We’ve long been told that there are specific kinds of clothing that we should wear for specific occasions. However, there is one kind of garment that defies classification. That garment is the guayabera shirt which can be worn on occasions and at times when it would be inappropriate to wear any other kind of casual or formal shirt. In other words, compared to other kinds of garment it is hard to button down the guayabera shirt. (Sorry, we could not resist the pun.) Need proof? Here are several of the most popular kinds of casual shirt compared with the guayabera shirt. • Oxford Button-Down Shirt: This shirt has been a menswear classic for more than 120 years. The fabric is quite thick compared to other kinds of shirting, much thicker than that of the guayabera shirt. Thus, while the Oxford Button-Down Shirt may be capable of being worn in a variety of situations, it is nowhere near as cooling in the summer. • Flannel shirt: Like the Oxford Button-Down shirt, the flannel shirt is quite thick compared to other kinds of shirting. Indeed, it is meant primarily to be worn during the fall and winter. It would therefore tend to cause the body to retain heat during the summer and spring when cooling is needed. Moreover, one can hardly imagine wearing a flannel shirt on a formal occasion such as can be done with the guayabera shirt. • The Rumpled Linen Shirt: One of the advantages to owing a guayabera shirt is that it is quite easy to pair with different kinds of clothing such as linen pants, sandals, a fedora, etc. The Rumpled Linen Shirt is a breathable shirt too but fashion experts do not suggest matching it with other fabrics made of linen. • Denim Shirt: The best thing that can be said about denim shirts is that they do convey a sense of rugged masculinity but again they would be inappropriate for wear in the summer or on formal occasions. • Hawaiian Shirt: Okay so the Hawaiian shirt can be worn on formal occasions – in Hawaii. Everywhere else the shirt is known only as a casual shirt to be worn on casual occasions unlike the guayabera shirt which is also known as the “Mexican wedding shirt”. As you can see, the guayabera shirt holds its own with just about every other kind of shirt. Therefore, it should be a part of every man’s wardrobe. (We also sell guayabera shirts for kids and guayabera shirts for ladies.)