Put A Little Aloha In Your Shirt

I will never forget walking through Waikiki last summer. The day was pleasantly warm, not so much the weather as much as all the bodies floating in and out of the shops along Ala Moana Boulevard. Suddenly, a short but huskily built Hawaiian man came running down the street. My friends and I watched in amazement as he ran up to a little Filipino man riding a bike.

The Hawaiian man called to the cyclist, “Hey Brah! The corner store selling aloha shirts fo’ cheap kine!”

The Filipino man hopped off of his bike and walked up to his friend and asked, “Oh yeah? How cheap?”

The Hawaiian man slapped the other man on his back and said, “Buy one get one free. Seven bucks fo’ one!”

The Filipino man’s lips turned up into a bright smile that covered his entire face. We watched as the two men walked back down the street, each trying to decide how many shirts he wanted to buy.

Photo credit: Jumbledpile on Flickr

To some, the aloha shirt is a costume. The bright patterns are thought of as calls for attention. Yet, to us, to the people who embrace the culture of the aloha shirt, it is a symbol of our heritage.

The history of the aloha shirt, or the “Hawaiian shirt” to those on the mainland, is actually quite surprising. In the 1930s a Chinese merchant named Ellery Chun of King-Smith Clothiers and Dry Goods started sewing brightly colored patterns from unused kimono fabrics. Because of his sought-after creations, the Honolulu Advertiser coined the term “aloha shirts.” At the time, the most popular customers were surfers and tourists. Now, the aloha shirt has become ubiquitous in the appropriate Aloha State.

Any shop in Waikiki sells them or if one desires a more formal style, Hawaiian apparel stores such as Hilo Hattie or Manuheali’i are highly recommended. These shirts serve a variety of purposes: to the most casual beach barbecues to graduation parties or even to business meetings. They’re comfortable and stylish with only one rule attached–DO NOT TUCK IN.

Whether the pattern be of our state flower the hibiscus, the infamous plumeria, surfboards, palm trees, or even cats playing the ukulele, the aloha shirt is one of our Hawaiian traditions. It is a local household term and quite uncommon for any local resident to not own at least one.

Post a picture of yourself in your favorite Aloha shirt and share with the readers.

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