Guayabera: A Cuban Garment

Guayabera, that elegant and fresh article of clothing, is as Cuban as palm trees, nearly a symbol of Cuban identity, but unfortunately as time goes by it’s not quite present in the wardrobe of Cuban men.

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Guayaberas feature four pockets and they are spruced up with lines of tucks: two on the front and three on the back. It used to be white, with long sleeves and 27 buttons, lightly fitted in the waist. Years later the back canesi ended in three points that represented the beginning of the same number of tuck lines.

Nowadays, the guayabera has changed in terms of the structure, material and color. They can be embroidered and frayed, with more or less tucks and buttons, but it is the same elegant, fresh and Cuban-hearted article of clothing.

A substitute of chamarreta and country shirts, guayabera was born in Sancti Spiritus.
After the 1950s it was not only made of thread, but cotton. The making process was simplified. It was no longer white, sleeves are not always long.

It has now reborn in its hometown Sancti Spiritus and it’s showcased at the Museum of Guayabera, where such figures as Fidel Castro, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Hugo Chavez, among many others, enrich the exhibited collection.

Guayaberas are well known throughout Latin America and they have been popularized by Joseito Fernandez, Benny More and Compay Segundo, who took them around the world.