Pamper Your Yogi: Yoga Gifts for the Holidays and Beyond!

Whether you practice Ashtanga or Iengar, Kundalini or Bikram, our yoga gear from comfy clothing to zen decor will help you stay mindful and inspired as you get your stretch on! Here are some of our favorite yoga presents to give or get:

Woven Yoga Mat Bag

The Mexicali woven yoga mat bag features colorful, exotic woven stripes, a drawstring closure, and a handy strap for carrying your yoga mat over your shoulder in comfort & bohemian style!

Thai Fisherman Pants

We love these Thai fisherman pants for yoga because they are soft, lightweight, and easily adjustable for the perfect custom fit! Inspired by traditional Thai pants, these tie-waist fisherman wrap pants are perfect yoga pants for men and women. Each pair is fully adjustable to fit a wide range of body shapes and sizes, and comes packaged in a reusable cloth pouch with instructions on how they are traditionally worn. Available in a variety of colors, these make a wonderful gift yourself or the yogi in your life!

Sun Salutation Mexicali retro tee shirt

A comfy yoga top is key to focused practice; you don't want to be distracted by a too tight shirt that keeps riding up, or scratchy fabric! This Mexicali Sun Salutation tee is just one example of the many soft cotton shirts for men and women that are just perfect for yoga. This super soft cotton shirt is pigment dyed, giving it a nice worn-in look, and has a Mexicali Blues logo on the back. Perfect for wearing during your morning yoga session, while showing off your Mexicali love!

1. Batik Yoga Flags, 2. Hand Carved Ohm Symbol, 3. Abhaya Mudra Buddha Throw, 4. Traditional Tibetan Prayer Flags

Create the zen decor of your dreams with any combination of our awesome exotic elements from around the world! Use an ohm wall hanging or weeping yogi sculpture as a meditation object, let the good vibes flow freely across our prayer flags, or bring more senses into your yoga or meditation practice with our Tibetan singing bowls or bell and dorge sets.

We love yoga here at Mexicali Blues, and if you or someone you love does as well, you can be sure that we've got the gifts to impress and inspire your yogi this Holiday season and beyond!

Bonnaroo: Festival Fashion

Bonnaroo is coming up in just a few days, and if you're heading down to Tennessee to rock out with all the awesome bands and groovy people, you've got to be ready with some stylish and comfortable clothes!




Listen to this new Beirut track that was just released yesterday, and check out our favorite festival picks!

For the Ladies:

We love this flirty batik bandeau dress for hot days; the flowing fabric and strapless shape is so perfect for dancing in the sunshine! Available in 6 colors and patterns, you're sure to find the perfect one to suite your personal style!

This awesome mudmee tie dye dress is fabulous if you want to be a bit more covered and while remaining cool, comfy, and hippie chic!



Exude bohemian vibes while keeping your face protected from the sun with this sweet wide brim sun hat!

A pretty cross-body bag like our peace patch shoulder bag is key for keeping your concert essentials (camera, sunscreen, wallet, etc) close at hand, while allowing you to move and groove unencumbered!

Just because you don't want to be wearing all your favorite jewels at a fest doesn't mean you shouldn't accessorize! Our wide selection of fashion jewelry (including the bold boho necklace above) is uniquely stylish, and so affordable you can wear it at even the wildest festival with no worries!

For the Gents:

An awesome retro tee shirt or tie dye is an integral part of groovy festival style. We love Bob Marley tee shirts, Grateful Dead tees, or the iconic Steal Your State shirt to show a little love for Maine (and the Dead) wherever you are!



Thai Fisherman pants are our favorite hippie pants for festivals, camping, and beyond! Ridiculously comfortable for dancing, when not being worn they fold up super-small and even come with their own little carrying bag!


Funky retro sunglasses are key for a sunny festival! These rasta wayfarers are some of our favorites, and we also offer a ton of affordable options to suite every style!

For Everyone:

Our traditional Mexican blanket is the ultimate festival accessory: sit on it, use it for yoga, roll it up as a pillow; the options are limited only by your imagination!



This nylon frisbee is the ultimate Summer toy! Made of durable nylon with a beanbag-like edging, it folds up easily into its included carrying case and can fit right in your pocket or purse! We especially love it for festivals because it is so soft that a rogue throw won't bop someone in the head quite as hard as a big plastic frisbee (though please do try not to hit others while playing!).



No matter how hot the days, it seems like festivals always leave us chilly at night. Maybe it's the comedown after all that dancing, but we're pretty much always stoked to wrap up in something cozy. Our Mexican baja hoodies are an awesome option that keeps you rocking hippie style all night long!

Will you be going to Bonnaroo, or any other festivals this Summer? What are your essential festival supplies?

Spotlight On: Mukluk Hippie Mocassin Slippers

Our Mexicali Blues mukluk slippers are the ultimate hippie shoes to make you feel like dancing! Wonderful for apres-ski warmth in the Winter or festival-hopping in the Summer, our exclusive mukluks are sure to keep you cozy all the time! Hand-knit and responsibly imported, our mukluks come in a nearly infinite variety of colors and styles, available at our four Mexicali Blues stores.

Some colors are available at http://www.mexicaliblues.com with more to come soon!

Hippie Holiday Gift Guide

Here come the holidays! And in the midst of snowy weather and spending time with family and friends under the glow of twinkling lights, it's time to get down with the holiday shopping! Unique and affordable are the top two criteria we consider when shopping for our loved ones; we want to give something as meaningful and individual as they are without breaking the bank! Here are some of our very favorite Mexicali Blues gift ideas:

Fleece Lined Convertible Mittens

These fleece lined convertible gloves-or glittens as we like to call them-are seriously the best winter warmers ever! Made of wool and lined with fleece, they keep you warm and dry in even the most perilous of precipitation. At only $14, these are a practical gift that is big on style! Be sure to check out our website for many colors of striped convertible mittens, rasta convertible mittens, and patterned convertible mittens, all of which have matching fleece lined wool hats.

Mexican Baja Hoodie

Bridging the distance between surfer cool and hippie casual, these warm and versatile Mexican hoodies make great gifts for the laid-back guy (or gal) in your life. Available in different color combinations (including one of our favorites, the rasta hoodie) and super-affordable ($18!), this is a gift that will rock the socks off of the lucky recipient!

Tibetan Prayer Flags

Our traditional Tibetan prayer flags are a groovy way to add a peaceful vibe to a hippie home or office. They can be hung indoors for a pop of bright color, or outside where breezes will help them to fray and carry good karmic wishes and prayers out into the world. Our mini prayer flags also make an awesome decoration for a hippie Christmas tree! If traditional prayer flags aren't your style, Mexicali Blues has batik yoga flags and chakra flags, which make excellent gifts for the yoga enthusiast. Check out our earlier blog entry about the meaning of prayer flags so you can share the history of them when you share them as a gift!

Thai Fisherman Pants

Thai fisherman pants are our favorite pants for meditation, yoga, and lounging. Their wrap style makes them an excellent fit for almost everyone, and they are some of the most unique yoga pants around! Available in a wide variety of colors and only $20 each, these are the hippie pants that are sure to please everyone on your gift list!

Hand Knit Mukluks

Hand knit mukluks are the holiday gift that everyone loves to get, especially those of us living in Maine where it is freezing cold this time of year! These toasty bohemian slippers are like sweaters for your feet, with a lined bottom of the foot to keep you from sliding all over the place. There is nothing like coming inside after a long snowy day and relaxing in the warmth and comfort of these awesome mukluks , available exclusively at Mexicali Blues!

Mexicali is proud to carry cool and unique items that have been responsibly imported from all over the world. With a wide variety of affordable fashion scarves, handcrafted sterling silver jewelry, Grateful Dead t shirts, and so much more (including our very own Steal Your State merchandise--combining our love of the Grateful Dead with our love of Maine!), Mexicali is an awesome place to find unique and exotic gifts that you won't find anywhere else!

Check out our comprehensive Mexicali gift guide for more hippie gifts, zen gifts, hippie stocking stuffers, and more! We also have four new & really cool different styles of Mexicali Blues gift cards, so you can personalize the present of a Mexicali shopping spree!

From all of us at Mexicali, we wish you the happiest of holidays and a peaceful new year!

The Ultimate Guide to Hippie Style for Women

Hippie style is all about creative expression of your individuality, connection to nature and music, and comfort! A flowing skirt or a maxi dress is an integral part of the hippie wardrobe; long skirts are perfect for dancing wherever you go! A batik sarong is a versatile and colorful necessity in any hippie woman's closet; wear it as a skirt, dress, or use it as a curtain or picnic blanket!

Tie dye pants, thai fisherman pants, or yoga pants are a great option when you will be climbing trees, hiking, or it is just too cold for a skirt! Pair them with a loose, hippie top, like a tie dye t shirt or kurta tunic. A buddha t shirt, bob marly t shirt, or grateful dead t shirt is another comfortable and awesome way to top off a cute hippie outfit.

Adding layers to your ensemble, like a cozy alpaca sweater or fashion scarf, can make an outfit even more gypsy chic, while keeping you warm as well! A wool hat, pair of fleece lined mittens, or mukluks in natural materials are not at all out of place in a stylish hippie outfit.

Adding earthy elements to your wardrobe (like an embroidered leather belt or wooden shell necklace) is key, because one of the most important tenets of hippie style is that natural is beautiful! Try a turquoise pendant or pair of shiva eye earrings to bring a touch of grounded glamour to a casual outfit.

A funky hobo bag or sling bag is the perfect way to carry all your supplies for a fun hippie day (maybe a footbag, pair of retro sunglasses, or a handmade notebook for writing down poetic thoughts and observations). A cross-body bag with a long strap is a necessary accessory for attending a concert or festival; try one made of hemp for an eco-friendly option.

Finally, no hippie outfit is complete without flowers and/or peace signs! Try peace sign earrings, a peace sign tie dye, or even a peace sign ring. A flower necklace, floral skirt, or calico dress is all you need to show the world that you are a flower child at heart.

The Ultimate Guide to Boho Style

Wear at least one bold bohemian accessory. Bohemian style is artistic and interesting; it may be relaxed and casual but it is still creative. Maybe you will carry a boho bag, or wear a sun hat or tie dye dress; just make sure not to overdo it with too much crazy color. Pair it with something natural, like an embroidered leather belt or wooden earrings to keep your look down-to-earth.

Bohemian style clothing should be loose and flowing, or at least have some flowy element to the outfit. A ruffled skirt or a long dress adds a sense of movement to your outfit that keeps with your nomadic gypsy attitude. Layers are an integral part of the boho style that is particularly welcome in cooler weather; don't be afraid to wear leggings under your dress, and scarves are a must! Wear one or put several together to mix up your look.

Accessorize! Jewelry is a must for creating a boho outfit: layered chunky bangle bracelets and gemstone earrings add to your unconventional earthy appeal. Hammered metal bracelets are another great look, as well as bold wooden chokers or leather necklaces.

Most important to the rules of boho style is that there are no set rules! The whole point of bohemian dressing is to show off your own unconventional and free-spirited ways, so get out there and do it!

Tie Dye Methods and Techniques

blue spiral tie dye tee

Tie Dye is super cool because there are no rules; the creative options are pretty much limitless, provided you can get your hands on all the crazy colors you're imagining. For the uninitiated, tie dye is a way of creating patterns by folding, stitching, crumpling, or otherwise preparing the fabric to inhibit the flowing of dye into the folds of the fabric. One can plan their colors and the end result to some extent, but part of the fun of tie dyeing is the surprise of unfolding/twisting/stitching your garment to see what you've got! While there are always small surprises along the tie dye journey, you can have some idea of what you're creating depending on the method that you use. So, let's explore a few of those, shall we? Onward!

Bandhni

photo by Saritha Rao Rayachoti

Bandhni, also called bandhani or bandhej, is an Indian method of tie dye that has been around for centuries. From the Hindu word bandhan which means "to tie up", this method involves tying many small points with thread before dip-dyeing. This creates a unique and detailed dotted pattern that is often used to create ethnic or nature-inspired designs. Frequently, bandhni pieces in India are sold with the knots intact to prove that it is an authentic bandhni piece and not a screen print.

Shibori

Shibori is the name of a whole family of traditional Japanese resist techniques. It can involve binding parts of cloth with stitching, pleating, wrapping around a pole, or using shapes (often of wood, acrylic, or plexiglass) to keep the dye from permeating a certain part of the fabric. Shibori has and continues to be used to create intricate patterns for kimonos that are as unique as snowflakes.

Mudmee

mudmee dye bell yoga pants

Mudmee is a method of tie dyeing from Thailand. It has a particular set of shapes and colors that are traditionally used, and there are usually multiple small motifs across one piece with very fine details in each. One thing that makes mudmee tie dye particularly unique is that it is never done on white fabric; the background is always colored, usually black. This makes for a look that is similar enough to modern multi-colored tie dye to still be groovy, but it is definitely special.

Modern Multi-Colored Tie Dye

rainbow spiral long sleeve tie dye

The modern technique of tie dye involves applying different colors of dye directly to cotton. The fabric is often twisted or wrapped with string or rubber bands to create patterns and parts of the fabric that resist the dye. The bright, colorful patterns create an iconic look that lets other hippies know where you are!

Check out our awesome selection of tie dye shirts, mudmee pants, tie dye tapestries, and tie dye dresses at MexicaliBlues.com!

Mexicali Clothes: Not Just for the Youngins!

For Cinqo de Mayo, some of the Mexicali ladies took a walk down to the Lincoln Home, the local retirement community, for a fun fashion show featuring clothing from local shops. Here's Mexicali co-owner Kim Erskine getting a little goofy with a tiny festive hat made out of a styrofoam cup:

The show was to benefit the local Union Women's club as well as the Lincoln Home itself, and several local businesses donated clothing to be modeled by employees, residents, and friends of the Lincoln Home. Each store showed about four outfits, and it was great to see what all our local friends have new in stock for spring. Every store wrote incredibly creative descriptions for each outfit to be read by the MC as their models came out. There was a lot of applause and laughter; everybody watching had a great time and the models were working it! Here is our awesome Mexicali model, Rhonda, rocking her favorite look of the day (a batik top and batik skirt set):

She is telling me she wants to buy the outfit as I take the picture!

This model was being so sassy with the sunglasses; everyone was loving it!

This model and resident of the Lincoln Home bought all of the (all beautiful & super classy) outfits at the on-site thrift store. This outfit cost her $5!

Here's Rhonda in her debut model walk, with Kim and Newcastle store manager Shannon sitting pretty behind her. She looks so great in that kurta tunic! We are all loving that shade of turquoise this summer!

There was a wide age range for the models, which was great. This model is a high school student, and at the end of the show, the MC and residents expressed appreciation for her and her modeling friends keeping them current on the state of fashion for young people (because grandchildren are designed to be spoiled by their grandparents, are they not?).

Here's one more of Rhonda showing off her Mexicali jewelry: a gorgeous shell necklace and a fashion bracelet!

We had a great time at the fashion show and know everyone else did as well! It was really cool to see how clothing typically sold in such a youth-oriented market can be styled for the more mature fashionista. We are so happy we were able to be a part of this fun event!

Sunglasses: A History and Exploration

Neon 90's Wayfarer Sunglasses (only $6!)

Do you ever get the feeling that wearing sunglasses can make you invisible? Of course not literally, but it feels like people don't really know who you are or what you're up to when they can't see your eyes. Interestingly, the first "sunglasses" were made not as protection from the sun but to capitalize on this strange concept.

In Ancient China, judges would use glasses made of smoky quartz to hide the expression in their eyes as they interrogated witnesses and considered cases. In 1430, the first prescription spectacles were developed in Italy to correct vision, and they were quickly adopted in China where they were tinted by smoke to be used by judges. Now able to see better as well as hide their eyes, the judges began taking greater pride in these accutremants and ornate frames carved of either ivory or tortoiseshell soon became popular.

By the 1600's prescription glasses had become widely recognized as an effective device for helping people see better, and further developments for usefulness and comfort were made, including Benjamin Franklin's invention of the bifocal lens in 1780. In 1929, Sam Foster began selling tinted glasses designed for sun protection and style. His 'Foster Grants' were the first mass-produced sunglasses, and really kicked off the trend of sunglasses for fashion.

Now a trend even more ubiquitous than scarves, people wear sunglasses to shield their eyes from sunny skies and snowy glare, passersby and paparazzi. Some people wear their sunglasses at night, as an homage to Corey Hart or all in the name of fashion? You decide.

Either way, we love sunglasses and bet you do too! Here's a fun video we made to share the love.



What do you think? We are always psyched to hear your opinions!

Here at Mexicali, we adore sunglasses for protecting our eyes on those bright, sunny days and also as accessories to amplify the awesomeness of any outfit. Here are a few of our favorite styles:

Neon Aviator Sunglasses

Retro Blue Blocker Sunglasses

Tie Dye Wayfarers

Be sure to check out the Mexicali Blues website for more affordable retro sunglasses in cool styles and colors!

A Brief History of Scarves

Buffalo plaid checkered hipster scarf (only $7)

Gather round for the history lesson of the day! Did you know that scarves date at least back to ancient Rome? They weren't worn for fashion or comfort but basically as a portable towel used by Roman men to wipe their faces after exercise. Eventually these extra pieces of cloth people carried around started to change from being purely utilitarian to more of a decoration when the Chinese Emperor Cheng (Shih Huang Ti) had his warriors accessorize with scarves as a mark of rank.

As history marched onward, the scarf continued its evolution as not just a useful piece of cloth but a sort of personal flag used to make a statement for the wearer. Around the 17th century, Croation soldiers wore scarves of cotton while their officers wore silk; a person could tell the rank of a scarf-clad individual without a word spoken. The French were so enamored of these unusual decorations that they adopted the style for themselves, calling them cravats, from the Croation word kravata. It became popular for men to show their political affiliation through the color of their scarves. By the 18th century, men and women alike wore scarves, no matter of the social class they belonged to. Practical when needed, and always attractive, scarves rocked even way back in the day!

These days, scarves are popular for their warmth in winter as well as being one of the boldest, easiest, fashion accessories to style and wear. Take a sneak peak below at some of what we have in stock!

This boho maroon sparkle scarf will keep you toasty warm and looking cool!

The shimmering hippie paisley India scarf is the perfect versatile fashion accent!

Check out more of our awesome selection of affordable fashion scarves at the Mexicali Blues website or in our stores throughout Maine.