Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

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ShiftF5
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by ShiftF5 »

I have one I like to wear around the house and backyard BBQs, but not when we go out.
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Alf 101
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by Alf 101 »

As the OP I am overwhelmed with delight by the response to this thread. I am not alone in wanting to awaken the Aloha spirit. As for my wife, we've been together long enough this would not be particularly out of character or shocking. Both of us are of the "if it makes you happy, doesn't hurt anyone, and doesn't cost all that much, then go for it" school of thought.

In all likelihood I wouldn't wear one to work, unless on my last day when moving to a new job perhaps, but it's summer and a time to go out and hang out. Now the question becomes how to go and get one.

I see a few options:
1. Search Goodwill and other consignment-type stores for used bargains. In all likelihood, these Aloha shirts have not seen heavy wear.
2. Buy an Aloha-inspired shirt at Costco or similar. Though I am willing to spring the extra for something nicer.
3. Go to Hawaii. I haven't been back to the islands in many years now, come to think of it.
4. Search online

Probably #1 and #4 are the leading approaches, though #3 is not to be ruled out.

Now I was struck that there are a range of fabrics and prices. Of course this is the case for all clothing. Here's what I see:
1. All cotton
2. Rayon
3. Silk

People have seemed to have a few opinions about these. Are the "nice" and "tasteful" ones generally silk? Since I'm looking to buy one I could splurge, only I've never owned anything silk. My impression these require special care and will not have as long a life. If that's not the case though, maybe I explore that route. My next 10-20 Aloha shirts will be cotton, so I could start with a nice one.

Lastly, as I have in the past, I know I will struggle with what can be defined as elegant and tasteful. I suppose a dark floral pattern would be classic; that said I find my eyes drifting toward dragons, tigers, and fish...
btenny
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by btenny »

Well I have several of them in various colors and fabrics. I love the bright look and since I am of that age and fully retired they sort of fit the "retired look". But there are tons of variation in look and material. So I wear a different look shirt depending on the event or what I am doing that day.

I have cotton "boat shirt" that is standard button up dress shirt style but the pattern is wooden boats and flowers with a cotton blend. It was expensive and bought at wooden boat show. It fits the party or outdoor dinner attire.

I have 2-3 shirts from Costco that have flowers in various colors that sort of look Hawaiian. They are rayon blend and don't last very long. The glue that holds the plackets together and material sizing wears out so the shirts get "real baggy looking" after a few washing. So they need to be ironed and they still don't look great. I don't buy them any more (but my kids do) for this reason.

I have two "car show Hawaiian" shirts that are great but very loud. They feature flowers and hot rod cars. They are 100% rayon. I bought them at the Hot August Nights car show. These shirts are bullet proof and last for years and tons of washing with no change in looks. They are great for going out to the beach or boating. No wrinkles ever.

I also have two of the expensive Hawaiian shirts similar to Tommy Bahamas. They are also 100% rayon. They looked great when new and are much nicer than most any other shirts. But they wear out and get baggy so you have to decide if that look is OK or if you throw them away.

Good Luck.
BahamaMan
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by BahamaMan »

All of the Authentic 'Hawaii Shirts' I've seen are 100% Silk. The cheaper knockoffs are Cotton, Rayon. (Some of these are nice and I have a few), but if you want the 'real thing' you have to go 100% Silk.

Like this one .... http://www.tommybahama.com/TBG/Men/Shir ... Shirt.jsp#
ShenziNation

Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by ShenziNation »

Aloha Shirt: Not to work. Yes for weekends and vacations.
Guayabera Shirt: Hell Yeah! Anyday.

I live south of I-4 in Florida and this is Guayabera/Cubavera shirt land. Instead of Hawai'ian Shirt Fridays, it is Guayabera Fridays. Or you can wear it any day you want. I have worked in corporate, mil/aero/defense and now on a DoD base, it is an accepted work wear, as long as it is ironed and not a shocking color.
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tadamsmar
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by tadamsmar »

They are great for beating the heat, as any shirt designed to not be tucked in at the waist.

I have a few and got some cheap at thrift shops.
Old Guy
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by Old Guy »

We have a Tommy Bahama outlet store near us and I live at the beach. I have a closet full of Hawaiian style shirts.
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black jack
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by black jack »

Alf 101 wrote:Now I was struck that there are a range of fabrics and prices. Of course this is the case for all clothing. Here's what I see:
1. All cotton
2. Rayon
3. Silk

People have seemed to have a few opinions about these. Are the "nice" and "tasteful" ones generally silk? Since I'm looking to buy one I could splurge, only I've never owned anything silk. My impression these require special care and will not have as long a life. If that's not the case though, maybe I explore that route.
Traditional Aloha shirts were made in all three fabrics. All of mine (30 or so), which were bought as office wear (hence had to meet some standard of tastefulness), are cotton shirts in reverse print. All but a couple (which were made of cotton so thin and smooth that it felt like silk - and sadly, eventually wore through), are still going strong 30 years later (though, to be honest, they've had very light wear the past 20 years).
Alf 101 wrote: My next 10-20 Aloha shirts will be cotton, so I could start with a nice one.
10-20? That's the spirit!
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livesoft
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by livesoft »

BahamaMan wrote:All of the Authentic 'Hawaii Shirts' I've seen are 100% Silk. The cheaper knockoffs are Cotton, Rayon. (Some of these are nice and I have a few), but if you want the 'real thing' you have to go 100% Silk.

Like this one .... http://www.tommybahama.com/TBG/Men/Shir ... Shirt.jsp#
The shirt in your link is a good example of the pattern matching for the pocket and across the buttons that I wrote about.
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retiredjg
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by retiredjg »

livesoft wrote:The shirt in your link is a good example of the pattern matching for the pocket and across the buttons that I wrote about.
I thought that was very impressive.

For those of you who have never sewn a shirt, this is not easy and it takes a lot of fabric - adding to the cost of the shirt.
WhyNotUs
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by WhyNotUs »

+1 for thrift store shopping. A friend has made a hobby of collecting them at thrift stores and has quite the low budget collection, even some rarities such as shirts from the 50's for cents on the dollar.

Costco in Maui had them for $20 a few months ago. Cotton with nice patterns suitable for work.
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sci fi
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by sci fi »

I'm from Hawaii and personally most of my aloha shirts are from Quiksilver. It's cheaper than Sig Zane and breathes a bit easier in my opinion. Also some of the aloha print designs are a bit more subtle and muted if you're not ready to go full aloha just yet, but they also have brighter colors.
jbuzolich
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by jbuzolich »

Any day is a good day for a Hawaiian shirt! And yes definitely get the pocket and button overlap to match the fabric pattern if you want quality. Mismatch pattern immediately says cheaply made shirt.
jlawrence01
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by jlawrence01 »

And this is the best time for Aloha Shirts as they are 40-65% off at most department stores!!!
Barefootgirl
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by Barefootgirl »

Since you asked...ugh, reminds me of Office Space and being a "company guy" LOL

go against the herd - wear something that is you...um, unless that is you :)
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HoopDiddyDiddy
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by HoopDiddyDiddy »

Husband wears an Aloha shirt to work every Friday- it always lightens the mood at work for everyone.
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BL
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by BL »

retiredjg wrote:
livesoft wrote:The shirt in your link is a good example of the pattern matching for the pocket and across the buttons that I wrote about.
I thought that was very impressive.

For those of you who have never sewn a shirt, this is not easy and it takes a lot of fabric - adding to the cost of the shirt.
Agree.

That is a great example of perfect matching. It does take extra time for matching as well as extra fabric. This also true of matching plaids; I see a lot that are not matched.
kolea
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by kolea »

I live in Hawaii most of the year and never wear Hawaiian shirts. Politicians who want to look "local" wear them, as do salesmen, entertainers, and tourists. They are fun to wear on the mainland for some reason but I don't touch them on the rock. Most of the time it is a T-shirt.
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bengal22
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by bengal22 »

Gort wrote:
livesoft wrote:I personally do not believe that a tasteful Hawaiian shirt can be purchased at Kohl's, Costco and some other places. I would use those shirts to work on my spouse's car.
Not true. Costco has some very nice silk Jamaica Jaxx brand shirts.
I think the real oxymoron is the phrase "tasteful Hawaiian shirt." IMHO Hawaiian shirts should be worn in Hawaii. Anywhere else, cargo shorts and tee.
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Ron
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by Ron »

bengal22 wrote:<snip...>IMHO Hawaiian shirts should be worn in Hawaii. Anywhere else, cargo shorts and tee.
I would rather see a guy with dun-lap's disease wear a Hawaiian shirt rather than a tee, regardless of the location :annoyed ...

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novicemoney
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by novicemoney »

bengal22 wrote:
Gort wrote:
livesoft wrote:I personally do not believe that a tasteful Hawaiian shirt can be purchased at Kohl's, Costco and some other places. I would use those shirts to work on my spouse's car.
Not true. Costco has some very nice silk Jamaica Jaxx brand shirts.
I think the real oxymoron is the phrase "tasteful Hawaiian shirt." IMHO Hawaiian shirts should be worn in Hawaii. Anywhere else, cargo shorts and tee.
There is tasteful and then there is what tourists think is a hawaiian shirt. If you want to see tasteful walk around downton Honolulu at lunch time on a week day and you will see tasteful, understated business attire shirts. Go to waikiki and look in the ABC stores that's what people from the "mainland" (what we call the continental US) think is an aloha shirt. Loud colors are usually not worn by locals. What you see on mainland outlets are not necesarrily what locals wear. Too each his own, I guess.
profnot
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by profnot »

As a stylish woman, I love a man wearing Hawaiian shirts.

Some tips:
Silk does not breathe and you will be hot.
Cotton is great for most environments.
Rayon is coolest when temps are high.
Polyester is horrible. NO breathability - just wrap yourself in SaranWrap and attach some flowers. Ugly, cheapo, and yuck.

Men who are great dancers often wear Hawaiian shirts. They are cool, they are not worn tucked into the waistband. I love men who want to dance - especiailly with me!

Comic shirts are stupid such as shirts with cigars, cars, etc.

Classy shirts have floral / water designs in tonal colors. Ask your woman for color advice.

Hawaiian shirts rule over plain, plaid, and polo shirts every day of the week!
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HawaiiBrewer
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by HawaiiBrewer »

Ok........August 25th and we're still breaking heat and humidity records here in Hawaii. I've been here 17 yrs, own probably 15 aloha shirts and wear them only when going out on a "date" with my wife.....or to any event I feel is special.....not shopping at Walmart or Safeway. An aloha shirt is considered formal here so if invited to an event they call formal, wear your shirt. My first year here I attended a formal new years eve party and was the only one with a jacket and tie.....which came off in 15 minutes. The governor even wears aloha shirts to meet the press or in meetings. However, with that in mind, if we're out at night and I'm wearing an aloha shirt, I'll be stopped by people selling time shares thinking I'm a visitor......the fact that I'm a haole contributes to that. Most native Hawaiians wear a non tee shirt only for formal ( special ) events. Hilo Hatie used to be the best place to buy them.....some of those stores have closed but check on line. Here in Kona....Walmart, Costco, Macy's, Kmart, all carry local made(made in Hawaii) clothes, etc.

By the way, Fridays are still called " aloha Friday"....and you'll see more TV people wearing aloha shirts and dresses for the women.

The Morman missionaries that walk the neighborhoods are the rare white shirt and ties you'll see here.

Aloha nui loa
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BahamaMan
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by BahamaMan »

profnot wrote:As a stylish woman, I love a man wearing Hawaiian shirts.
Men who are great dancers often wear Hawaiian shirts. They are cool, they are not worn tucked into the waistband. I love men who want to dance - especiailly with me!
Hawaiian shirts rule over plain, plaid, and polo shirts every day of the week!
Men (and Women) should know their 'limitations'.... Tom Selleck wearing Hawaiian Shirt vs. Chris Farely. 8-)
goonie
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by goonie »

It seems to me that the people who get worked up about what other people wear are just generally uptight about a lot of things.

Wear what makes you happy.
white_water
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by white_water »

re: tasteful Aloha shirts: the old-old-fashioned dark shirt with light patterns are a favorite. Gaudy says mainland. Understated works, just one old haole's opinion.
ourbrooks
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by ourbrooks »

BahamaMan wrote:All of the Authentic 'Hawaii Shirts' I've seen are 100% Silk. The cheaper knockoffs are Cotton, Rayon. (Some of these are nice and I have a few), but if you want the 'real thing' you have to go 100% Silk.

Like this one .... http://www.tommybahama.com/TBG/Men/Shir ... Shirt.jsp#
Why is Tommy Bahama considered Hawaiin? They have more stores in California than Hawaii and their business operations appear to run out of Seattle. Tori Richards at least has its head quarters and retail stores in Hawaii and, believe it or not, claim to make most of their shirts there. Tori Richards offers silk and linen shirts but their primary line is done in cotton lawn, a very fine thread cotton fabric.
BahamaMan
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by BahamaMan »

ourbrooks wrote: Why is Tommy Bahama considered Hawaiin? They have more stores in California than Hawaii and their business operations appear to run out of Seattle. Tori Richards at least has its head quarters and retail stores in Hawaii and, believe it or not, claim to make most of their shirts there. Tori Richards offers silk and linen shirts but their primary line is done in cotton lawn, a very fine thread cotton fabric.
Probably the same reasons pineapples are considered Hawaiian. They're not either, but really that's irrelevant. If you want to nitpick, I can change all my references to Tropical Shirt.
Last edited by BahamaMan on Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Coyote
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by Coyote »

mikepru wrote: I'm looking for an Aloha polo shirt--anyone have a lead?
Check out http://www.crazyshirts.com/category/men ... o?page=all -- they're very well made, will last forever, but tend to be quieter
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zaboomafoozarg
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by zaboomafoozarg »

livesoft wrote:I personally do not believe that a tasteful Hawaiian shirt can be purchased at Kohl's, Costco and some other places. I would use those shirts to work on my spouse's car.
How about the ones at Goodwill? That's where I buy all of my shirts.
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ruralavalon
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Re: Aloha Shirt: Yes or No

Post by ruralavalon »

Yes.

Go to Maui to buy one. Try Hilo Hattie for all things tourist.

All cotton is best in my opinion.
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