Get To Know Dos Carolinas
Weddings
Weddings are a Dos Carolinas specialty. Outfitting the guys in the wedding party in smartly coordinating guayaberas sets a tone that is properly romantic and elegant, just more relaxed than traditional tuxedos.
Caroline adds, “once the wedding theme is established, we often get orders for matching shirts from the women in the party, who love the ease and tropical style.”
Fiesta's & Beyond
High season for individual orders begins “the first warm weekend in February” in South Texas, and continues well past Labor Day. San Antonio’s spring Fiesta season is made for guayaberas, They dress up shorts and dress down khakis – perfect for the city-wide party vibe and early summer heat.
Even if you don’t visit Fiesta you can celebrate with a Dos Carolinas’ shirt. We celebrate every holiday with a guayabera, from 4th of July to the Holiday season we can make the party shirt for your event.
Our Process
The Dos Carolinas guayabera’s “secret sauce” is its unique marriage of classic, Latin-flavored good looks and high-quality natural fabrics.
According to Caroline, “a little market research among our friends revealed that men did want an all-cotton, casual shirt. It is so much cooler than synthetic blends in our climate. And, a man who is used to a cotton dress shirt doesn’t want to put on anything else after work.” The guayabera is an essential part of summer dressing in South Texas and beyond.
Transcending fad and fashion, each Dos Carolinas guayabera is made to order from a large range of classic menswear shirtings - cotton, linen, even the preppie standby, seersucker. Lately, clients have inspired Caroline to offer updated versions of the classic shirt in unusual patterns - for example, the hunting guayabera in traditional camouflage pattern. Then there’s the cheeky “mudflap camo,” derived from the cut-out cutie of trucking culture – as well as elegant, contemporary prints.
“If anyone tells you men don’t like to shop, they haven’t come here,” she asserts. “They get very creative and are very aware of the fabric..” The classic design, with two pin-tucked borders and four pockets can also be ordered with intricate embroidery, and short or long sleeves, depending on season or occasion. Each shirt takes 7 to 10 weeks at a minimum.
It takes time to do a proper fitting and choose colors, fabric, and construction details for a custom guayabera. “But, our client gets exactly what he wants, it fits perfectly, and it’s a completely unique item.” Caroline sees its growing popularity as part of a trend towards more personalization, beyond just a monogram. “It is a shirt that says, ‘this is me, and there’s nothing else like it.’”
Our Designer
Caroline Matthews personifies creative energy.
In the early days of Dos Carolinas, Caroline did most of the work herself, from designing unique guayaberas to sewing pristine pin-tucks.
With 30+ years of experience, she still does fittings for clientele and personally sees to the day-to-day operations of the workroom. Caroline is still the beating heart of Dos Carolinas, and demand for her bespoke casual shirts is booming. In addition Dos Carolinas now offers a selection of ready made guayaberas.