May 05, 2006
GUAYABERAS!!! (Updated)
I love wearing guayaberas. Long sleeve, short sleeve. Cotton, linen. Drill 100. Any color imaginable. I wear them with dress pants or jeans. There's just nothing quite like the feel of a good guayabera on a breezy tropical summer afternoon. I even wore one for my August wedding, as did all the men in attendance.
Traditionally, the Cuban guayaberas were made strictly for men, but there are a few designs - based on the classic men's guayabera - out there for women. These women's guayaberas are nice, but they haven't quite captured the elegance - both casual and formal - of the classic men's guayabera. Until now.
One enterprising Cuban-American woman with a talent for design and an understanding of the guayabera's history has taken the classic men's guayabera design and created a line of beautiful, classy and elegant guayaberas for women.
Meet Debra Torres of Debra Torres Designer Guayabera Shirts. Creator and maker of fine women's Cuban guayaberas and a proud sponsor of Babalú at this year's Cuba Nostalgia Convention:
"At the core of who I am are my Cuban heritage and my love of mixing up different styles: the sophisticated with the sexy, what is considered youthful with what is considered mature...I blended the two together to design a shirt collection with Latin flare for the modern, sophisticated woman who want to look and feel young and who knows that one can be sexy without beign obvious.My understanding of style is something innate that I inherited from my mother and grandmother, for whom dressing up and looking glamorous were not trivial matters. It has only grown and developed with each of my aesthetic encounters and cultural experiences."
Debra has been kind enough to sponsor Babalú for Cuba Nostalgia by donating a beautiful guayabera or two to be raffled off here on the blog.
Now, I havent been able to find anything on the net to facilitate a tombola - a raffle - via the internet. This may actually be the first raffle ever run on the blog so here are the rules:
- Each entry will cost $10. If you pay via Paypal, type in "Debra Torress Guayabera" on the comments area of the Paypal process and your receipt will serve as your tombola ticket and please drop a line in the comments section stating you donated via Paypal. If you prefer to pay via check, just post your first name and last name initial and location in the comments section and email me with your information. We're on the honor system. Once I receive your email, it will serve as your tombola ticket. If you are purchasing more than one ticket, no need to login and out of paypal three times. I ll print out the appropriate number of tickets for you.
- The winning ticket will be chosen on Monday, May 8th, and I will post a video of the process for fairness.
- The winner gets the Debra Torres Guayabera of his or her choice, sent to them directly from the designer.
Now, I know Mother's Day is just around the corner (I was actually supposed to run this Tombola two weeks ago but hadnt had the time) and summer is quickly approaching. What better way for you men out there to surprise your wife or girfriend or daughter or mother than with a beautiful and elegant and classically styled Cuban guayabera? Just in time for those romantic summer evenings.
Besides, you'll be helping me gather funds for the convention to boot. And you men out there will score some serious points with your better half.
Good luck all!
Just click on the Paypal button and get your ticket instantly:
Update: It's Friday folks, and that means today is "San Cheque" so please buy a tombola ticket. It's only a tenspot and you could win one of the awesome women's guayaberas of your choice shown in the links above.
So far we have:
Julio Z. - two tickets (Trying for them brownie points, eh , Julio?)
Panabana-na - One ticket
Chantel - two tickets
Julio P - one tickets (The Julio's are bucking for them points I tell ya!)
Alberto Q - one ticket (Pa' comer caliente, Alberto?)
Maribel P - Three tickets (Babalu officially thanks the three of you)
La Cheerleader - Two tiquecitos (TGIF)
Mario G - three tickets (A few brownie points go a long way.)
Orlando C - FIVE tickets (orlando, are you trying to buy your way out of the dog house or something? Que hicistes, mi hermano?)
Celsa E. - two tickets
Ari M. - two teekets
Robert G - Three tickets (Boy, lots men vying for them brownie points, huh?)
That's just ten twelve a few tickets sold, folks. Come on now, remember it's San Cheque. Buy at ticket, help Babalu out.
Posted by Val Prieto at May 5, 2006 07:20 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.babalublog.com/cgi-bin/mt/hut.cgi/3284
Comments
Put me down for two "tickets," Val.
The funds will be forthcoming by regular mail, unless I figure out the technical vagaries of the Paypal thingiemajig first.
Don't forget that last year I wrote a story for Bablublog.com on "Guayaberas at CubaNostalgia," profusely illustrated with photos of some of the individuals I interviewed. I was in the process of updating it with some background info on the guayabera.
Do you want me to send it to you again?
Julio
Posted by: Jzangroniz ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.babalublog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 5, 2006 09:13 AM
Oops!
My apologies!
I thought the above message was a private e-mail.
Thank I didn't resort to vulgarities!
Julio
Posted by: Jzangroniz at May 5, 2006 09:15 AM
Sorry, again.
The last line in my apology note was supposed to read: Thank God I didn't resort to vulgarities!
That's what happens when I try to make sense before I've had my first sip of Cuban coffee.
I should be wide awake any time now.
Julio
Posted by: Jzangroniz at May 5, 2006 09:17 AM
I already sent the money via paypal, but forgot to right my name...it is in my email address though :)
I like those guayaveras...it looks like they define your shape and won't make you look boxy-
So, what are the dates for Cuba Nostalgia... I'm taking baby Eric to meet my abuela, so I might as well time that trip just right ;)
Posted by: nurian at May 5, 2006 09:26 AM
sorry about the "right" ... I meant "write" LOL!!!
I can't believe I did that- ja! ja!
Posted by: nurian at May 5, 2006 09:27 AM
I signed up for two tickets on paypal. But like the previous poster, I don't remember writing my name anywhere. It's in my email, too. Great idea. Hope you make a mint on the tombola!
Posted by: yucababy at May 5, 2006 09:41 AM
Nurian,
CubaNostalgia is scheduled for Friday, May 19 through Sunday, May 21.
Looking forward to seeing you, your hubbie, the beautiful Isabella and the new sprout!
Julio
Posted by: Jzangroniz at May 5, 2006 09:42 AM
OK - recibi un big hint from the Mrs so entered via your friend PagaSocio.
Posted by: Alberto-Q at May 5, 2006 11:24 AM
Eeeeek!!! for a second there I read click on the papaya button and almost fell off my chair!!
Posted by: La Ventanita at May 5, 2006 11:29 AM
Please pardon my sublime ignorancia, but can someone tell me how one goes about opening an account with Paypal?
I clicked on the donation link, but I didn't see anything that would seem to apply to non-members.
Here's a frightening thought: Is *everyone* else in the world already a member and I'm in the minority yet AGAIN... this time a minority of ONE?
What a horrible thought!
Help, someone!
Julio
Posted by: Jzangroniz at May 5, 2006 02:54 PM
No 'pa comer caliente - 'pa que no me den leña.
Posted by: Alberto-Q at May 5, 2006 02:55 PM
Alberto,
OMG I almost choked from laughing. te la comistes.
Posted by: Val Prieto at May 5, 2006 03:02 PM
I'm down for 2. Just donated. =)
Posted by: AmandaD at May 6, 2006 08:56 AM
Hi Val, I just bought two raffle tickets and am also donating two Irish linen guayaberas for men to help your cause. Maybe you didn't know that but I'm a guayabera importer. So now you have two for women and two for men. Right now I have M-L-XL sizes available in assorted colors but nothing in small or XX. Let me know when you need them.
Posted by: therealcuba at May 6, 2006 10:56 AM
I bought one Friday afternoon.
Posted by: Scott at May 6, 2006 12:21 PM
Val, please put me down for two tickets, I'll pay by regular mail, or in person next week. Which ever you prefer. Hope you feel better soon. Ziva
Posted by: Ziva at May 9, 2006 12:07 PM
Z- Paypal is great as long as you don't forget your password. I've been trying to retrieve my password for months without success. It's a bitch.
Posted by: Ziva at May 9, 2006 12:10 PM
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)
