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Clothing in Nicaragua

Nicaraguans take pride in their appearance and will make sure their clothes are clean, even if they only have one or two outfits. Traditional Nicaraguan clothing includes a simple loose white shirt and long pants for men, with or without embroidery, a straw hat, and bandanna. Women wore embroidered dresses with full skirts, and some kind of kerchief [...]

Nicaraguans take pride in their appearance and will make sure their clothes are clean, even if they only have one or two outfits.

Traditional Nicaraguan clothing includes a simple loose white shirt and long pants for men, with or without embroidery, a straw hat, and bandanna. Women wore embroidered dresses with full skirts, and some kind of kerchief or adornment for their hair.

Today many Nicaraguans wear the same clothes as in other parts of the world. There are many used clothing stores called Ropa Americana, which sell used clothing from the USA. Men wear short sleeved or light long sleeved shirts and long pants. Women wear long pants and short sleeved shirts or skirts or dresses that go down to the knee. In the countryside women tend to dress more conservatively, but if going out at night in Managua expect to see tight skirts and low cut tops. Shorts are not commonly worn.

Travelers to Nicaragua should remember that the sun can be quite strong in Nicaragua and are advised to dress in lightweight clothes and to bring a hat. One of the best ways to protect against mosquitoes is by wearing protective clothing that covers your body, like long sleeved shirts and long pants. Good hiking boots are useful if you plan to climb up any volcanoes. While Nicaraguans are used to seeing backpackers wearing stained shorts and dirty shirts, if you hope to be taken seriously it is best to do what locals do and make an effort to keep clean.

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Filed under: Clothing, Nicaragua

About the Author:

After traveling on her own for three or four years, Chaya met up with Wade Shepard, the editor of VagabondJourney.com. They were married in 2009, and continue to travel the world together with their young daughter. From time to time Chaya blogs about family travel and life on the road. has written 102 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.

Chaya Shepard is currently in: Xiamen, China

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