Clothes Shopping in Mexico

Canadian tire?? Ok, that's funny!!! lol are you pulling my leg!!?

I still don't get this stereotype advice of not wearing shorts! We just returned to the Lake area after driving to Patzcuaro, Morelia, San Miguel de Allende, Dolores Hidalgo, Leon and numerous other small cities, towns and villages along the way. We wore shorts every single day and virtually every evening without any funny looks or any feelings that we were offending anyone. The one exception to this was when we visited the 5 star Rosewood Hotel in San Miguel de Allende. Figuring that we were going to a fancy spot, Kathy wore a dress and I put on slacks. It didn't take much time to realize that we were very overdressed in comparison to the rest of the clientele that was a mix of Mexicans and foreigners from not only the US but also Europeans and a couple of Aussies from their accents. There was a business meeting of some large Mexican corporation and most of them were dressed in jeans. Every trip we make to Mexico, we end up bringing too many "dress up" clothes and find it is a waste of time and space!

Did you see many Mexican men wearing shorts?

CanuckBob wrote:Did you see many Mexican men wearing shorts?

Occasionaly you will see a Mexican man wearing shorts. It's mostly Canadians that wear shorts everywhere, even in the cooler temps of winter. Sometimes you'll see people in restaurants at night wearing shorts. They look out of place because most men wear slacks to a restaurant at night for dinner.

We saw plenty of Mexican men and women wearing shorts! As far as we are concerned (not that it means a damned thing), a person wearing pressed shorts and a pressed top/shirt can be better dressed than someone wearing faded jeans or wrinkled slacks and a shirt that hasn't seen an iron in its lifetime but called travel wear. We had numerous business meetings with various suppliers and they certainly didn't refuse our business because we were wearing shorts!

During my travels around Mexico (other than the resort areas) I have rarely seen a Mexican man (not teenager) wearing shorts. I have been told that they do not think it is proper for men to wear shorts (unless at the beach) however I may have been misinformed.

Perhaps Solo can give us some insight?

Chapalagringa wrote:Canadian tire?? Ok, that's funny!!! lol are you pulling my leg!!?

Nope, she's not. Obviously you're not a Canadian.

What started out as a tire and auto parts store grew because men were known to idle away most saturdays there, back in the days when you could fix cars yourself. Management put in a massive section devoted to women and their interests tossed in Canadian Tire money and bingo, it's a family outing.

Shorts, it must be an american thing. I never wear them except at home, or the beach. Ditto for the big guy who's a Brit. Once the Brits get out of short pants, which they wear in junior school, they don't really ever want to wear them again.

As for dressing up, that appears to be going outta style real fast. It's too bad, after all we don't all choose to look like Aussie backpackers.

Well, guys and gals: Shorts are about two things: (1) whether it's an appropriate place to wear them and above all (2) how're those legs? ....and of course, the rest of the bod. If you are slim and fit (without varicosities and other lumps), then shorts are for you. Otherwise, the less seen, the better. If you are past giving a dang, that's another matter, for another thread.

(1) is strictly a judgment call, with opinions all over the block.

"Dressing up" covers a lot of territory, ranging from actually putting on a pair of long pants or skirt to a tuxedo or the female equivalent. To some people "dressing up" mean getting out of their jammies into anything at all.

Since we're on the admittedly shallow subject of how we look on the outside.........I've noticed that some folks are in total denial about aging. However, if we stand around long enough, we get old (or at least older). Might as well adjust and move on instead of looking like a fool in stuff we wore as teeny boppers. Y'know, like the over-seventies lady I saw the other day wearing a low elastic top, short sundress showing way too much information. So........let's hear it for the full length mirror and good sense.

Those Canadians with the tire shop deserve some kind of award for innovation!

gringal wrote:Since we're on the admittedly shallow subject of how we look on the outside.........I've noticed that some folks are in total denial about aging. However, if we stand around long enough, we get old (or at least older). Might as well adjust and move on instead of looking like a fool in stuff we wore as teeny boppers. Y'know, like the over-seventies lady I saw the other day wearing a low elastic top, short sundress showing way too much information. So........let's hear it for the full length mirror and good sense.

LOL! My mum used to call this phenomenen "mutton dressed as lamb".



I've received two e-mails in the last couple of days...each one showing a different set of pictures of "The Ladies of Walmart" . I no longer think that I dress strangely and, in fact, think I have rather good taste by comparison.

Hell yes ladies. I can relate to the teenybopper look. See it all the time.
What's wrong with this picture?
Well, obviously if these housewives of orange county wannabees actually take a look in the full length mirror, surgery is the only option left. See a lot of that too.
Way too much of it in fact. The wind tunnel look on some faces is just not attractive, nor are the Lucille Ball puffy lips painted gleaming red.

Dressing up, hmmm, ixnay to the formal wear. Yes to some tasteful slacks or skirts and goodbye to the glitz. JMHO.

I had to go on a business trip last week and at the last minute remembered I had given away all my suits and ties to the Sally Anne when we sold the house in June. All my business associates thought it was hilarious when I showed up in Calgary in jeans and a t-shirt. No more suits for this guy...........

Yeah......my husband looks back fondly to the day he gave all his suits to the local Goodwill except the black "funeral suit". Never know when you need one, for your friends events or your own.

CanuckBob wrote:I had to go on a business trip last week and at the last minute remembered I had given away all my suits and ties to the Sally Anne when we sold the house in June. All my business associates thought it was hilarious when I showed up in Calgary in jeans and a t-shirt. No more suits for this guy...........

Bob, My brother is an engineer, computer scientist. Blue jeans and a Hawaiian shirt are business attire for engineers. Anything that is not shorts and t-shirt is business and works for them. I have seen him conduct business meetings on Skype on his computer with a camera going. He had a nice shirt on the top but I don't want to say what was on the bottom! He did have to go out and buy a suit and tie when his father in law passed away.

yuri wrote:We saw plenty of Mexican men and women wearing shorts! As far as we are concerned (not that it means a damned thing), a person wearing pressed shorts and a pressed top/shirt can be better dressed than someone wearing faded jeans or wrinkled slacks and a shirt that hasn't seen an iron in its lifetime but called travel wear. We had numerous business meetings with various suppliers and they certainly didn't refuse our business because we were wearing shorts!

yuri - Where were you that you saw many Mexican men in shorts?

You certainly were not at Lakeside. It is rarely seen here except on a teenager and that's rare too.

Well John, in an earlier post on this thread I gave a brief synopsis of our travels over the past 12 days. I haven't totaled our exact mileage but I am guessing approx. 1500 miles and we were on some roads and through some towns and villages that may not have seen a Gringo in some time? We did luck out as there were some negative incidents in some areas either just prior to our visit or just after. Overall, we did see a good deal more security than we have in the past and amazingly enough, we only saw one accident and that was on the main cuota to Morelia where a truck loaded with newspapers turned over off the shoulder.

As has been our past experience, we were generally received very well by the Mexicans everywhere we went and never a sign that they didn't appreciate us Gringos being there. We saw definite signs that the economies in certain areas were really hurting. For example, I was sitting at a table off the main plaza in Santa Clara del Cobre on the final day of the National Copper Festival having a cold cerveza with some business contacts. Along came the local bread man pushing his cart and he announced that he had just spotted three Gringos at the other end of the plaza. This was a big deal since they have experienced a virtual crash of that business opportunity. Even in that "backwoods" community, I saw numerous Mexican men and a few women wearing shorts and again, I experienced no negative interaction since I was wearing shorts.

So Monday evening, we ventured out into the prim and proper Ajijic village wearing shorts after a day of shopping in Tlaquepaque for those that know where that is. Decided on Ajijic Tango and walked in there fully expecting to be booted for inappropriate attire. Within a couple of minutes, the wait staff was hovering over us much to our surprise and we soon were enjoying a pleasant dinner. Funny thing was that two table away, there was two guys at a table and one was wearing ratty jeans and of all things a tank top! I guess that he also had not read the "official Gringo Dress Code" for proper attire when dining out! Funny thing was that the Tango staff did not refuse to accept our payment for our meal and nice tip for service rendered!

My boyfriend, who is Mexican (and not a teenager), only wears shorts at the beach, or when out running.

I am 5'10", and I have curves, so finding jeans that fit, without looking like "mom jeans", and are fashionable without having a zipper 2" long is not an easy task. I know that I have seen taller and bigger girls than me (and shorter and bigger) wearing jeans, but every place I have been to try on jeans does not have them big enough for my bootie to fit in. I just have friends bring down Jordache jeans from the states. Classic and stylish and they fit. As for shirts, I have an extra long torso, so finding shirts that are long enough is my biggest problem. No issues with them fitting otherwise, but I'm too old to be showing off my mid-riff.

Everyone keeps talking about this department store in Ixtlahuacan. Where exactly is it?

Yuri: There ain't no prim and proper Ajijic and there ain't no dress code. How you want to present yourselves in public is up to you. In Ajijc Tango, all they are interested in is whether your can pay the bill.

Was at the Plaza de Liberation in Guadalajara on Sunday for the Mariachi gala. Not too many gringos but about 20000 Mexicians, and a lot of them wearing shorts. Times are a changing.

Okay, all: Would somebody please explain why you want to wear shorts so badly?

@saege, I'm a tall pear :) a few inches shorter than you and need to wear boot cut. I like Levi's. They carry them at Sear's and Fabricas de Francia. I just missed the 30% off sale earlier this month at Sears so having a couple pair brought down by a friend. Well, if not, I'm paying full price until January! *gasp!* No mom jeans!

I think you may be referring to the Plaza Outlet? It's easy to get to. Just go out of Chapala toward Guad. At Los Burritos restaurant you'll pass it going and take the returno back towards the restaurant. Then turn right at the restaurant, go through Santa Rosa etc to Tlojocamulco(spell???) and take that road all the way till it hits, oh my gosh, I can't give directions! hah! It'll take you to the highway that goes into Guad and you pass Plaza Outlet. Have to take another returno to get into it but once you've done it, you'll get the hang of it.

Well now, after all of that, I've never heard of there being a department store in Ixtlahuacan??? That's crazy.

There's a couple of chain stores that you can check for long tops. When I went looking I was pulling out the short dresses. Shasa and Zara are pretty cool stores. They're both in Plaza Outlet and the malls so get out there and do some stylish shoppin girl!

raqueteer wrote:

Chapalagringa wrote:Canadian tire?? Ok, that's funny!!! lol are you pulling my leg!!?

Nope, she's not. Obviously you're not a Canadian.

What started out as a tire and auto parts store grew because men were known to idle away most saturdays there, back in the days when you could fix cars yourself. Management put in a massive section devoted to women and their interests tossed in Canadian Tire money and bingo, it's a family outing.

Nope, not Canadian but very close in California! What could possible interest women at a tire shop??? How to get rid of your spare?? lol Air freshener for your car? Maybe heated seat pads? Fancy ice scraper? Dolled up license plate frame? Music for your car? Is it like a truck stop??? Sounds about as exciting as a horse shoe tournament!!! :))) Yee haw! I know some people really enjoy that sport. Bingo??? Is that the main draw? Ok, will have to look up Canadian tire online and see for myself?

Went to the website...all I can say is, Ferret, you're an original gal :)) I'm sure your hubby is thrilled!!!

gringal wrote:Okay, all: Would somebody please explain why you want to wear shorts so badly?

I grew up wearing shorts year round. Can't comprehend not wanting to wear them other than having acclimated to Mexico and so I don't typically wear them in public now, unless on the beach. But as soon as I get home, the shorts are on!

Yes, times are changing and wearing shorts is much more accepted and popular now in comparison to just a few years ago, but not as popular as NOB yet.

"Okay, all: Would somebody please explain why you want to wear shorts so badly?"

For me, it is all about comfort during the warmer months. When the hot weather hits, I don't care for the clammy feeling that I get when I wear "big boy" pants especially when the humidity climbs. In Albuquerque, our guideline is that the shorts come out as soon after March 1st as possible and they stay out or on till November 1st.

Ummm... the outlet stores are on Lopez Mateos and the shortcut is the way through Tlajomulco which you pass by Cajititlan, so you don't go to Santa Rosa, follow the signs to Cajititlan then Tlajomulco and keep straight until you get to Preol. Lopez Mateos and then make a right on the main highway at the other side.