The Guayabera Shirt – A Distinctive Style In Fashion Shirts
“El Dia de la Guayabera” or “Guayabera Day” is July 1st. For those who are not familiar with men’s fashion shirts, The Guayabera is a shirt that has been worn by Latin American businessmen for the last two hundred years. In recent years various fashion designers have modified the shirt to give it a more modern look that can be worn by anyone for any occasion. To commemorate its popularity, The City of Miami along with Cubavera, One of the shirt’s top manufacturers, have given it its own special day.
The shirt’s distinctive character of an embroidered front panel with four pockets was first made for a land owner near the Yayabero River in the Las Villas Province. This area of Cuba is known for its cultivation of Guava, a very popular tropical fruit. The local area farmers copied and adopted the shirt for carrying the fruit during harvest. They called the shirt the Guayabera.
Because of the humid conditions in many Latin American countries the Guayabera was adopted by the business community as a replacement for the traditional business suit. Tailors from the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula copied the shirt’s design and called it “La Camisa Yucatan” which was mostly worn for ceremonies such as weddings. The Guayabera’s popularity spread and when Cubans migrated to the US they brought the shirt with them.
The original Guayaberas were white with long sleeves. pleated front panels with 2 breast pockets and 2 waist side pockets. They were usually starched and worn out over the trousers. It gave the wearer a look of distinction and a feeling of power. The designers of today’s shirts have added their own flare and individual styling without giving up the shirts distinctive qualities. One can find Guayaberas in many tropical colors in long sleeves as well as short sleeves.
From its humble beginnings to its present fashionable status, the Guayabera is a true testament to Latin culture. Worn by dignitaries and common folk alike, it has proven to be a style that will always be in fashion. The shirt can be worn for weddings and other formal occasions as well as with jeans for just a walk in the park. Either way the wearer will always feel comfortable and be in style at the same time.
