Guayabera

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The guayabera is a men's shirt popular in Latin America, the Caribbean, southeast Asia, and the West Indies.

Contents 1 History 2 Design 3 Wearing 3.1 Other names 4 References

[edit] History

The origin of the garment is disputed, as various claims for the distinctive style have been made differing Latin American countries. It has also been argued that the Filipino Barong Tagalog predates the guayabera^[1] Some believe the guayabera spread to Asian countries, including Thailand and the Philippines. Some Mexicans believe that the guayabera was created in their country, though it is sometimes more associated as representative of Cuban culture, especially in the United States.^{[citation needed]}

The origin of the name guayabera may come from a Cuban legend that tells of a poor countryside seamstress sewing large pockets into her husband's shirts for carrying guava (guayabas) from the field, thus creating the guayabera style. (The same legend circulates in Mexico, claiming that a guava farmer designed the shirt for himself; his wife later made and sold them to supplement the family income.) Guayabera may also have originated from the word yayabero, the word for a person who lived near the Yayabo River in Cuba.^{[citation needed]}

In Mexico, though commonly called "guayabera", the shirt is still often called "camisa Yucatan" ("Yucatan shirt"),^{[citation needed]} sometimes shortened to "Yucatan." Generally, older people use the term "Yucatan." This reflects the common belief in Mexico that the shirt was created in the Yucatan Peninsula, in the very region of Yucatan.^{[citation needed]} As an extension, some Mexicans enthusiastically claim the shirt is a Mayan Indian creation.^{[citation needed]} In this version of the Guayabera shirt creation myth, the guava farmer was a poor Mayan Indian.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Design

The guayabera shirt is distinguished by several details: either two or four patch pockets and two vertical rows of alforzas (fine, tiny pleats, usually 10, sewn closely together) running along the front and back of the shirt (the pockets are separately detailed with identical, properly aligned alforzas).

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 the Mexican version usually has no front placket covering the buttons, the Cuban guayabera has a button-placket, also decorated with alforzas.

The Mexican models are available with generous embroidery in shiny brocade patterns, sometimes with beautifully embroidered, realistic flowers. Mexico is also renowned for its eccentric, beautifully custom-made Yucatan guayaberas. Clergy guayaberas are becoming popular, though these tend toward extremely simple, austere design and color. A basic guayabera design is the most popular, commonly ordered custom-made clergy shirt for warm weather.

The bottom of some shirts have three-inch slits on either side, and these include adjusting buttons. The Mexican shirt will usually have three such buttons at the bottom, on each side. It has a straight-bottom hem, thus it is not tucked into the trousers. It is clearly the inspiration for the American "camp" shirt; there is no known photo or account of any such out-of-trouser shirts in America before the 1940s.^{[citation needed]} No books of style mention such shirts before the 1950s.^{[citation needed]}

Though properly worn short-sleeved, the guayabera's cuffs may be either one-button barrel-and-gauntlet style, or French-cuffed — a modification first introduced in Guadalajara, Mexico^{[citation needed]}. The white French-cuffed guayabera, worn without a tie, is considered to be the equivalent of a tuxedo and can also be worn as formal attire^{[citation needed]}. It is considered poor form in Mexico to wear a tie with a Yucatan at any time, though some countries have the custom of wearing a white, long sleeve, French-cuffed guayabera with a bowtie^{[citation needed]}.

The Cuban guayabera is normally long sleeved, made of linen, with very little ornamentation^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Wearing

The guayabera is generally worn open-necked. The Mexican model has a little loop at the collar in case the shirt collar must be buttoned. In many nations, a black or white guayabera (in a more elaborate, long sleeve style) is becoming acceptable for funerals^{[citation needed]}. Wearing a guayabera to a funeral in years past would have been viewed as insulting; the attitude began changing when guayaberas were often seen at ordinary church services.^{[citation needed]}

Though traditionally worn in white and pastels, guayaberas are now available in many colors. The short-sleeved version is the prototype, with long sleeves a later addition. Short-sleeves are thought to be original because it is easier for the work environment, for which the guayabera was created. Designers have modified the original style, creating guayaberas for women as well as guayabera-style dresses.

[edit] Other names

In many nations, including Mexico, southeast Asia, and Jamaica, the guayabera is often worn as office wear. In Asia and British-influenced countries it is called a "bush jacket" (similar to the Filipino's Polo Barong). In Trinidad and the U.S., it is also known as a "shirt-jac" or "jac shirt." In Great Britain and Australia it is called a "safari shirt," and the British version, much simpler than any other version, has become very popular there in recent years. In the Dominican Republic it is called "chacabana"^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] References