All things Latin are considered romantic and sexy, this includes their dances, their men, women and of course their dress styles. In the fashion world Latin dress styles are designed from a mixture of various individual traditions with the emphasis being on shapes and colors. This is why the nuances of the Latin dress styles are so tantalizing and extravagant with lots of movement. They are designed for ease of wear and comfort as well as show and beauty.

There are dresses for all occasions such as ballroom dancing, salsa dancing, tango dancing and they are all designed with a flare for color and movement that can only come from the Latin community. The use of bold colors like black, red, orange and bright blue are a staple of the Latin community’s style, fringes and flare are simple prerequisite. Think of all the beautiful Latin style dresses you’ve seen on Shakira and other notable Spanish musical artists, they have a beautiful drape to the skirts that swirl like no other traditional type of dress. In her “Hips Don’t Lie” video Shakira’s skirts stretches out to arms length away from her body, with enough drape and swirl to emphasize the beauty of her hips, and to show off the rhythm of her dancing in the swishing of the folds. This is true Latin style.

Shawls are another staple of Latin dress styles for women, from peasant workers to precocious preteens you find swishy shawls at work, wrapped around shoulders neatly, to accentuate the colors of the shirt and skirt worn underneath. Or better yet, you find them decorating hips, providing a swish of color, fringe and movement in an otherwise unremarkable outfit. Latin women are thought to be some of the most voluptuous in the world and their jeans and capris work to emphasize and enhance their curves, it is rumored that the current hipster jeans had their start in the Latin community and spread from there.

The men of the Latin community are not forgotten in this article, nor in Latin dress styles. Their shirts, especially for the younger generation, tend to run a little bit tighter than in other circles and in a broader range of colors. Latin men will wear the rainbow, and aren’t bothered by a little thing like pastel colors unlike Anglo men who feel their masculinity threatened by binding clothing. Latin men are full of ‘machismo’; the ideal of perfect masculinity is more along the lines of bravery and boldness, not abstaining from wearing pink. Latin men are proud of their bodies and not ashamed to show them off in their tight t-shirts and jeans. The same goes for Latin women; they appreciate their curves and their hips and love to emphasize the rhythm of their movement with free flowing material that follows that beat.