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 Guayabera shirt first came to prominence back in the early 18th. century on the island of Cuba. It was a custom shirt made for a rich land owner in the province of Las Villas. This area of Cuba near the Yayabero River is famous for producing the tasty Guava fruit. The local farmers copied the shirt’s design and added four pockets to the shirts front for holding the fruit. Thus the shirt got its name “La Guayabera.”
As Latin American businessmen adopted the shirt for its comfort fit in the humid conditions of the tropics, the Guayabera shirt’s origin came under dispute. Merida, a city on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, made claim to the shirt. They called it “La Camisa Yucatan.” This shirt was an exact copy of the Guayabera shirts worn by the many Cuban tourists that visited the Yucatan. Fleeing from Castro’s takeover, Cubans also brought the shirt to the United States.
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.
The two hundred year history of Guayabera shirts has proven that this shirt style will always be in fashion. The Guayabera can be worn for formal occasions as well as for casual moments. Whatever the occasion might be, the wearer will always look and feel distinctive. Visit www.cubanguayaberashirts.com to find out more about Guayaberas.
