| If you have never heard of the guayabera, it most | | | | wearing a Mexican chazarilla. Long sleeves and no |
| likely you have probably seen one and didn’t know | | | | pockets at all or pleats, sorry, that's just a shirt. |
| what it was. The reason, because they are | | | | The most sought-after guayaberas are vintage shirts |
| everywhere and on every type of person, young | | | | from the '50s and '60s, valued for their intricate |
| hipters to businessmen. | | | | stitching and all-cotton construction. |
| The ornate, four-pocket shirts are the standard outfit | | | | The true charm of a guayabera lies not in innovative |
| for business, social and formal occasions through-out | | | | designs but in the classic comfort and versatility. |
| tropical America, but no one is quite sure where the | | | | Depending on the material and the embroidery, a |
| guayabera (gwai-a-BER-a) comes from. Some claim a | | | | guayabera can be as casual as a bowling shirt or as |
| Mexican origin, saying that the name is derived from | | | | stated previously, as proper as a business suit. The |
| the Mayan guayabana, meaning "throw over." Some | | | | most prevalent color of the guayabera is the traditional |
| say they came out in Cuba first, more than 200 years | | | | white, but the shirts come in almost any color. |
| ago, and later spread through the Caribbean and on to | | | | Their guayaberas range in price from $22 to $300, |
| the Philippines. And the name? Cuban slang for a | | | | depending on the fabric. The most common is made |
| guava (guayaba) picker. | | | | of linen. The most expensive guayaberas are made of |
| For Cubans, the shirt is ubiquitous in tropical Latin | | | | 100% Italian linen, but the typically mid-ranged shirt is |
| American countries, and they argue it originated on | | | | made of a rayon/linen blend, polyester and cotton or |
| their island. The loose-fitting shirts are as Cuban as rum | | | | 100% cotton. |
| and cigars: Fidel Castro’s bodyguards often sport | | | | Generations young and old are wearing guayaberas. |
| guayaberas, most Cuban men own at least one and | | | | The shirts are so comfortable and versatile that it is |
| the shirts remain the dress of choice for any formal | | | | said that in Florida, county authorities, as well as many |
| occasion. | | | | municipal governments, have deemed the guayabera |
| Whatever the origin, the guayabera is without question | | | | as an "official" garment that may be worn by |
| the hot shirt of the moment. | | | | government representatives while on duty. |
| The guayabera is defined by its pockets and its pleats. | | | | So have you seen a guayabera in your neighborhood? |
| Two pockets instead of four, and you're probably | | | | |