Nicaraguans place a great deal of importance on cleanliness. Even the poorest campesino with the threadbare and patched clothing takes great care to tuck his shirt in and keep his clothes clean and wrinkle-free. Managuans are just as conscientious about looking good and smelling clean.
Nicaraguans only wear shorts for playing sports or lounging around the house. Nicaraguan women dress the spectrum from long, conservative dresses to bright, tight, and revealing outfits.
Unshaven internationalistas wearing stained shorts, ripped T-shirts, and natty dreads stand out like sore, malodorous thumbs, even without their trademark bulky backpacks. If you plan on being taken seriously in any kind of day-to-day business activities, a little effort into your wardrobe and hygiene will go a long way…and will help do away with the question, “Is it true that people in your country don’t bathe because it’s too cold?”
If, however, you prefer to remain true to your filth, seek out the bohemian population of tattooed Managuans who take well to carefully unkempt foreigners with Che T-shirts and creative facial hair.