Chacabanas

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,069
6,216
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South Coast
I happen to really like the look of chacabanas, even though Mr. AE doesn't own any and has no plans to. I thought some of you might enjoy this article:

The chacabana highlights the elegance

Santo Domingo
The Caribbean has a favorable climate to wear cool, comfortable clothes that, of course, make us look elegant. For the aforementioned, the chacabana fulfills that special function, both in male and female clothing.

Francisco Rodríguez, president of the Association of Artisans of Chacabanas of the Dominican Republic (Achadom), says that the chacabana left Baní for Cuba in the 19th century, specifically when Máximo Gómez joined the army to fight for the independence of that Caribbean nation.

"This brother country accepted it as its national pledge," says Rodriguez, known as El Pharaoh. This was confirmed by Euclides Gutiérrez Félix, who in turn received valuable information from the late folklorist and researcher Fradique Lizardo.

Rodríguez said that since 1992 he has been working on making this garment that is part of Dominican fashion and culture. In that sense, he stressed that this represents the evolution of the military guerrilla shirt.

"At that time, the military was the best dressed, because the people dressed in shirts tied at the waist; It is also well known that the people wear the costumes of their leaders. This caused the garment to mass in the gentlemen's closet. "

In which events take it?
Rodríguez says that the chacabana can be used for baptisms, work breakfasts or for a meeting scheduled for the first hours of the morning.

Flax and cotton are the appropriate textures for the day. Also, they can be worn at weddings in the morning, outdoors, on the beach or in other spaces with similar characteristics.

"This piece does not have the rigidity of the formal suit; At the same time, it has the advantage that it is very comfortable and versatile, "he explains.

To use it with jeans, Rodríguez recommends that they be made with drakes. Its use is allowed until 3:00 in the afternoon. If it is dress pants with casimires, it can be worn all day.

The most appropriate fabrics for the night are Irish, Spanish, Italian and Indian linen, since, according to the designer, they are ideal for festive occasions.

Elegant and versatile
"Before, it was thought that chacabana was a piece for older men, however, that perception changed because young people also use it on different occasions," says Rodríguez.

In addition, the confection, although it maintains its essence, has varied in some details that make it more youthful and adapted to the taste of avant-garde men and women.

The objective of Achadom, an entity that Rodríguez presides over, is to promote the technical-professional training of its associates and improve the country's design and clothing services.

computer translated from: https://www.listindiario.com/la-vida/2017/12/02/493193/la-chacabana-resalta-la-elegancia
 

Caonabo

LIFE IS GOOD
Sep 27, 2017
7,339
2,949
113
Clean. Class. Style. All words which describe the Chacabana. A timeless classic, which is welcomed everywhere.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,315
3,122
113
The best ones are made by Hipólito Peña. I think he still has his store on Tiradentes in the capital.
 

bigbird

Gold
May 1, 2005
7,375
163
0
Chacabanas, Guayabera, and Mexican Wedding Shirt one and the same? Si?

I agree with you AE they are really nice shirts and not cheap if you get a really good quality one.
 

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
4,698
2,459
113
Purchased one for my spouse for a baptism (we were padrino/madrina). Wore it that one time and never again. Just a classic look on man IMO.
 

Farmer

Antiguo
Dec 2, 2003
229
96
28
Yeah, timeless. Pitched half the stuff I arrived on the island with and switched to these. Even make a gringo look good.