The Guayabera – A Fashion Shirt With A Distinct Style

The Guayabera is a shirt with a long history. It has been a popular shirt for businessmen in many Latin American countries for the past 200 years. The shirt has gained popularity in recent years due to the efforts of several fashion designers such as Cubavera. Today the shirt is worn by both men and women of all ages. The Guayabera is extremely popular in warm weather climates like that found in Miami, Fl., where July 1st. has been officially declared as “Guayabera Day” or “El Dia de la Guayabera.”

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.

Guayabera shirts were once white, starched long sleeved shirts with sets of breast and waist pockets. The shirts were mostly worn by important businessmen because of their distinctive look. Today’s designers have introduced embroidered front panels and a multitude of tropical colors making the shirts more vibrant. The shirts today also come in short sleeves and can be worn for any occasion.

Regardless of what country claims its origin, the Guayabera shirt has had a long history. Worn by businessmen, politicians and celebrities for gaining public appeal. It is now being worn by everyone. The Guayabera has changed in color and has rolled up its sleeves but its distinctive style will always be in fashion.