. Those guys have great stuff--silks, good quality cottons, etc. I bought an Emanuel Ungaro ready to wear jacket there--20 pesos sure beats 700 dollars! There are other street vendors of designer and good quality non-Mexican made clothing in the Centro Historico--you just have to keep your eyes open. Laguinilla on Sundays sometimes has great stuff, too, but is better for books. There are sometimes dynamite leather jackets in the stalls by the Ciudadela and its big crafts market on Banderas--but they will probably set you back at least 250 pesos apiece.

[MELEE]

[moonraven]

Well, I CAN resist. A 60 year old woman in 38DD nursing bras is beyond the pale.

Bras are what I buy when I visit friends in the States. And perfume--at anywhere from 50 to 75% less than in Mexico.

[fraup]

Just found this helpful thread--I'm teaching in Hermosillo starting in September and was wondering how formal/informal the culture will be. Last year I taught in Shanghai, so I'm familiar with the "no shoes in large sizes" problem.

[moonraven]

Hermosillo is very hot most of the year--think Phoenix, AZ and you will be in the ballpark. Folks dress to stay cool. In winter there may also be some snaps of extreme cold.

[MELEE]

Fraup
If you have your job lined up, try asking this question of your future employer/coworkers. It varies a lot depending on the city an the social set you fall into. In general Latin Americans are know for being more formal (than North Americans) but my small city is very informal and I'll never forget arriving at a wedding my first year here in a dress much more formal than anyone else, including the bride. But the last wedding I went to (held in this same city) was much more formal and in fact another guest was wearing the dress I worn in my own wedding!

So its best to get advice specific to Hermosillo.
Best of luck!

MEL

[miss_betty]

Fraup...i just moved to Hermosillo two weeks ago...
I just send you a private message to your Dave's ESL cafe

Hermosillo is super hot and they are in their humid spell right now. It is around 40-42 degrees celcius most days.

Most teachers at my school wear dressy casual clothes, ( slacks or skirt and a blouse...some people wear sleeveless dresses too) We have skirts at or above our knees and that is fine.

Most wear open sandals ( dressy). The mexican teachers dress with clothes that I think of as "going out clothes". Tight, low rise pants and tight fitting tops. So if you fit in somewhere between there, you should be just fine.

I look forward to talking to you more offline.

[miss_betty]

Maestra Moonraven

I am in Hermosillo.......do you know where I can find these Bazaars. If not, would the local Mexican teachers know about these fascinating markets.

Please respond the moment you see this. I need to plan a trip ASAP

Your adventures with the Bazaars sounds like great fun

Many thanks to you


PS...to all the ladies.....I could not fathom wearing a maternity bra if I did not have to. I think it would feel a bit pornographic......lol