“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.

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.

The comfort, freshness and simplicity of style have made this shirt resist the impact of time. From its humble beginnings as a simple garment to the modern colorful styles of today, The Guayabera Shirt is a testament to Latin culture.

The two hundred year history of Guayabera shirts have proven that this shirt style will forever 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 forever look and feel distinctive. Visit www.cubanguayaberashirts.com to find out more about Guayaberas.

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