Uniform Diversity

The Movie: “My Family” (“Mi Familia”)

The Setup: Story of a Mexican American family living in East Los Angeles from the ‘20s through the ‘80s.

The Costume Designer: Tracy Tynan, whose credits include “The Big Easy,” “Choose Me,” “Blind Date” and “Great Balls of Fire.”

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The Looks: The pachucos, or ‘50s gang members, such as Chucho (Esai Morales) developed their own strict uniform of buttoned-up shirts, khakis and pointy-toed shoes. Patriarch Jose Sanchez (Eduardo Lopez Rojas) wears a straw campesino, or country-style hat, with his American khakis to work as a gardener. Another son, Jimmy (Jimmy Smits), looks typical of the veterano, a former prison inmate from the ‘70s and ‘80s, with his goatee, black-and-gray striped T-shirt and top-buttoned shirts.

In the barrio, writer-director Gregory Nava explained, the people are as diverse as those in a Diego Rivera mural. “Latinos are defined by contrasting images. That’s what I wanted you to see,” he said.

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Quoted: “For Latinos, your traje, or what you wear, is very important. This is an ancient thing. In Native American villages, your dress is considered who you are, a reflection of your soul, and your traje still defines who are you in the barrio today,” Nava said.

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You Should Know: Gang members provided meticulous fashion details that were faithfully followed. In the ‘50s, for example, pachucos had preferred patterns of plaid Pendleton shirts (browns and blues) and buttoned the top two buttons only. By the ‘70s, they were buttoning the top three. Everything was ironed, including crew-neck T-shirts.

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Hit: The wedding of Irene (Maria Canals), with bridesmaids decked out in shocking pink and her mother in lavender. The whole group is primped and puffed in petticoats topped with elaborate, tightly gathered and pleated beaded polyester gowns. (Polyester remains the fabric of choice among many Mexican American brides, Tynan said, because it can withstand heavy decorations.) Not to be outdone, the men wear black tuxedos with gooey ruffled shirts. “I kept saying I wanted it wilder,” Nava said. “I said, ‘More lace, more stuff.’ This becomes another level of good taste. A wedding is the fashion high point for the Chicano community.”

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Inspiration: Photo collections from several community centers in East Los Angeles; the children’s book “Family Pictures,” by Carmen Lomas Garza; periodicals, and, for colors, the paintings of Rivera and Patssi Valdez.

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Sources: The traditional clothing in the early scenes in Mexico was made in Michoacan or rented from costume houses. Wedding gown and bridal party dresses were made at Sussy’s Brides and Formals in Glendale. Ruffled tuxedo shirts are from Sunset Tuxedo in Los Angeles.