Guayaberas Shirt.
By Jonathan Campbell
Europeans – especially southern Europeans – generally manage to look good in the heat. But from what I’ve seen, Cubans take it to a whole new level. The Guayaberas shirt’s origin story causes much heated debate in Latino communities, but for the sake of this piece, we're sticking with the Cubans, as they are particularly fanatical about this garment.
The UK has been struggling through a heat wave in recent weeks. And when the weather gets hot, the issue of what to wear becomes paramount.
Now, Europeans – especially southern Europeans – generally manage to look good in the heat. But from what I’ve seen, Cubans take it to a whole new level. When I was last in Miami, where Cuban Americans account for 29.3% of the population and around 50% of the Hispanic/Latino population, I noticed they seem completely at ease, whatever the temperature.
I was staying at a stunning Art Deco hotel, The Delano. I briefed the handsome young latino concierge that I wanted a cab/limo tour of the city, and I wanted to buy something that represents Miami. He raised an eyebrow and started to make some calls. An hour later, a black car was waiting for me. What a great tour – he took me to a range of areas not frequented by tourists. The grand finale was a stop at Ramon Puig Guayaberas, aka “King of the Guayaberas”.
The Guayaberas shirt’s origin story causes much heated debate in Latino communities, but for the sake of this piece, we're sticking with the Cubans, as they are particularly fanatical about this garment.
The Guayaberas is always worn loose over trousers (or pants if you’re in the US). Made from lightweight cotton or linen, with two or four patch pockets on the front, it has two vertical rows of alforzas (fine, tiny pleats, usually 10, sewn closely together) running down the front, and three down the back. The pockets are detailed with alforzas that are identical to, and aligned with, the alforzas on the body of the shirt. This detail is as important as the pattern match on a Hawaiian shirt, to demonstrate quality.
Over the years, the shirt has shifted from work wear to smart casual over the years. Today, it is often worn in more formal settings, such as offices and at weddings. In Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, Guayaberas are part of the traditional wear for men. In fact, it was Cuba that reinstated the guayabera as their "official formal dress garment”.
Over the years, the Guayaberas has been worn by Hollywood legends and US presidents alike, including cultural icons such as Ernest Hemingway, Gary Cooper, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Andy Garcia, Alonzo Mourning and Sylvester Stallone, not to mention world leaders including Presidents Reagan, Clinton and Bush. There are some great shots of John Wayne in particular, looking very comfortable in his Guayaberas in the summer heat.
When it came to choosing mine, I opted for the classic white linen Guayaberas – and made sure to thank the concierge when I got back to the hotel.
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Images. The Obsessive, Ramon Puig
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