The skirt, (corte) often village specific, is a universal element of every woman's traje. The morga is a type of corte woven of a heavy denim-like indigo blue or black material, frequently incorporating thin white or light blue stripes, which often identify the village of origin. Hemlines also vary according to local custom, from ankle length (e.g. Almolonga) to knee length (e.g. Chichicastenango).

Corte fabric is usually woven by men on foot-treadle looms. The amount of material used in a corte can vary considerably, ranging from two to more than six yards, and often has a panel of the same fabric added for length. While skirts are most often made of cotton, acrylic and rayon threads are becoming increasingly common.

An embroidered seam (randa) is often used to join the skirt panels and can be found in a variety of stitches and styles that varies from village to village. The randa of San Martin Chile Verde, for example, is a simple zigzag stitch, while "special use" cortes of Xenacoj feature an elaborate hand-embroidered design with bird and flower motifs. Skirts of similar base material but worn in different villages, can sometimes be differentiated by subtle differences in the randa. For example, the women of Santa María de Jesús use the San Juan Sacatepéquez morga with a randa in colors and designs of their choosing.

The use of a village specific traditional corte is rapidly fading as popular styles synthesize into a generic national costume. Foot treadle woven double jaspe cortes from Salcaja are worn all over the country. They are distinguished by their tie-dyed threads, ikat, in both the warp and weft. Pepinado cortes, first produced in Cantel, and featuring multi-harness woven figures reminiscent of jaspe designs, with brilliant stripe arrangements, are becoming increasingly popular. As with the selection of any element of dress emerge considerations of status, tradition and personal preference.