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Dress code?

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Wannaretire
  9/30/2015 13:36 EST

My husband and I will be traveling in Panama starting October 15th. I have read that in PC you never wear shorts. Is this true? I certainly don't want to offend anyone and want to respect the local customs. Is this also the case in the smaller towns? We are renting a car and driving to Boquette where we will be staying at The Cottage By The River. Anxiously looking forward to attending the Tuesday Market. Any tips anyone can give would be greatly appreciated.

panamajames
  9/30/2015 14:09 EST

I wear shorts all the time in Panama City. I bring long pants for going into some Government offices only. Maybe church on Sunday. Not necessary however........We have many river overflows in October, our heavy rainy month. Don't live too close to the river. E-mail me if you want info about Boquete and area. Been in this district for 10 years off and on.

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Panama2017
  9/30/2015 14:23 EST

I suggest that you wear whatever you feel comfortable in. However, I don't see many Panamanians wearing shorts in Panama City. It's a good way to silently announce that you are an expat.

lapapuja
  9/30/2015 17:40 EST

Panama City is accustomed to people from all over the world visiting so whatever you usually wear is probably fine.

panamajames
  9/30/2015 18:17 EST

People will be able to detect right away if you are an expat, and most likely, from what country you are from. The idea that you will be identified as a target because you wear shorts, is ridiculous. Maybe you are a tourist. There are more tourists from Venezuela and Colombia, than from North America. I have good friends that are Venezuelans who live in shorts.......

Inpanama
  9/30/2015 18:20 EST

The only place these days that seem to require a level of formality are the government offices. If you are going to any ministry or government office, shorts aren't allowed and women are supposed to wear blouses with sleeves (although I have seen many Panamanian women in sleeveless tops!). Other than that, dress for comfort.

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travlur
  9/30/2015 22:02 EST

You will LOVE Cottage by the River. We have stayed there on two occasions. Barbara and Mort and their dog Maggie are all super friendly, and the casita and gardens are gorgeous. It's a great place to stay right in town and fall asleep to the babbling river.

Panama2017
  9/30/2015 23:25 EST

PanamaJames, not everyone is easily identifiable as expats...we're not. Most people assume we are locals. But you misinterpreted my message. I am not stating that being an expat marks you as a target...I don't buy in to the victim mentality. But the truth is that you don't see many folks walking around Panama City in shorts, and that's a fact. Also I must point out that not all expats are from North America... certainly your Venezuelan friends are also expats.

capforfun
  10/1/2015 08:31 EST

Totally agree. My wife and I have traveled all over the world and have always tried to blend in as much as possible.

Do I believe the locals will think we are from there, no (pretty hard in Asia) but when you are dealing with locals if you blend in, as opposed to sticking out like a sore thumb they will, even if it is subliminal, be more welcoming.

lapapuja
  10/1/2015 17:05 EST

I am going to disagree with one answer from 2017. I am out on the streets every weekday. If you don't count work uniforms, at least a third of the people I see are wearing shorts. If you want to talk about age groups then that is another matter. I take the bus and the Metro so I see a big cross section of the locals. Also wondering how one would know that most people would think you are a local?

Panama2017
  10/1/2015 17:48 EST

We assume people think we are local when they walk up to us and start asking a question, usually directions, in Spanish. Also, we look like locals. Especially my husband looks Panamanian having similar coloring and features.

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Travelocity
  10/1/2015 18:02 EST

I agree with lapapula. dress code is all subject to what you want to accomplish. go to work? go to the bank? go chill and walk on streets? go to the mall? you will always see people on uniforms of the place they work on. I would suggest dress a little nice when going to a nice restaurant. shorts are used by people. grils have started to use shorts on weekends I have seen. shorts are getting smaller too.

Panama2017
  10/1/2015 18:11 EST

Maybe that's it lapapuja...I am comparing attire of others in my age group.

lapapuja
  10/2/2015 07:12 EST

Yes, age makes a difference for sure. I don't even own a pair of shorts myself. In my age group one would not often see a woman in shorts. If you do it is almost always a North American. Panama has a very diverse population. People came from all over the world many years ago and more are coming. What does a Panamanian look like in Panama City? Could be anything...... In my building alone we have Descendants of German, Swiss, U.S., Middle Eastern, Chinese, Italian, West Indies, East Indian, along with newcomers from Venezuela, Colombia, Greece, Africa, and more. It is one of the things I like about living here.

Panama2017
  10/2/2015 07:39 EST

Ok, lapapuja, good point. My husband looks "indigenous" and me more "afro-panamanian". Point is that people don't automatically assume we are North American or Canadian and we kinda blend in to the ecosystem, ha.

Jazzmann
  10/2/2015 07:48 EST

Dress code? Yes there is one. My understanding is that Panamanian law requires that you be dressed if you appear in public. Seriously, what you wear is a matter of common sense, personal choice and/or where you are. Long pants and more dignified attire is expected in government buildings and in church (at least during services). I hear that some banks have dress codes as well. (At my bank all they require is my money.) It is really a function of what you are doing and where you are. I have friends in PC who do not own shorts. In Las Tablas most gringos wear nothing but shorts. I find it difficult to comprehend that people would wear long pants here unless they were required to do so. Of course, there are safety concerns like wood shop or yard work.. The wealthy dress according to their status. Others dress for comfort. Mostly, how you dress is your business as long as the few proprieties are observed.

Panama2017
  10/2/2015 08:03 EST

I agree with Jazzmann, which is why my very first comment was to "wear whatever you feel comfortable wearing". The folks I hang out with don't wear shorts in the city. And my personal experience is that I don't see shorts on others either although I am likely applying an age lens without even being conscious of it. Bottom line, nobody cares what you wear unless you are in a setting with a dress code.

panamajames
  10/2/2015 08:36 EST

...........and you will find inequity here as well. My wife and I had on almost identical pairs of shorts, and she was allowed into the Government building and I was not. Who do you complain to?

panamajames
  10/2/2015 08:51 EST

..........and there is also the fact Panama2017 that you don't even live here and won't be living here for a year or two so how would you know? You can't be expected to know what goes on around you locally in Panama, if you live in Chicago !!!

Panama2017
  10/2/2015 09:36 EST

Not sure why you are trying to trivialize my experience. In any case, I have spent lots of time in Panama City. Enough time to have permanent residency, bank account, condo which we furnished locally, and am now a landlord for a property there. The experiences I share are just as valid as yours.

cinparadise
  10/2/2015 14:43 EST

I've visited friends in hospitals and the government run hospitals prohibit men from wearing shorts. The municipo in David allows men to wear shorts. I've never experienced any problems wearing shorts at the government offices (mayor's, post office, and ANAM) here in Boquete. I did read recently that the now privately run DMV offices prohibit men from wearing shorts. I keep a pair of pants in my car at all times just in case.

lapapuja
  10/2/2015 16:19 EST

2017, as you know it doesn't take long to see that most everything is acceptable as street wear in PC. As long as men have a shirt on and women aren't in bathing suits. As for not understanding long pants and long sleeve shirts...... Some of us need protection from the intense sun in the daytime and mosquitos at night. Those that work in offices might need them because of the freezing cold A/C.

Jazzmann
  10/2/2015 18:00 EST

Good Idea, I used to keep a pair of big sweat pants in the car for when my clients wore shorts to court.. I usually wear long sleeve shirts due to skin cancer on my back and arms. OK now, but don't want it again. I'm not worried about my legs and use footwear that covers the tops of my feet.

cinparadise
  10/7/2015 09:59 EST

FYI - I was at the Notary office in David yesterday and saw three Panamanian men wearing shorts! A rare sight indeed!

panamajames
  10/7/2015 10:20 EST

It is hot in David............if I need long pants, I bring them in my kit bag in the truck. I think that you will see more shorts from the locals in the future. And they may not have been Panamanians. There are large numbers of Venezuelans and Colombians moving into Panama, far more than North Americans. And we saw lots of shorts being worn by men in Venezuela and Colombia.........

Panama2017
  10/7/2015 11:35 EST

The shorts thing is likely cultural. My husband is from the Caribbean and in grade school boys had to wear shorts as part of their uniforms. Long pants were a right of passage and "grown men" wear long pants. When we visit his home I notice that the locals never sweat regardless of long pants, sleeves, and rastas in their woolen caps. They are acclimated to the heat and sun. Over time, after living in the US for so long, my husband now feels the heat and does wear shorts there.

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