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Perspective view of Church's spire
Close-up of the Conquistador
The Colonial façade
The cavernous interior of the CathedralOther Panamanian Traditional Dress
Besides polleras Panamanians have other traditional garb they wear for fiestas, or other special occasions, sometimes every day. It's not unusual to see men, especially, wearing guayabara shirts to work. They are cool, and dressy at the same time. They usually are light solid pastel colored or white, with plaits and embroidered strips on the front and back of the shirt. Very handsome looking, but a pain to iron, believe me! They also have a similar shirt that has thin blue and white stripes, multicolored buttons and a placate front with a skirted waist. These shirts are typically worn by folklorico dancers and by men on their wedding day. Men may also wear a purse or pouch with a long cord over the shoulder, cross-chest. Many men in Panama wear the sombrero montuno, it is a brimmed hat made of grass fiber that is woven in a pattern. Some of the fibers are dyed to enhance the pattern of the hat. Panama hats are not really Panamanian, they were invented in Ecuador, but like the so-called Panama hats, the finer the weave and lighter the color, the more costly the hat. Montunos cost anywhere from $10-over $200 depending on the quality of the fibers and the design of the weave.
In a traditional Panamanian wedding, the groom rides to pick up the bride on a horse, which they both ride to the church. The groom wears a striped shirt, as described above and a montuno with black pants and shoes. The bride wears a white camisa (blouse), printed skirt, and sandals. The groom carries an umbrella to hold over the bride to protect her from the sun or rain (depending on the time of year).
Camposinos (farmers) generally wear light-colored cloth clothes with fringes and the montuno. They also carry a pouch or purse with a cord over-the-shoulder and cross-chest. Sometimes they wear headbands as well.
One sees men wear traditional clothing more than women. The native, Kuna Yala, Ngobe Bugle women usually wear traditional clothes more than the Latinas.
