The guayabera is a men's shirt typically distinguished by two vertical rows of
closely sewn pleats that run the length of the front and back of the shirt. The
shirt is typically worn untucked. Guayaberas are popular in the Caribbean
region of Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Central America, the Caribbean,
Southeast Asia, and throughout Africa. It is also known as a "Wedding Shirt".
History The origin of the garment is a something
of a mystery, thought to be the result of a mixture of Native American and
Spanish styles, developed in the late 18th or early 19th centuries. Various
claims for the distinctive style have been made, from Mexico to other Latin
American countries to the Philippines. A version of the shirt's origins claims
that Mexicans originated it in either the state of Veracruz or the Yucatán
Peninsula. One theory holds that it was during the era of trade routes through
the Caribbean that the Mexican shirts got to Cuba and were taken to the
Philippines by the Spaniards, where the evolution of the intricate embroidery
started. Alternatively, others speculate that the shirt, which has documented
origins in the Philippines prior to the arrival of the Spanish, made its way to
Cuba through Mexico via the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade. The
origin of the Guayabera shirt remains a mystery, and a similar prototypical
shirt has existed since the 18th century, probably imported from Spain.
Guayabera may come from a Cuban legend that tells of a poor countryside
seamstress sewing large patch-pockets onto her husband's shirts for carrying
guava from the field. Guayabera may also have originated from the word yayabero,
the singular nickname for those who lived near the Yayabo River in Cuba.
Others claim the origin to be from Baní, Dominican Republic, also for the
harvesting of guayaba fruit in the region. This theory explains the
movement to Cuba, through Máximo Gómez, which used this type of shirt.
Design The design of a typical guayabera is
distinguished by several details: Either two or four patch pockets and two
vertical rows of alforzas run along the front and back of the shirt. The pockets
are separately detailed with identical alforzas that are aligned with the
alforzas on the body of the shirt. The top of each pocket is usually
adorned with a matching shirt button, as are the bottoms of the alforza pleats.
Vertical rows of adjusting buttons are often seen, one on each side, at the
bottom hem. While most versions of the design have no placket covering the
buttons, a few newer designs do. The bottom of many shirts has slits on
either side, and these include adjusting buttons. The bottom has a straight hem,
and is not tucked into the trousers. Though traditionally worn in white and
pastels, guayaberas are now available in many solid colors. Black guayaberas,
embroidered with colorful flowers and festooned with French cuffs, have for
many decades been extremely popular in Mexico and are considered formalwear in
some situations. Mexican guayaberas often use complicated
embroidery in place of or as a supplement to the traditional alforzas.
This style originated in Mérida, Mexico. Appropriate uses
The guayabera is often worn in formal contexts, such as offices and weddings.
In Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, guayaberas are part of
the traditional wear for men and may be considered formalwear in some
situations. The simpler shirt-jac has been worn in the past by
English-speaking Caribbean politicians and office workers as formal attire due
to the heat. In Zimbabwe, the short sleeved version may be worn for special
occasions, such as weddings and funerals.
Political significance Guayaberas have been worn extensively by
a number of Latin American political leaders, including César Chávez, Carlos
Prío Socarrás, and Fidel Castro. This is often interpreted as a sign of the
wearer's affiliation with populist political positions. U.S. presidents,
including Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, have also worn the shirts as a
sign of solidarity when visiting the Cuban community in Miami.
Similar shirts In Britain and Zimbabwe the guayabera is
called a "safari shirt" In the Dominican Republic it is known as
"chacabana" In the Guyana, Trinidad, and the United
States a type of guayabera, some with pleats and pockets or is sometimes
called a "shirt-jac" In Jamaica it is known as a bush jacket
In the Mexican state of Yucatán, it is also known as camisa de Yucatán.
The Philippines' national costume for men, the Barong Tagalog shirt, has some
features which are similar to the guayabera. However, the Barong Tagalog
is a much more formal piece of clothing. It lacks pleats or pockets, and is
marked by intricate, hand-sewn embroidery in a variety of forms,
including geometric or floral patterns. It is not traditionally made of linen,
but rather of hand-woven, fine, translucent piña or jusi fiber. Less
formal linen and cotton variants of the barong are used in everyday wear, as
school or office uniforms for instance. A disputed theory is that the Barong
Tagalog was either a local adaptation or a precursor to the guayabera. According
to those who claim that the barong is the precursor of the guayabera, the
guayabera shirt was originally called the "Filipina" since Manila-Acapulco
Galleons brought the shirt to Mexico from the Philippines.
In the Samoan islands the shirt style has been introduced into the masculine
formal attire known as the "safari set". American Samoa's version of the shirt
often includes tightly-sewn vertical pleats and two or four buttoned pockets.
External links References