“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.

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.

The shirt’s popularity spread throughout Latin America, where the humid climate of the tropics made the shirt comfortable wear, especially for businessmen.  As time went by the origin of the Guayabera became somewhat clouded.  Many countries claimed the shirt as their own.  In Mexico, where the shirt was copied from visiting tourists from Cuba, the shirt became known as the Mexican Wedding Shirt.  Later on as Cubans made a mass exodus from the communist tyranny on their island, they brought the Guayabera with them.

Guayaberas were originally long sleeved shirts with pleated fronts.  They had 2 upper breast pockets as well as 2 waist pockets.  They were usually starched and were always worn out over the pants.  The businessmen who wore the shirt were given a sense of power and distinction.  The Guayaberas of today come in many different colors and fabrics.  They come in long sleeves as well as short sleeves. There are even Guayabera dresses for women.

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.