| This elegant, comfortable, and cool piece of clothing | | | | number of foreign tourists that were on vacation in |
| has been worn by several generations of Cubans and | | | | the Varadero resort, who began to buy the famous |
| lots of foreigners. Coming with a great acceptance in | | | | linen guayabera, tailor-made, with 23 nacre buttons, in |
| the tropics because it is made of cotton or fine linen, | | | | white or natural colors made with efficiency and skill. |
| it is believed that it was created by the wife of a | | | | This tailor created and combined guayaberas with |
| countryman in the region of Santi Spiritus, Cuba, | | | | casual and smart collars, long and short sleeves, and |
| around 1709; designed actually as a comfortable piece | | | | above all, he eliminated the lists and pleats of fabric |
| of clothing for field labor. Another version tells that it | | | | sewn on the piece of clothing, initiating the tradition |
| was created by a Spanish immigrant from Granada | | | | of sewing directly on the fabric without cuts or extra |
| who, in his tailor shop in that village, sold long shirts | | | | pieces of material. In total, 12 innovations to the |
| with comfy pockets for keeping cigars and pipe | | | | guayabera, born in the Yayabo region, are attributed |
| tobacco. | | | | to the Lebanese tailor. |
| Originally the shirt was known as yayabera because it | | | | The guayabera has become one of the main trends |
| was used in the region near the Yayabo River. As | | | | of international fashion since some years ago. The |
| countrymen used to keep guavas, very abundant in | | | | prices for one piece vary from $24.99 for a cotton |
| the area, in the huge shirt pockets, the name was | | | | guayabera to $135.99 for an Irish linen guayabera, |
| changed for the one we know today: guayabera. It is | | | | and if the piece is made of Egyptian linen it can cost |
| really nice during the summer: fastened up in the | | | | up to $175. It is also a part of the female wardrobe |
| front part with nacre buttons, the same type of | | | | now since some New York female designers of |
| buttons on the four pockets and the cuffs, with the | | | | Cuban origin have created works using its pattern. In |
| sides a little bit open to facilitate the collocation of | | | | Cuba, some souvenir stores and fashion shops offer |
| the machete to one side and a knife to the other. All | | | | it with varied designs, fabrics, and colors. Instead of |
| of these characteristics made for rapid adoption by | | | | suits, the guayabera is the official piece of clothing in |
| the countrymen. | | | | Cuba for all the public acts and it is accepted in |
| However, in the mist of the 20th century, a | | | | almost all places and events that demand etiquette. |
| Lebanese tailor named Said Selman created in | | | | Guayaberas are also produced in Panama, Dominican |
| Cardenas, Matanzas, three new models of the Cuban | | | | Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico; where models and |
| guayabera with seven new designs for the pockets; | | | | styles are less complex, however. They are also |
| changes that revolutionized the piece of clothing | | | | worn in many Asian countries, including Thailand and |
| completely and became the essence of the patterns | | | | the Philippines, where they have embroidery instead |
| commercialized today. Not only had his regular Cuban | | | | of pleats. |
| customers asked for his guayaberas, but also a large | | | | |