Located in the southwestern region of Guatemala, the village of Palin is the only village in the industrialized department of Escuintla that has retained its Maya character. To the south of the village lie the Pacific coastal tropics. This climate allows villagers in Palin to farm tropical fruits such as pineapple, mango, papaya and bananas. Palin women balance baskets of this produce on their heads and sell fruit to rail passengers passing through the region. Once, a distinguishing design element of Palin huipils was their remarkably short length. However, in the late 1930s, Guatemalan dictator Jorge Ubico, ordered a “decency decree” that demanded lengthening Palin huipils so that women’s breasts would not be revealed when they raised their arms to sell fruit.

Remaining distinguishing design elements are a centrally placed double-headed bird and non- contiguous bands of motifs forming a border for a larger range of motif bands.