Guayabera Style Guide

What you complement a guayabera with is as important as your choice of a guayabera. The wrong combination could look awful, as the guayabera is not a western form of clothing. It is easy to go wrong with your normal preferences and taste. This article covers everything you will need to know, from colors to design to the choice of accessories, and even footwear. Read this first before buying anything.

Headwear

Let’s start from the top. A Panama hat looks very good with a guayabera. Other straw hats are fine too. Work with your budget and what is available. Straw hats are comfortable and lightweight, suitable for all warm weather. They are also surprisingly durable. You may add a band round the hat and other items like a feather.

Colors

A vibrant shirt usually works for all outdoor events. For formal occasions, a plain guayabera with two pockets will do. Loose and baggy works for casual, but for formal stuff, get your shirt tailored for a closer fit.

If the Shoe Fits

For casual occasions, a simple pair of loafers will be the most comfortable. Hush Puppies or Dockers will do. Sandals and footwear that are not shoes are fine too if it is a casual event. It is not a good idea to wear shoes where there is sand or where you are going to encounter water.

Unbuttoning the Guayabera

The guayabera is meant to look casual. Unbutton a top button. This complements the look and helps a lot if the climate is extremely hot. In such countries, the top button is usually undone for ventilation.

The Right Material

Irish linen is probably the best for working guayabera. Popular in Texas, it has antibacterial properties and gets softer over time. They also keep moisture away. Cotton tops are the most comfortable and is readily available. However, since it absorbs a lot of moisture don’t wear it if you are going to sweat. Polyester and polycotton are probably the cheapest. These are your wear and tear guayaberas, those you expect to replace the most often. Polyester is good when you don’t like to do ironing as it is anti-crease.

Sateen deserves special mention as it is probably the most ideal material. Modern-day clothes usually mix sateen to repel and not absorb moisture. Sateen is an easy material to wash. You can just wash it at home without concerns of damaging your shirt. Ironing it likewise is not a problem. Sateen, however, might not be cheap.

Ultimately the guayabera is a more easy or lazy choice of a shirt to mix with other items of clothing and accessories. The only bad aspect of the guayabera is it can only be worn in warm weather. But that is the same for most forms of clothing. You do not have to think of fabric damage, special ironing, or special form of doing any laundry. The guayabera suits all occasions and is an interesting mix to your normal western style of dressing and clothing. Buy one today.