Learn · Glossary
Fiber term
Cotton rebozo
A cotton rebozo is a woven Mexican rectangle in 100% cotton — finished to length, fringe belonging to the cloth — for labor, babywearing, and postpartum. Lola’s are woven on a telar de pedal (foot-pedal loom), about $32–$77 across four lengths. Not acrylic. Not a collector silk.
What is a cotton rebozo?
It is a rebozo woven from cotton. Most Mexican rebozos are cotton, wool, silk or rayon, and the fiber is the main thing that sets the price. Cotton rebozos woven on the foot-pedal loom are a registered artisan technique in the directory of Mexico’s Secretaría de Cultura.
Fiber is the first fork. Other workshops weave wool or silk; those can be authentic too. The shop’s page on the history of the rebozo covers the garment and where it comes from. We sell cotton on purpose: working cloth a mama or a doula can stain, wash, and use again. The look-alike is the cheaper acrylic rebozo / “doula shawl.” Same long shape. Wrong fiber. Full table: authentic cotton vs acrylic. Buying guide: what a cheap acrylic “rebozo” actually is.
| Check | Cotton rebozo | Acrylic look-alike |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber label | 100% cotton, named. | Acrylic, poly, or blank. |
| Loom | Pedal loom / telar de pedal, woven to length. | Often cut yardage + hem. |
| Fringe | Rapacejo belongs to the weave. | Glued or scissors-cut tassels. |
| Jobs | Labor, hip carry, postpartum bind — with the right length. | Costume shawl. Not my birth-bag tool. |
| About-price | $32 / $47 / $53 / $77 for 78 / 98 / 118 / 196″. | Usually less. Wrong cloth. |
After fiber
- Pick the length for the job — doulas start at 98 inches.
- Feel the weave (grid, not screen door) on closed vs open weave.
- Wash gentle — full care: how to care for a rebozo.
This glossary is teaching, not a stock list. Check the shop for what is on the shelf. No invented weavers or towns.
Sources
- Cotton, wool, silk and rayon as the usual fibers, and fiber as the main factor in price: Wikipedia, “Rebozo” (Description section)
- “Rebozos de algodón teñido tejidos en telar de pedal con rapacejo anudado” as a registered artisan technique: artisan entry MX-SC-OR-16-0191, Original directory, Secretaría de Cultura (Mexico)
- Lengths, prices and make: cotton rebozo collection on lolamylove.com, checked October 22, 2026: 78″ $31.99–$37.99, 98″ $46.99, 118″ $52.99, 196″ $76.99, all about 60 cm (23″) wide; listings give the fiber as cotton and the technique as foot-pedal loom, handwoven in Mexico by local artisans
Questions
Is every cotton shawl a cotton rebozo?
No. Woven to length as this garment, with fringe that belongs to the cloth — that is the test. A cut cotton runner with tassels is still not this. See our guide to rebozo history and uses.
Can I use acrylic for labor if that is what I have?
People use what they have. I would not buy acrylic as my working cloth. Cotton is what I put in a birth bag. Materials table: cotton vs acrylic.
Also: acrylic rebozo · telar de pedal · pedal-loom · cotton vs acrylic · shop