Guayabera shirts

[Mike K.]

Who Wears Guayabera Shirts??

Living a bit closer to the Tropic of Cancer, I don't often get the chance to wear my favorite A-2 flying jacket or a nice suit & hat. Amidst the heat and palms, a cold rum and good cigar go well with a vintage guayabera or aloha shirt. I've read a good many posts on the venerable aloha shirt, but how about the guayabera? Any fans out there?
:cheers1:
-Mike

 

[Burma Shave]

Good to meet you...

... and glad to hear there are others who wear these eminently comfortable shirts! I recently moved to South Carolina from D.C. When I still lived in D.C. -- best described as a city of northern hospitality and southern efficiency, by the way -- there was a store in Georgetown that sold vintage Levis and guayabera shirts, almost exclusively, with a few T-shirts thrown in for good measure.

Then they went out of business and had a massive sale. I ended up with one pair of good ol' 501s and about six guayaberas in various colors. I love these things! They do need ironing, of course, but what item of clothing worth wearing doesn't?

I have noticed one problem with them, at least from my point of view: The recent ones are made of a blend material, heavy on the polyester, which makes me sweat even more than usual. I much prefer the older, mostly (or all) cotton, varieties.

Just out of curiosity, do you stick with the short-sleeve models, or have you tried long-sleeved ones? I haven't found a long-sleeve with long enough arms. I'm usually a large, but have 36-inch arms, so I'm a bit hard to fit. I'm wondering: Is it worth the effort to find a long-sleeve that fits?

 

[Burma Shave]

Oh, and I'm also with you...

... on the rum and cigar, generally. I have a weakness for scotch and bourbon, as well, but I'm recently getting into a rum called Aniversario. It's a Venezuelan rum that has more depth and nuance than almost any liquor I've ever tasted, and far more than any other rum I've encountered.

Tonight, in honor of the good St. Patrick, I'm sticking with Bushmills and my Peterson pipe. But tomorrow I'm celebrating the end of a major work project with some of this fantastic rum (room temperature, please) and a Cohiba!

 

[Mr. 'H']

Mmmmmmmm....

 

[Twitch]

I wear them and Hawaiian shirts too. You need to look for the ones from Mexico as they are more often than not all cotton.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I do! I love them and wear them all summer. They go great with Panama Hats. I find the pockets very convenient. I have them made of cotton and the one below is made of linen.

 

[Mike K.]

Hey Burma Shave! What was that store in Georgetown...I grew up just over the river in Alexandria. Lots of fond memories of the Banana Republic store in Old Town (before they stopped selling good ol' safari clothing).
Never tried one of the long-sleeved shirts.
As for the standard short-sleeve version, you gotta stick with cotton, linen, or rayon. Anything synthetic like polyester just won't do...too hot, won't breathe, and not exactly authentic in my opinion.
Are those real Cohibas or the ones made by Fidel's neighbors a few islands down?
:cool2:

 

[Burma Shave]

The Cohiba...

... I have on my desk is from La Republica Dominicana. I look forward to going to Cabo San Lucas later this year, though, and I plan to partake of a few of the real thing when I'm there. I've never done so, and look forward to seeing whether they are truly superior.

As for the store in Georgetown: I don't remember the name. It was right next door to a restaurant that had pictures of trains and the occasional rhinoceros scattered around, though. Nice middle-aged gent ran the store of which I spoke. When he had his last day of business, he told me that any jeans or other clothing he didn't sell, he was going to donate to a homeless shelter in town. Sounds like good people to me. And I always enjoyed talking to him.

I've been looking at linen guayaberas online and thinking about them. I'll take the plunge and give it a shot soon, on your recommendation.

---Burma

 

[Flitcraft]

Pardon me, Gents...

Anyone got a line on a good source of natural fiber Guayabera shirts?

 

[Panamabob]

I'll check in Guayaquil this summer.

 

[Chad Sanborn]

I wear them all the time in the summer. Especially outside performances. The pockets are convenient for all my props. And they keep me looking dressed without a suit and tie. Most of mine are made of cotton and are from the US. (or some oversees importer.)My one true cuban one is actually made of polyester, but has some of the most intricate and beautifull details on its front. It also has a 'cigar pocket' on the chest. Just big enough to hold one cigar!

Chad

 

[Elmonteman]

Although I don't have any Guayaberas yet, in my part of Los Angeles they are not an uncomon sight. I know they have quite a range of quality and price--like everything we like. My girlfriend being from Colorado and not familiar with things Hispanic spotted one on my 5 year old nephew and said, "What a cute little dentist shirt!"

 

[Tomasso]

Anyone got a line on a good source of natural fiber Guayabera shirts?

The finest Guayabera shirts that I have seen come from the workrooms of Ramone Puig. Ramone made one for me, out of Irish linen, that is sublime.

http://3guysfrommiami.com/guayabera.html

 

[John in Covina]

Say hello to my lil'friend!

 

[resortes805]

They are great! What are really are the Latino influenced hollywood jackets from the 40's and 50's. I'll try and look around for a pic.

 

[Feraud]

who else has 'em?
I love these shirts! My dad gave me two 20+ year old shirts he had and never wore. I like the fancy yet casual look of the shirt. Four pockets to hold everything I need to go out during the warmer months. This is the style of shirt I could wear every day!


I recently found a store that stocks the shirt and decided to get myself a good supply.


I bought 7 in a variety of colors.
These shirts look excellent with a fedora!
So what will you be wearing this Summer?

 

[Nick Charles]

I just got my first one here it is , I havent worn it yet.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

This is me in Puerto Rico with mine last year:



I have several. The one in the photo is linen. These shirts are my preferred summer wear.

 

[spiridon]

I have half a dozen or so in a variety of colors......it is the "Costume de Riguer" along the Gulf Coast in the Summer months.

 

[Twitch]

I've got several. Pefect for Southern California mild weather. I got some of them in Mexico.