What Latino man doesn't own a guayabera shirt? I remember a recent shopping trip with my mom in Miami, when we went to Cubavera because she was looking for a new shirt for my dad. I helped her pick out a new one in a fun print for his Birthday.
Although it's not unusual to see a Latino man rocking one of these traditional shirts, I never expected that I'd see President Barack Obama wearing one of these light-weight tropical shirts. Lucky for us, though, that's exactly what he'll be doing when he attends the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, in mid-April.
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According to reports, famous Colombian designer Edgar Gomez Estevez, who has previously made his fabulous shirts for the likes of people like Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Alejandro Obregon, is busy at work to supply the U.S. president with his own "very different and special" guayaberas.
The well-known designer explains how Obama's shirt will be made:
"[Made out of] linen and 100% natural fibers that originate in a region in France called Normandy, after they will go to Ireland and Poland, so the fibers we will work with will be Irish and Polish. Making a guyabera is not something that can be delegated. All of the embroidery is done by hand. I cut the piece and the borders, and single mothers finish the details by hand, and then we tailor the custom shirt together."
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President Obama is really showing support for the Latino community by embracing this traditional garb. I personally can't wait to see him sporting this shirt. It will be the perfect combination of the president and our own culture. It might even make my dad look cooler next time he wears one. And if Obama trades in Hawaiian shirts (where he was born) for guayaberas, maybe he'll even start a trend. I sure hope so!
What do you think of President Obama wearing a traditional guayabera shirt?
Image via Cubavera
