Meztizos and Mulatto
Panamanian mestizos(may-STEE-zos) are the descendants of a mixture of indigenous and European ancestry. Approximately 70 percent of the 3,039,150 people in Panama are mestizos or mulattos, those with European and African Heritage. Another 14 percent are Afro-Caribbean, 6 percent are Indigenous, and the remaining 10 percent hail from North America, Europe and Asia. Panamanians form a highly diverse society as they are descended from native peoples and immigrants from all over the world.
Ethnicity is an important social distinction in Panama, yet the Panamanian subcultures have merged to the point that it is now difficult to distinguish individuals as belonging to a particular ethnic group. There is no widespread racial hatred, perhaps because of the widespread mixing or intermingling among the population.
They are fairly conservative and formal in their dress. Panamanians frown on people wearing shorts in public, no matter how hot the weather is. Men occasionally wear shorts for sports, but society considers it inappropriate for women to wear shorts or trousers in public. However there is some leniency in regards to tourists visiting the country.
Within the city, businessmen often dress less formally than their American counterparts. For instance, men often wear a cotton shirt called a guayabera, which is a loose-fitting short sleeved cotton shirt that is not tucked into the trousers. In some professions, such as banking and law, men and women wear lightweight suits.
The national dress for women is the pollera (poh-YEH-rah), a long full dress made from white cotton. Brightly colored embroidery adorns the beautiful dress, and the women wear it for national celebrations, carnivals, and special occasions. The peineta (peh-ee-NEH-tah) is the headpiece that the women wear with the pollera. The peineta consists of veils and large, elaborate combs with dangling ornaments.
The pollera de gala is the "deluxe" version of the pollera and consists of several intricately embroidered petticoats under a full, embroidered skirt. The petticoats and the skirt are made of fine material and lace, and the embroidery, called aderozo (ah-deh-ROH-soh) is colorful. The blouse also has intricate embroidery, and a woman wears it off the shoulders.
The traditional clothing for Panamanian men is the montuno (mohn-TOO-noh). The montuno consists of a white cotton embroidered shirt and short trousers. As part of this traditional garb, men often wear a straw hat called pintado (pin-TAH-doh). This hat has a distinctive curled up brim and black patches on it. The men also wear sandals with this outfit.
(further reading: Cultures of the World "Panama", a book by Susan M. Hassig.)
