What Is Typical Cuban Clothing?
Cuba has been influenced by many cultures including Spain and Africa, so Cuban clothing displays a unique fusion of nations. Because of the hot environment, most Cuban styles are light-weight and casual. While Cubans are largely influenced by dress in Western culture, the guayabera is a traditional Cuban piece of clothing.
A guayabera, also known as a Havana or Cigar shirt, is light-weight, short-sleeve, and it buttons all the way up the front. Guayaberas are worn in a variety of patterns and have either two or four pockets, and they are never tucked in. Men typically wear these shirts with jeans.
Women in Cuba may were long dress versions of guayaberas, but dress for women typically follows that of Western culture. People around the world are familiar with traditional Cuban women’s clothing in the form of rumba dresses. These dresses are adorned with multi-colored and flashy frills, ruffles, and they are worn along with the gele, a traditional African headwrap. A generation of Cuban women are taking the traditional rumba style and transforming it into modern colored dresses and short skirts with a variety of patterns.
For the youth in Cuba, United States fashion and popular brands are symbols of money and social status. They often try to get their hands on materialistic brands of clothing and shoes.