Do Yourself a Favor, Lose the Shorts
Every night I spot some guy dressed in shorts walking down Panama’s nightlife district, Calle Uruguay. Undoubtedly, he will be an American dressed in some type of khaki or board shorts. Its as if being on vacation means throwing fashion common sense out the window and forgives making a huge fashion faux pas. Perhaps the excuse is that its simply too hot to wear long pants or there is not enough room to pack proper nightlife wear. I empathize with the rationale. Panama is a warm, tropical country and takes some time to get acclimatized and there is never enough room in the suitcase to accommodate proper clothing.
However, the best piece of advice for improving a guy’s chances with Latina women is to lose the shorts! It is a lesson that I learned the hard way.
During my year of traveling through Latin America, my wardrobe was limited to beach and hiking apparel. I did not have dress jeans, dress shoes, or button up shirts. My sex life suffered because of it. Picking up on local girls in beach town and mountain communities in travel clothing was manageable, but in metropolitan cities like Panama City, it was impossible.
I soon realized I needed to change my wardrobe and purchased a few new pieces of clothes. Afterward, my success rate with woman increased. The nicer wardrobe was the difference between rejection or success.
Wearing shorts while going out at night in Panamanian culture, and Latin culture more broadly speaking, is trashy. It invokes all the unattractive images of the “Gringo” stereotype of not having style, rhythm, or love making ability. Going out in shorts in Panama is the equivalent to wearing blue jeans and a stained tee shirt to a formal event, its embarrassing.
On the other hand, by going out in a nice pair of jeans and a nice long sleeve or button up, you project style, status, and wealth. Western girls while traveling are not as concerned with fasion, but to a Latina women dressing with class is critical.
Dressing in shorts while out on the town, says I am a tourist and just passing through Panama. Latina woman are not interested in getting involved sexually with a guy who is only here for a short period of time, then returning to his home country forever. Wearing appropriate nightwear will not change the fact that you are temporarily passing through, but it will disguise it a bit more.
Once you lose the shorts, try on some of these tips the next time you go out:
- Put on a shoe with a heel. Westerns tend to be noticeably taller than Latinos. Women notice it. Give yourself another inch with a nice dress boot to make the height advantage more pronounced.
- Wear an under shirt. Seems counter-intuitive to wear two shirts in a climate that makes you constantly sweat. However, wearing an undershirt will prevent pit-outs and keep you cool.
- Pop those eyes. Green, Hazel, and Blue colored eyes are extremely rare in Panama. Latinos usually only have dark brown eyes, and having another eye color is very exotic. So, wear shirts that pop your eye color.
Incorporate these tactics and become more successful at dating here in Panama.
More about the Author: Read Evan’s Bio
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Mura on Fri, 27th Feb 2009 6:37 am
I am a Latina girl and I think this is one of the best advises I have ever read regarding our taste in men and what we are looking for. Something else I have discover in Panama is that women like to go out with wealthy American, Canadians or European guys so definitely dress to impress and take her to a nice place where you can talk. Loud music spoils the moment.
Good luck to you hunter!!! Make sure you don´t get hunted first…
Mura
Diana on Tue, 3rd Mar 2009 6:58 am
Don’t mean to distract from the subject…but you might as well impress a Latina by using correct French.
Since I am a French speaker I must correct you on the “faux paux” you used in the introductory paragraph. It can be “faut pas” (from “IL faut pas”, which means don’t do it, “pas” being a negation here). It can also be “faux pas” which literally means false or faulty step. French speakers sometimes play with these two expressions because they both sound the same way and mean more or less the same thing, yet use totally different words and grammatical structure.
Good luck and always, always be a gentleman! After all, the word comes from the French “gentilhomme” used in the past in France and meaning a nice, well meaning man !
Diana on Tue, 3rd Mar 2009 7:17 am
It’s funny though… I must go back to the content of this article. You really think women in general and especially Latina women are that shallow and stupid? 99% of women regardless of their culture are looking for security and yes, true love. So, it’s either your money or your money AND your overall behavior. Losing the shorts is no enough. Adding heals is gross. You must walk the right way, talk the right way, be generous without overdoing it and make them feel really good. And you must do it effortlessly, that is, by being yourself, not by looking like a foreign puppett wearing a buttoned shirt, high heals and contacts and trying desperately to impress. Very entertaining article!
))
roberto on Fri, 1st May 2009 9:05 am
Exactly the reason I decided not to move to Panama. It is the year 2009, not 1950.
I’m taking my money, my shorts and my more relaxed behavior elsewhere where it is appreciated.
You may not think so but too bad for Panama.
Stay cool!
Karla on Tue, 14th Jul 2009 5:55 pm
LOL, so funny and true, let me tell you as a latina living in the USA and contemplating to move to Panama…I agree with the wardrove stereotype…I live in Ft. Lauderdale FL and I still see shorts in the downtown streets (even though guys are not allowed in the nightclubs in shorts they are allowed to roam the streets looking for a pray. lol)I agree about dress to impress. No about being shallow but more about taking some pride in grooming and looking good on a night out. Imagine what that person (man or woman) is going to look once you marry them if they dress like that going to a downtown area or nightclub. Yikes!
John Tuttle on Tue, 28th Jul 2009 10:28 am
My wife is latina. I always dress casually, a la Gingo. Even for a small thing like going to a nearby pharmacy for a pack of gum, for example, she will dress to the nines. For them dress is a big deal, it is everything. Just as in a fine restaurant, presentation is everything. My attitude is that most of the people I meet along the way I will never see again, and furthermore, the clothes I wear say nothing about who or what I am. Hell, my gardiner dresses better than I am. Is it superficial on their part, perhaps, but I think it is more likely ingrained in the culture that permeates latin america. Part of it is glorification of the characters in Novelas where everyone dreams and aspires to be a few social classes higher than they are. An analogy perhaps is best put like a siloquay from Shakespere “Out out brief candle, life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that sturts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more.
The Do's and Don'ts of Panama Dating | Eye On Panama on Sun, 1st Nov 2009 1:11 pm
[...] 1. Don’t wear shorts. Always dress-to-impress when going out with a Panamanian female. See article. [...]
Russ on Wed, 2nd Jun 2010 1:44 pm
Agreed, I actually like the fact people take care in their appearance here… although I still do resort to shorts sometimes, but only for shopping or of course going to the beach
Samantha on Wed, 2nd Jun 2010 1:48 pm
hahahah ..is soo funny but true!! im a panamanian living in the US and yes is the way it is shots are NO, NO, at night time day time ok…night time , no!! i married a handsome gringo and now he knows better!!!
Robert Bogdanovich on Wed, 2nd Jun 2010 1:58 pm
Dressing nice while in the city day or night shows respect for your self and others around you. Don’t be an ass by thinking that you are still in your local beach town in the U.S because you are not, you are in Panama City. Even though it is hot stop being a lazy gringo and put on your pants, shoes and button down…..All right you are all grown up now…….now we can to business and party!!!!!
Monalisa on Wed, 15th Sep 2010 10:06 am
John Tuttle: Rock on by bringing in the Bard!
Shakespeare. Soliloquy. Struts.
Sorry. Theatre and spelling nerd in me.
Jamell on Tue, 30th Nov 2010 9:26 am
Nice Article. I will go to Panama next month and I think about my clothes. Sure, in my Country (Switzerland), I’m well dressed. But many people here says to me, that I have to look, that I don’t attract attention in the night-life, because of the criminal situation.. What can you advise me? Being well dressed and potentially at risk, or should i leave my chemises at home?
kind regards
Panama’s Price Discrimination (and 10 ways to fight it) on Thu, 2nd Dec 2010 10:47 am
[...] to get rambunctious when I party. The only component missing to round out the stereotype is the Hawaiian shirt, a pair of cargo shorts and cheap sandals. Basically, I pay more for every good or service solely because I am a [...]