LocoStyle Guayabera Blog

For centuries individuals or societies have used clothes and other body adornment as a form of nonverbal communication to indicate occupation, rank, gender, sexual availability, locality, class, wealth and group affiliation. Fashion is a form of free speech. It not only embraces clothing, but also accessories. What we wear and how and when we wear it, provides others with a shorthand to subtly read the surface of a social situation.

How we perceive the beauty or ugliness of our bodies is dependant on cultural attitudes to physiognomy. In many cultures, those defining fashion are the cultural icons. This is why newspapers and magazines report on what celebrities and even politicians are wearing.

Examining who is wearing what through print media dates as far back as to even the 1700s. People pored over fashion magazines to see the latest styles. Women and dressmakers outside the French court relied on sketches to see what was going on. The famous French King Louis XIV said that fashion is a mirror. Louis himself was renowned for his style, which tended towards extravagant laces and velvets.

We are constantly being bombarded with new fashion ideas from music, videos, books, and television. Movies also have a big impact on what people wear.

Sociologists believe group affiliation is our prime concern with regard to fashion. As long as some group similarity is identified within the group, our personal fashion whether current or dated can belong to any tribe. It is the sense of belonging marked by how we fashion ourselves that gives us the tribal connection.

At the same time, we as human beings desire differentiation. People are often socially and economically labeled by their clothing or fashion. In history, the Edwardians were socially stratified into those who wore tailor made clothing down to those who wore other people’s cast offs. The poor simply looked poor, because their raiment betrayed them. The rich and nouveau riche displayed their wealth through an iconography of signs and symbols that enhanced their body image in the eyes of those that saw themselves as socially inferior.

Today, the purchase of fashionable clothes, fabrics, or accessories becomes a visual currency and can speak to one’s status. People are so aware of the fact that others make judgments about them through their clothes and accessories that many run up huge debts to appear to belong to a particular lifestyle. Only individuals with a strong sense of self-identity stick their necks out and admit to wearing items that others might consider dubious or passé.

In reality, there are many reasons we wear what we wear.

* Protection from cold, rain and snow: mountain climbers wear high-tech outerwear to avoid frostbite and over-exposure.
* Physical attraction: many styles are worn to inspire “chemistry.”
* Emotions: we dress “up” when we’re happy and “down” when we’re upset.
* Religious expression: Orthodox Jewish men wear long black suits and Islamic women cover every part of their body except their eyes.
* Identification and tradition: judges wear robes, people in the military wear uniforms, brides wear long white dresses.

The fact is, fashion is big business. More people are involved in the buying, selling and production of clothing than any other business in the world. Everyday, millions of workers design, sew, glue, dye, and transport clothing to stores. Ads on buses, billboards and magazines give us ideas about what to wear, consciously, or subconsciously. Choosing what we wear may be more complex in nature to ourselves than we imagined, ask yourself – why determines your fashion?

Cory Davis is the President of LocoStyle, Inc., a leading provider of high quality men’s, women’s and children’s guayabera shirts, also known as Mexican wedding shirts. For more information and to browse a wide selection of guayaberas, please visit http://www.locostyle.com.

Linen is one of the most comfortable fabrics you can buy. It also requires a little extra care to own, this is due to the fact it is made from the flax plant, which produces long fibers from its stalk. These natural “yarns” are what wick moisture away from the skin to help create the fabric’s light, airy feeling. The drawback, however, is that the “breathing” fibers are quite stiff. Once they bend, they stay bent, and the result is linen’s trademark wrinkles. Even more frustrating is that the more you sweat, the more the fabric wrinkles.

Before washing any clothing, it is important to look at the label to view the manufacturers care recommendations. Although linen may be laundered with great results, the garment label will take in account any special instructions that may be necessary for the particular item you want to wash. Some garments may include different fabric types used for their lining, or some may be a blend of linen with another type of fabric. If the label says it’s best to dry clean the garment, it would be wise to follow this advice.

Typically linen shirts and pants can be machine-washed in a gentle cycle in warm water. Of course it is preferable if you hand-wash your linen or have it dry-cleaned. Repeated hand or machine washings make linen soft, thereby eventually reducing wrinkling, while dry cleaning keeps it crisp and new looking.

To hand-wash a linen item, place it in a small tub with warm water and soap suds. Rub the linen in the mix and then pull it out of the tub. When it comes to stains, the treatment really depends on the source of the stain, but the general method is to rub immediately with cold water (which prevents the stain from setting in), or letting the garment soak in laundry detergent. Rubbing the stain with white vinegar, or sprinkling some talcum powder on the stain while letting the garment lay flat overnight, have also been proven to work. If the stain is oil based, it is usually best to let the dry cleaners do the work for you. If you choose to use a stain remover or treatment product, it is safest to test an inconspicuous area of the garment with the product first. Apply the product and let it sit for at least 5 minutes and then rinse. If you notice no color change, then proceed, using the product directly on the stain. After using the stain remover, rinse the garment and launder as usual. Remember that some stains just can’t be removed.

Once you’re done hand- or machine-washing, air-dry the linen garment. You can then iron it, or wear it as is.

It’s in linen’s best interest to never see the inside of a dryer. Ideally, you should let a freshly washed linen garment air-dry, whether by laying it flat on a towel or hanging it from a padded wooden hanger.

If you’re ironing linen, do so on a high setting, while the garment is still damp. The dampness guards against burning the linen; the fabric dries quite fast. Iron first on the inside of the garment to remove wrinkles, and then on the outside to create a nice sheen. Also, be sure to iron until the linen is smooth , not dry. When it’s to your liking, begin air-drying. As well, avoid folding your linen items; hanging is preferable.

And if you wear a linen suit or pants regularly, get in the habit of always pulling your pants up from the knees before you sit down. This keeps the fabric stiff between your knees and waist, and avoids the excess wrinkling in the crotch area that can be brought on by sitting, slouching and so on.

By simply caring for your linen clothing in the proper manner, you will be able to enjoy wearing your garments for many years to come.

Cory Davis is the President of LocoStyle, Inc., a leading provider of high quality men’s, women’s and children’s guayabera shirts, also known as Mexican wedding shirts. For more information and to browse a wide selection of guayaberas, please visit http://www.locostyle.com.