What's the dress code in San Miguel de Allende? What clothes do they wear in San Miguel de Allende?

What’s fun here in San Miguel de Allende is that there is no dress code. Everybody wears what they feel like wearing. If it’s hot, most people wear short-sleeved shirts or dresses.

 

Everybody is open to whatever kind of clothing. You will see a little bit of everything because we have an international community so everybody brings whatever they want to. There are some very high-end people who are very well dressed and we have bohemians and...

What’s fun here in San Miguel de Allende is that there is no dress code. Everybody wears what they feel like wearing. If it’s hot, most people wear short-sleeved shirts or dresses.

 

Everybody is open to whatever kind of clothing. You will see a little bit of everything because we have an international community so everybody brings whatever they want to. There are some very high-end people who are very well dressed and we have bohemians and hippies but everybody is welcomed just the same.

 

It’s not hot and humid here like in Merida or Veracruz but the temperature here in San Miguel could go up to 34 degrees Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) during summer. It gets colder during the winter. There was a time when it snowed a little bit here in San Miguel but that is not the usual. When it’s cold of course we take out all our jackets, hats, and boots like we were up in Canada. We are warm-blooded people so when it’s cold, so we get really cold.

 

If I would compare the dress code here in San Miguel de Allende to the dress code in Philadelphia where I’ve lived, it’s not really that different because San Miguel de Allende is composed of 50% Mexicans and the other 50% are North Americans, Canadians, or Europeans. It is very standard but of course there are people that stand out because they have a different way of dressing up but it’s not very different from North America.  

 

(Expats dining at Mon Bistro Canadien Cuisine, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

Most people in San Miguel de Allende wear casual clothes. Women wear very loose clothes and Mexicans wear Mexican clothing, too. I do design my own clothes and we sell them at my boutique.

 

I used to have a boutique in Playa del Carmen where it was always very hot so I made hippie chic, loose clothes, which I still sell here. You can wear them either in an elegant way or a casual way.

 

Most of my clients are retirees. They...

Most people in San Miguel de Allende wear casual clothes. Women wear very loose clothes and Mexicans wear Mexican clothing, too. I do design my own clothes and we sell them at my boutique.

 

I used to have a boutique in Playa del Carmen where it was always very hot so I made hippie chic, loose clothes, which I still sell here. You can wear them either in an elegant way or a casual way.

 

Most of my clients are retirees. They don’t want to wear tight clothes. They are looking for clothes that would cover their arms and clothes that don’t show too much but looks nice at the same time. Those are the kinds of clothes that sell the best in San Miguel de Allende. 

 

There are also opportunities to dress up nicely here in San Miguel de Allende. There are galleries that hold openings so people go there dressed up.

 

(Clothing display at Kika's Boutique, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

The dress code in San Miguel de Allende is very hippie; it’s very casual. What people wear also varies depending on their age but generally it’s casual. During summer you’ll see more people wearing shorts, skirts, shirts, etc. because the weather would allow you to wear whatever you want. During winter, people wear coats or sweaters.

 

The dress code here in San Miguel de Allende is quite the opposite compared to the dress code in southern...

The dress code in San Miguel de Allende is very hippie; it’s very casual. What people wear also varies depending on their age but generally it’s casual. During summer you’ll see more people wearing shorts, skirts, shirts, etc. because the weather would allow you to wear whatever you want. During winter, people wear coats or sweaters.

 

The dress code here in San Miguel de Allende is quite the opposite compared to the dress code in southern Germany, where I used to live because out there it very cold during winter. In Germany, you have to have several layers of clothes and a coat on top. You need to wear gloves and boots, too. During summer, people in Germany also wear shorts but it’s not like the ones you will see here in San Miguel de Allende because it’s not as warm in Germany as it is here in San Miguel.

 

However, there are also opportunities to dress up here in San Miguel de Allende, as we have some nightlife here, too. At night, you would see people dressed up to go to clubs or restaurants. It’s also very normal to see people who dress up if they are going to weddings or similar events. San Miguel de Allende is a wedding destination so it’s very common for you to see men in tuxedos and women in fancy dresses and high heels even though wearing heels is not recommended in general because of the cobblestone streets that we have here in San Miguel.

 

(Tourist in Mexico, pictured.)

People in San Miguel de Allende usually wear lots of layers because in the winter, it’s cold in the morning, warms up during the day, and then gets cold again at night. They’re also very into leather here.   I notice leather boots, wraps and wool, and serapes. It’s that autumn look because we’re in autumn, but I think that’s probably what stays on for the rest of winter here because I don’t think it would get too much colder here. 

People in San Miguel de Allende usually wear lots of layers because in the winter, it’s cold in the morning, warms up during the day, and then gets cold again at night. They’re also very into leather here.   I notice leather boots, wraps and wool, and serapes. It’s that autumn look because we’re in autumn, but I think that’s probably what stays on for the rest of winter here because I don’t think it would get too much colder here. 

 

I’m sure at night in San Miguel de Allende, the women from Mexico City who come for the weekends dress to the nines and look really cool. I’m more of a casual dresser, but I don’t feel out of place or like I should be dressing differently.

 

The men in San Miguel de Allende just wear jeans, and the men from Mexico dress up with hats, sunglasses, watches and boots.  

 

(Winter wear at The Tree Fashion Shop, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

I have been coming to San Miguel de Allende for 20 years, and living here for six years. Until the past 10 years, I never saw a woman in slacks. All women wore skirts or dresses. I never saw a young girl in shorts. The young girls never even exposed their legs. Now, for the past seven or eight years, or maybe more, it’s very common to see women, especially younger women, in slacks. That’s one of the differences I’ve seen. I see more young women in very tight,...

I have been coming to San Miguel de Allende for 20 years, and living here for six years. Until the past 10 years, I never saw a woman in slacks. All women wore skirts or dresses. I never saw a young girl in shorts. The young girls never even exposed their legs. Now, for the past seven or eight years, or maybe more, it’s very common to see women, especially younger women, in slacks. That’s one of the differences I’ve seen. I see more young women in very tight, spray-painted pants and in shorts. Every year that gets more and more apparent. 

 

If I were to advise friends about the dress code in San Miguel de Allende, I’d tell them to wear their typical casual clothing that they wear in the States. For my granddaughters, I tell them no short shorts, or that they can wear shorts, but no extremely short skirts. Although I see young Mexican teenagers and twenty year olds in short skirts, I still see the difference when a young American female wears short shorts or a short skirt. 

 

When American women and young females wear short shorts or skirts in San Miguel de Allende, you’ll hear the whistles from groups of men in particular who are also laughing and pointing. One of my granddaughters wore what I would call half-sundresses- very short skirts and very low necklines five years ago, and she would ask me, “Why do they keep making that sound? Why do they keep making noises when I go past them?” So we had a discussion, and she wore different clothes after that. She was happy because they weren’t making noises and staring at her anymore.

 

There are very few opportunities to dress up in San Miguel de Allende, but I have also seen this changing. Typically, 10 years ago, when you went to a nice restaurant in San Miguel de Allende, all the women were dressed, and men had on sport coats or suits, but you do not see that now. Weddings are still very dressy occasions, so if you’re going to be invited to a wedding, or to a quinceañera (a girl’s 15th birthday celebration), then you can absolutely dress up and wear heels, beautiful dresses, and the jewelry.  Men might want to have a sport coat or a suit for one of these more dressy occasions in San Miguel de Allende, but otherwise, a polo shirt or a short-sleeved sport short is enough.  

 

(Jet Metier, Mary Agnes McKay and her friend at an anniversary party, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

The dress code in San Miguel de Allende, in general, is relaxed but at the same time, we Mexicans like to dress well when the occasion calls for it. So we do not just wear Fit Flops or Birkenstock anywhere.

 

If you are going to a party, you go nicely dressed; usually you wear something smart casual. If you are going to dine in restaurants, the dress code depends on what kind of restaurant you’re going to but in general, restaurants here have a relaxed...

The dress code in San Miguel de Allende, in general, is relaxed but at the same time, we Mexicans like to dress well when the occasion calls for it. So we do not just wear Fit Flops or Birkenstock anywhere.

 

If you are going to a party, you go nicely dressed; usually you wear something smart casual. If you are going to dine in restaurants, the dress code depends on what kind of restaurant you’re going to but in general, restaurants here have a relaxed and cool atmosphere. Mexicans like dressing up to the occasion. If you are here on vacation and you go to a nice restaurant wearing shorts and Fit Flops, depending on the restaurant, they might not give it much attention. But if you’re going to a private party and you show up like that, then people might think that you’re not respecting the hosts.

 

If you’re coming from the US and you have never been to San Miguel de Allende before, you could pack some nice dress, but nothing fancy. A little black dress is never wrong. You could also pack some nice heels and a shawl. It tends to be cool here even in summer. You could also pack shorts, jeans, white shirts and boots. For men, definitely a jacket is really nice. In general, you should have at least a couple of nice outfits, nothing overboard, and the rest of your clothes should be just very relaxed types of clothing.

 

It’s not unusual to see people wearing full on jackets here during November and December because it can be really chilly and you will be cold if you just wore shorts. However, there are some crazy days in the middle of December where it is sunny and in a few hours, it will be chilly again because of the breeze.   

 

(Jet Metier of Best Places in the World to Retire offered a glass of wine by patrons at the hacienda restaurant Rojo Vivo, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

Readers, you’ll find that while the dress code here in San Miguel de Allende can vary widely depending on the event, the dress code is generally more casual.  This is not a beach town, however, so shorts, flip-flops and the like are more the exception than the norm.

 

We only have about three tuxedo-optional fundraisers per year here for example, so your tux will get little use! The Mexicans are always a bit more elegantly dressed than most...

Readers, you’ll find that while the dress code here in San Miguel de Allende can vary widely depending on the event, the dress code is generally more casual.  This is not a beach town, however, so shorts, flip-flops and the like are more the exception than the norm.

 

We only have about three tuxedo-optional fundraisers per year here for example, so your tux will get little use! The Mexicans are always a bit more elegantly dressed than most expats here so step up your game a bit—they love to see you well dressed!

 

Here’s a photo of a couple of the more elegant models in San Miguel!