If while on vacation in Cuba you want to dress like a Cuban, there are same essential steps you should not omit, even though you should be aware that there is no way in which you could blend in – foreign travelers walk differently-, so if your goal is to look like a Cuban, you have your work cut out for you. This I can assure you, since I have already traveled more than 20 times to the island and like to notice these cultural differences.
It is important for you to know that, just like in any other country, the way of dressing will depend on the economic status and the place where people live. In Cuba, people at Havana’s El Vedado neighborhood dress differently from those from other neighborhoods and other towns in the country.
Cubans dress very casually, buy they are always well-groomed, so in your tours of Havana you will be able to dress comfortably and modestly, but you should not forget to pay attention to details. For example, combining colors with no fear of wearing great contrasts with outfits that have mismatching print.
If you are in Cuba during the summer, heat can be suffocating. This is why it is recommended that you wear light clothes on your tours. Even though it would be better if, instead of shorts, you used fresh pants. So on your trip to Cuba it is preferable that you don’t pack lots of top brand clothes; just bring a pair of jeans, shorts, t-shirts, and something more formal or elegant –without overdoing it- for the evenings.
The kind of clothing people wear in cuba
Don’t forget to bring some warm clothes, since both in the plane and in certain restaurants, buses, etc., the air conditioning can be freezing, and you can even fall ill due to the large changes in temperature.
The things that set foreigners apart in Cuba are our Velcro sandals; that typical summer footwear that we take, that is also appropriate for short trekking outings, and that you can’t find in Cuba, which makes a Cuban wearing this piece of clothing a rare sighting.
Personally, I have the theory that by looking at the shoes, you will learn about the economic status of the person before you, and in many occasions, about the country he/she is coming from.
Since many years ago, jeans –also called ‘pitusas’– are a piece of clothing Cubans always wear which are everyone’s favorite, no matter the age or sex. But nowadays there is a new trend among Cuban women, with no exceptions, which is the use of Spandex in various colors and prints. They are commonly worn with large blouses or short dresses.
Another item that is recommended for your tour in Cuba is having light and bright colors among your travel wardrobe, since no matter the place, time or weather, Cubans always dress in vivid colors, flowers and sequin. This sparkly outfit trend seems to have passed around 2014; they are fashion trends that arrive in Cuba, as was the case of clothes with the Playboy brand back in the day. Having the flag of England on shirts, bags and others also used to be a widespread trend.
Nowadays, in 2016, fashion is growing increasingly European in Cuba, even though people still wear flashy colors a lot.
Webs with more information about tours and photo tours to Cuba (led by Louis Alarcon)
“Locally Sourced Cuba” Travel Agency
US Travelers (people to people)
Photographing Cuba Project – Portfolio
Videos about these photo tours
Touristic video documentary on Cuba.
Email: photographingcuba@gmail.com
Web : www.photographingcuba.com
Hey dear, Thanka a lot for sharing such great stuff with us. I have got some useful tips and ideas in your post. Yes, I said well and I found the same information in somewhere else “If you are in Cuba during the summer, heat can be suffocating. This is why it is recommended that you wear light clothes on your tours. Even though it would be better if, instead of shorts, you used fresh pants. So on your trip to Cuba, it is preferable that you don’t pack lots of top brand clothes; just bring a pair of jeans, shorts, t-shirts, and something more formal or elegant –without overdoing it- for the evenings.” Hope this post will help me a lot.