“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.
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For the last several years the Guayabera, or more commonly referred to as the Cuban Guayabera Shirt, has become a fashion trend in the United States. The shirts unique style design of front pockets, pleats and embroidered patterns has been the preferred attire for businessmen throughout Latin America. With the embargos placed on Cuba, Mexico has been the top producer of the Guayabera for the last half century.
Mexico was once the “go to” country for cheap labor, but today Mexican manufacturers are fighting exporters from Asian countries, where wages are much lower. In recent years quite a number of Guayabera factories have closed. Merida, Mexico in the Yucatan Penninsula, the capital of the guayabera industry, has been hit hard by Asian competitors, who have copied and sold the shirts to U.S. markets at cut rate prices.
Clothing exports from Mexico to the United States have been declining for the past ten years.
The sales of the Mexican Wedding Shirt, another name for the Guayabera, have fallen about 20 percent. Lourdes Rodriguez, head of the clothing business chamber in Yucatan has said that “the arrival of guayaberas from Asian countries has lowered our production.” Raul maglioni, a guayabera manufacturer said “We don’t have access to popular markets like Wal-Mart or Kmart. They demand prices we can’t afford. If they ask for five or six dollars, we can’t do it.”
The difficulty that Mexican Guayabera manufacturers have been experiencing is only a small reflection of Mexico’s dire export problem. In the last few years China has overtaken Mexico as the top exporter to the United States. The increased demand for the Cuban Guayabera Shirt by world markets and the increase in designer specialty shirts has only worsened this mexican industry.
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What is a Guayabera? A Guayabera is a traditional Cuban shirt. Linen is the fabric of choice, but they also come in cotton or in a poly/cotton blend. Cuban Guayabera Shirts are flattering and comfortable. They come in all sizes and they make you look and feel good even when the weather is hot and humid.
The Guayabera is also known as Mexican Wedding Shirt. Guayaberas have always been worn by unique individuals, a tradition, carried on from generation to generation. The Guayabera is the perfect attire for any occasion. This unique shirt gives you the freshness, comfort and elegance that you require for that special occasion. The shirt is worn outside the trousers allowing for easy movement and comfortability. Guayabera shirts will help you easily maintain your composure during times of stress. They are the ideal summer casual dress shirt.
If you’re looking for an updated version of the classic guayabera? The designs of Debra Torres has taken the traditional Guayabera Shirt and given it a modern American flair. By using vibrant color and innovative designs, Debra Torres has added some flair to this distinctive classic shirt. Ideal for a beach wedding or for just a walk in the park, Debra Torres Guayabera Shirts come in short sleeve or long-sleeve with regular and French cuffs. With all of the different designs, fabrics, and colors that Debra Torres uses, the guayabera will help solve all your wardrobe needs.
Cuban-born George Feldenkreis known as the “Guayabera King” and his brother Isaac started a company called Cubavera, based on the premise that consumers buy products that they identify
with and trust. From the beginning the Cubavera brand has incorporated the ideals of joy and “sabor” of Latin culture with line of Guayabera shirts and other apparel. The designs of Lorenzo Ramos is appropriate for today’s diversified lifestyle with its cool, clean and relaxed look. The clothes are comfortable and easy to care for, giving them the relaxed casual elegance, which are the foundations of the brand.
The comfort, freshness and simplicity of style have made this shirt resist the impact of time. From its beginnings as a simple and practicle garment to the modern colorful styles of today, the Cuban Guayabera Shirt is a testament to latin culture.
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