Panama City - Post Report Question and Answers

What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?

Business casual. Aim to be comfortable at all times. - Dec 2021


Business casual at the embassy. - Oct 2018


Men wear suits and women dress in business attire. Panama City is much like a US city in expectations of appropriate dress. - Sep 2018


Suit or business casual, shorts are fine outside of work. - May 2017


Dress code at work is usually business casual, with a tie and jacket on standby just-in-case. I do see a good number of jeans on Fridays as well as many guayaberas.

As for public places, most Panamanians wear jeans or long-pants. Shorts are pretty rare, though not completely strange. Dress codes at the nicest restaurants are fine to have nice jeans and a collared shirt. - Mar 2017


It varies at work. In public, shorts are acceptable. - Oct 2015


Work: formal and smart casual. Public: whatever you feel like. However you are not allowed to go to offices or local schools wearing shorts. - Jun 2015


Formal at work, more casual outside although not as casual as in the U.S. (no shorts or workout clohtes to go out and about). - May 2015


The usual and men can wear shorts here - thankfully. - Sep 2014


All kinds. Here you go to the mall and see women wearing mini skirts and tiny shorts, with all kinds of cleavages. You also see Muslim women with traditional clothing. Professional places have people wearing professional attires. Most of the public areas are very cold due to very low AC temperatures. - Jul 2014


Formal at work except on Fridays; seems like anything goes in public. - Mar 2014


Pretty relaxed. I wear flip-flops in public often. - Jan 2013


Men wear suits. Women wear skirts/trousers and a pretty top or dress. They also wear suits. - Sep 2011


Wearing a suit in this heat is fairly ridiculous. A dress code is not really enforced in the embassy -- though the bankers go in costume. - Apr 2010


casual - Dec 2009


Pretty formal. - May 2008


Business formal for the more formal business community and diplomatic community. - Apr 2008


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