Notes on a Kid-Sized Guyabera

Sometime this year, my mother-in-law came back from Cancun with a beautiful, pint-sized guyabera shirt for Joey.  Gorgeous.  What to make the boy wear to Uncle Dan´s wedding?  Solved.

Guyaberas are traditional dress shirts for men from coastal areas and elsewhere in the Carribean.  I believe Raul Castro is seen wearing them often.  They´re not meant to be tucked in and made out of linen or cotton to make them extra cool.  Literally--not as in ¨cool¨--like I said, they´re worn in very hot and humid places.   They´re elaborately embroidered and tucked, a real work of art.   I was rather thrilled that Joey has the opportunity to look so dapper at such a young age. 

And apparently the child size 4 shirts are made every bit as authentically as the adult sizes.  When washing Joey´s, I was intrigued that the teeny-tiny pocket actually had a pocket sewn into it.  Not just a mock pocket, as is the case in so many toddler clothes.     

A very long, skinny pocket.  What the heck?  Why is this pocket so long and skinny? 

Of course.  For tucking one´s cigars into one´s guyabera. 

In a child´s size 4 guyabera. 

Can´t say it´s not authentic!

Just to prove how handsome he was in his cigarless guyabera.