Chivas' Charro Jersey: What a Charro Suit and Piteado Belt Are

The Chivas jersey that started the conversation

On October 15, 2026, Chivas de Guadalajara and Nike unveiled their 2026-27 third kit. It's black with gold details and inspired by the charro suit, the traditional riding outfit of the Mexican charro: a wide-brimmed sombrero, a short jacket, fitted trousers with silver buttons, a bow tie and leather boots.

Charrería is Mexico's national sport, and the shirt borrows directly from it. A graphic pattern inspired by piteado belts runs across the chest and sleeves. The shirt carries the club's 1908 crest (interlaced C and G), and names and numbers use custom lettering based on charrería style. Nike's campaign is called "Herencia Sagrada" (Sacred Heritage) and features real charros and escaramuzas.

Key dates

• Debut: Tuesday, October 20, Chivas vs. Necaxa, Matchday 13, Estadio Akron, 6:07 p.m. central Mexico time.
• Presale: from October 20 through Nike channels and the Chivas store at Estadio Akron.
• General release: October 26.
• Price: not announced yet.

That's it for the soccer. The more interesting story is the outfit the shirt is borrowing from.

What is a charro suit? The parts, piece by piece

A charro suit (traje de charro) is the traditional riding outfit of the Mexican charro: a wide-brimmed sombrero, a short fitted jacket, close-cut trousers trimmed with silver buttons, a bow tie and leather ankle boots. It grew out of real ranch work, which is why every piece has a practical job as well as a decorative one.

• Sombrero: the wide brim shades the rider from the sun. Work versions are palm straw; dressier ones are felt, and the gala sombrero is trimmed with braid (galoneado).
• Chaquetín (short jacket): cut short at the waist. On the media gala suit it's suede or casimir (fine wool) with three loops on each sleeve.
• Shirt: collarless on the plain work suit, turned-down collar on dressier ones.
• Pantalón (trousers): fitted for riding, with no back pocket on the work suit.
• Botonadura: the row of silver buttons running down the outer seam of the trousers. It's the quickest way to spot a dress suit.
• Moño: the charro's bow tie, worn loose and hanging in a butterfly shape.
• Botines: short leather riding boots.
• Cinturón: the belt, ideally matching the colors and materials of the whole outfit. This is where the piteado comes in.

Women wear the charra version, built on the same idea but with a long skirt.

Faena, media gala and gran gala: the dress codes

Charro dress isn't free-form. The Mexican charrería federation's rules recognize five levels, from plainest to most formal: faena, media gala, gala, gran gala and etiqueta.

A few details from the official descriptions are worth knowing:

• The faena suit keeps it simple: collarless shirt, trousers with no back pocket, leather botines and a discreet hanging bow tie.
• Media gala adds an elegant tie that matches the suit, a fancy brooch on the chest and a decorated belt.
• Gala calls for discreet but fine ornaments, including an embroidered pistol holster, and a tie with fine embroidery, preferably silver, to match the botonadura and sombrero.

What is piteado? The fiber and the stitching

Piteado is a Mexican hand-embroidery technique on leather. Instead of cotton or silk thread, artisans stitch with pita, a natural plant fiber. It's often called agave fiber, but botanists identify the plant as a bromeliad, Aechmea magdalenae, which grows in the tropical south of Mexico, including Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco and Veracruz. Its shine and fineness have earned it the nickname "Mexican silk."

The technique is tied to charrería and nobody knows exactly where it began. Typical designs include flowers, grecas (fretwork), horses, roosters and charreada scenes.

How a piteado belt is made

Work is split among specialists, and each artisan in a workshop usually masters one step:

1. Twisting the thread. Torcedores twist the pita strands to make them stronger. Older artisans traditionally used saliva; younger ones often use water.
2. Drawing and cutting. Designers draw the pattern and cut (calar) the leather to create relief.
3. Embroidering. Embroiderers fill the design stitch by stitch.
4. Finishing. The piece is assembled and the buckle is mounted.

A fine piteado belt can take two to three months from design to buckle, according to a 2017 EFE report from Colotlán. At that time a fine belt could cost up to 5,000 pesos and a piteado saddle around 50,000 pesos. Treat those as a historical reference, not today's prices.

The piteado saddle

The same technique decorates charro saddles (sillas charras), with leather panels stitched in pita. On a horse it's both decoration and a showcase of the workshop's skill. If you're new to tack, our tack and equipment guide explains how a saddle's parts fit together.

Colotlán, the piteado capital

Colotlán, Jalisco, on the border with Zacatecas, is considered the capital of piteado. EFE counted 190 workshops there in 2017, and artisans told the agency they feared the craft could fade within a generation.

The escaramuza's dress

The escaramuza charra is a team of eight women who ride side-saddle at a gallop through a choreographed routine. Their outfit is judged, so the rules are strict. Get the full story in our escaramuza explainer.

Under the Mexican charrería federation's escaramuza rules, riders compete in a vestido de Adelita, a charra suit or a China Poblana outfit. The Adelita dress, the one you see most often, includes:

• Dress: mostly cotton, high closed collar, at least one ruffle (olán) at the hem, length to mid-boot.
• Crinolina: a starched petticoat that gives the skirt its volume. It's mandatory.
• Calzoneras: long cotton bloomers worn inside the boots.
• Rebozo: an artisan-made shawl, tied at the waist with the knot on the left. It's mandatory.
• Botas Jalisco: smooth leather riding boots reaching three-quarters up the calf, in sober colors.
• Sombrero: palm or soyate straw with the Adelita dress, or felt, all eight identical.

No sequins, beads, fluorescent colors or gold and silver trim are allowed on the dress. The idea is to preserve the classic look, not to create a costume.

Why Jalisco is called the cradle of charrería

Charrería has roots in both Hidalgo and Jalisco, but organized charrería took shape in cities after the Mexican Revolution. In 1920, Charros de Jalisco formed in Guadalajara. It's often cited as the first organized charro group in Mexico, although Mexico City charros point to their own national association, and the question of who came first is still tied up in regional pride. Accounts of who founded it differ. One history names Silvano Barba, Inés Ramírez and Andrés Zermeño among others, while the association's own history remembers Ignacio F. Sahagún as its first president.

Jalisco also brings together the other symbols of Mexicanness: mariachi, tequila and the piteado workshops of Colotlán. That's why a Guadalajara club drawing on charro dress feels natural to fans.

Charrería and UNESCO heritage

In 2016, UNESCO inscribed "Charrería, equestrian tradition in Mexico" on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The listing describes a tradition rooted in livestock herding that charrería associations and schools now help pass on.

UNESCO specifically notes that local artisans design and make the outfits and equipment, including saddles and spurs. In other words, the tailors, saddlers and piteado embroiderers are part of the heritage, not just the riders.

What to watch and what to do next

• Watch the debut on Oct 20 against Necaxa and look for the piteado pattern on the chest and sleeves.
• See the real thing. At a charreada, check who's in faena and who's in media gala, and count the botonadura. Our Charrería National Championship 2026 guide covers the big event.
• Buying a piteado belt? Ask whether the thread is natural pita or a synthetic substitute, ask who made it and where, and expect handmade work to take weeks or months.
• Bring the kids. Our charrería for kids guide explains how children start out.
• Learn the vocabulary in our glossary and explore more disciplines.