Hawaiian Shirt History: Where the Aloha Shirt Began

Dec. 09, 2024

Hawaiian Shirt History: Where the Aloha Shirt Began

Updated: December 1,

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For decades the Hawaiian shirt has evoked the feeling of a tropical Hawaiian vacation. Like so many aspects of Hawaiian culture, the aloha shirt is rooted in the islands&#; rich traditions.

What started as a laborers&#; uniform transformed into a global icon that instantly brings sandy beaches and crystal waters to mind. They&#;re even Hawaii&#;s top textile export these days.

Tropical vacations aside, the aloha shirt is so much more than the stereotypical uniform for beach-bound tourists. But where did this iconic shirt come from in the first place?

Grab your lei and let&#;s take a look into the origins of this Polynesian-inspired classic.

Palaka

Palaka refers to the cloth design worn by Hawaiian dock and plantation workers. Over time it became a symbol for oppressed workers during the 20th century.

Palaka was seen as a symbol of protection because of the way it guarded workers against the sun, wind, and dust during their days working the docks and plantations. Over time, it made its way into mainstream fashion. Today, palaka inspired shirts protect both Hawaiian locals and tourists from the sun.

So, next time you put on an aloha shirt, be aware that it&#;s rooted in an essential part of Hawaiian history. It&#;s truly a piece of Hawaiian culture, not just an outfit for you to wear while you sip mai tais on the beach.

Aloha Week

Before you ask: no, the Aloha Festivals celebration is nothing like Bonnaroo or Coachella, so you can leave those expectations at the door. Started initially as Aloha Week in , the Aloha Festivals celebrates Hawaii&#;s unique culture of dance, music, and traditions. Over 100,000 people on average attend it.

The annual parade features musicians, dancers, and other performers all decked out in Hawaiian floral shirts. The festival includes (you guessed it) plenty of aloha shirts on all kinds of participants. To read more about the Aloha Festivals and Floral Parade, take a look here.

Naturally, the Aloha Festivals do a lot to promote the cultural image of Hawaii. As such, aloha shirts and the unique designs used on them can be seen almost everywhere. It&#;s a place where you can rock your aloha shirt without any fear of standing out.

Aloha Friday

Sunshine and warm weather are fantastic for vacation, but can you imagine working in that heat? That&#;s precisely the question that was posed by the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce in . They wanted to wear more comfortable, lighter attire rather than the traditional suit and tie.

They slowly got the change that they wanted; sport shirts were allowed during warm months, and aloha shirts were even allowed during Aloha Week in the fall. In the s, the Hawaiian Fashion Guild also went so far as to give one to every member of the Hawaiian Senate and House of Representatives.

A shameless promotional tactic? Maybe, but it was useful for helping the workplace dress codes loosen up. After a time, Aloha Friday emerged, allowing business people to wear aloha shirts on the last day of the week.

Once Aloha Friday caught on, famous Hawaiian singers Kimo Kahoano and Paul Natto came out with their hit song, It&#;s Aloha Friday, No Work &#;til Monday. This TGIF anthem is still sung today in anticipation of the weekend. How&#;s that for an end to your week?

Californians eventually noticed what was happening, and they wanted in on the action. Aloha Friday made its way to the mainland and eventually became what is known today as Casual Friday.

WWII

Following World War II, lots of Americans returned home from Asia and the Pacific with Hawaiian-print shirts in tow. These gained popularity in the fashion world over the years, and they slowly became the fashion symbol that we know today.

The tropical design of aloha print shirts started to become huge once Hawaii became a state in . With faster airplanes and a new destination to explore, American tourists began flocking to Hawaii.

What was once a workers&#; uniform now started to bud into a fashion icon. Since so many tourists wanted to buy the shirts as souvenirs, aloha print shirt makers and dressmakers soon began to use more creative designs and high-quality materials.

Celebrity Involvement

Since leaving its permanent mark on the fashion world, the aloha shirt has been worn by a few iconic celebrities over the years. While the shirt certainly doesn&#;t need to gain any more fame, we continue to be reminded that it&#;s here to stay. From actors to musicians, there&#;s no escaping this Hawaiian design.

Jimmy Buffett

Even if you aren&#;t a Jimmy Buffet fan, &#;Cheeseburger In Paradise&#; probably starts playing in your head upon hearing his name. His music is synonymous with seaside vacations, drinking on the beach, and enjoying life. It&#;s no surprise that, as an artist with a beach bum persona, his go-to wardrobe choice is the aloha shirt.

As Buffet&#;s music gained fame, so did the image of the aloha shirt. Since the s, Buffet has been making music and showcasing the folky sounds of the South. He still tours today, and you can expect him to be decked out in Hawaiian print at any given concert.

Elvis Presley

After Hawaii officially received its statehood in , Elvis had colossal success starring in the film, Blue Hawaii. Presley&#;s fame sparked the America&#;s fascination with Hawaiian culture. Among other Hawaiian trends (like playing ukulele or surfing), the aloha shirt rode the wave of Elvis&#; fame.

As if the movie wasn&#;t enough, Elvis also gave his famous &#;Aloha From Hawaii&#; concert from Honolulu International Center in the s. The concert was broadcast live via satellite and was a huge success.

Tom Selleck

While you might not equate the floral designs of the aloha shirt to masculinity and toughness, Tom Selleck changed the game. As the face behind the title character of Magnum P.I., Selleck is single handedly responsible for a significant s revival of the aloha shirt.

The specific design that he wore is among the most popular patterns for aloha shirts. It&#;s even made its way into the Smithsonian&#;s American History Collection as a national cultural icon. You can get your hands on a replica model today, but don&#;t go trying to fight any crime once you do.

Leonardo DiCaprio

A modern twist on an old classic, Romeo + Juliet () starred a young Leonardo DiCaprio sporting&#;you guessed it&#;an aloha shirt. Although you may not have imagined Romeo wearing a floral design while you read Shakespeare, the film took a lot of creative liberties when bringing this classic to life.

Bruno Mars

In pop culture today, R&B/pop crossover artist Bruno Mars has made a habit of wearing aloha shirts. Given the light hearted, smooth style of his singing and lyrics, this comes as no surprise.

Our Final Thoughts on the Hawaiian Shirt History

Today you can find Hawaiian shirts of many different designs and quality levels on the market. Although they&#;ve taken on a whole new meaning in the public eye, they&#;re still rooted in Hawaii&#;s culture and tradition.

The bottom line is, whether you&#;re heading to Waikiki for a week of surfing or you want to mix up your Casual Friday look, the aloha shirt is great for all occasions. Put one on, spread the excellent island vibes, and take pride in wearing an essential piece of Hawaiian history.

Aloha shirt

Loose-fitting short-sleeve shirts of brightly colored fabric in tropical prints

A vintage aloha shirt, circa

The aloha shirt (Hawaiian: palaka aloha),[1] also referred to as a Hawaiian shirt, is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. They are collared and buttoned dress shirts, usually short-sleeved and made from printed fabric. They are traditionally worn untucked, but can be worn tucked into the waist of trousers. They are worn casually or as informal business attire in Hawaii.

"Aloha Friday", or Casual Friday, a now-common tradition of celebrating the end of the workweek by wearing more casual attire on Fridays, initially grew out of an effort to promote aloha shirts.[2]

Design

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Aloha dress shirts are printed, mostly short-sleeved, and collared. They almost always have buttons, sometimes for the entire length of the shirt or at least up to the chest. They usually have a left chest pocket sewn in, often with attention to ensure the printed pattern remains continuous. Aloha shirts may be worn by men or women. Women's aloha shirts usually have a lower-cut, v-neck style.

The lower hems are straight,[3] and the shirts are often worn with the shirt-tails hanging out, rather than tucked in. Wearing an untucked shirt was possibly influenced by the local Filipinos who wore shirt-tail out, and called these bayau meaning "friend".[5][6][a] Wearing it untucked or tucked depends on personal taste; it carries the same connotations of tucking or untucking a polo shirt. In the s, the shirt became allowed as business attire for aloha week, but only if worn tucked in.[8]

Traditional men's aloha shirts are usually adorned with traditional Hawaiian quilt designs, tapa designs, and simple floral patterns in more muted colors. Contemporary aloha shirts may have prints that do not feature any traditional Hawaiian quilt or floral designs but instead may incorporate drinks, palm trees, surf boards or other island tropical elements in a similar form as the traditional aloha shirt.[10]

It has been observed that locals (kamaʻāina) tended to shy away from the garishness of aloha shirts as "too wild" when they first appeared,[11] whereas tourists embraced wearing designs of many bright colors.[6] An example of the type of shirt the locals may prefer includes the "reverse print"; these shirts are often printed on the interior, resulting in the muted color on the exterior.[citation needed]

History

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Quilt made from vintage aloha shirt fabric, circa s

According to some sources, the origin of aloha shirts can be traced to the s or the early s,[13] when the Honolulu-based dry goods store "Musa-Shiya the Shirtmaker" under the proprietorship of Kōichirō Miyamoto,[13] started making shirts out of colorful Japanese prints.[b][13] It has also been contended that the aloha shirt was devised in the early s by Chinese merchant Ellery Chun of "King-Smith Clothiers and Dry Goods", a store in Waikiki.[15] Although this claim has been described as a myth reinforced by repeated telling,[17] Chun may have been the first to mass-produce[7] or to maintain the ready-to-wear in stock to be sold off the shelf.[4][5]

The name "aloha shirt" appeared later. By and , the word aloha was being attached to various sorts of Hawaiian products, so calling the garments "aloha shirts" was hardly original. The term aloha shirt first appeared in print in an advertisement for Musa-Shiya in the June 28, issue of The Honolulu Advertiser newspaper.[18] However, Ellery Chun is sometimes credited for coining the term,[19] perhaps in ;[20] Chun's store reportedly carried window signs that said "aloha shirts".[7][21] The term "aloha sportswear" was registered as a trademark by Chun's company in ,[4] followed by Chun trademarking "Aloha Shirt" in and owning the rights to this appellation for the next 20 years.

Tori Richard aloha shirts in a store

Within years, major designer labels sprang up all over Hawaii and began manufacturing and selling aloha shirts en masse. By the end of the s, 450 people were employed in an industry worth $600,000 annually.[23] Two notable manufacturers of this period are Kamehameha and Branfleet (later Kahala), both founded in .[6] Retail chains in Hawaii, including some based on the mainland, may mass-produce a single aloha shirt design for employee uniforms.

After World War II, many servicemen and servicewomen returned to the United States from Asia and the Pacific islands with aloha shirts made in Hawaii since the s.[25] One significant manufacturer was Shaheen, which began business in .[6] Following Hawaii's statehood in , when extant tropical prints came to be regarded as rather tacky, designer Alfred Shaheen became noted for producing aloha shirts of higher chic and quality, and Elvis Presley wore a Shaheen-designed red aloha on the album cover for Blue Hawaii ().[25][26] In , Tori Richard, a well-known brand of alohas was established.[27][28] Spooner's of Waikiki, precursor of Reyn Spooner, also established business in .[29]

Exports

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Garments manufactured in Hawaii could bear "Made in Hawaii" labels before statehood (), and even afterwards, their sales to mainland United States continued to be referred to as "exports".[30]

Aloha shirts tend to be referred to as "Hawaiian shirts" by the populace from the mainland United States,[6] and are often brilliantly colored with floral patterns or generic Polynesian motifs.[citation needed]

The aloha shirt is currently[when?] the premier textile export of the Hawaii manufacturing industry.[citation needed]

Aloha dress codes

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Aloha Week

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Man with a typical aloha shirt during the Aloha Festivals Floral Parade

In , the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce funded a study of aloha shirts and designs for comfortable business clothing worn during the hot Hawaiian summers. The City and County of Honolulu passed a resolution allowing their employees to wear sport shirts from June&#;October. City employees were not allowed to wear aloha shirts for business until the creation of the Aloha Week festival in . The Aloha Week festival was motivated by both cultural and economic concerns: First held at Ala Moana Park in October, the festival revived interest in ancient Hawaiian music, dancing, sports, and traditions. There was a holoku ball, a floral parade, and a makahiki festival attended by 8,000 people. Economically, the week-long event first attracted visitors during October &#; traditionally a slow month for tourism &#; which benefited the Hawaiian fashion industry as they supplied the muʻumuʻu and aloha shirts worn for the celebration. Aloha Week expanded in to six islands, and was lengthened to a month. In , Aloha Week was renamed to Aloha Festivals.[32]

In the end, Aloha Week had a direct influence on the resulting demand for alohawear, and was responsible for supporting local clothing manufacturing: locals needed the clothing for the festivals, and soon people in Hawaii began wearing the clothing in greater numbers on more of a daily basis. Hawaii's fashion industry was relieved, as they were initially worried that popular clothing from the mainland United States would eventually replace aloha attire.

Aloha Friday

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In , a professional manufacturing association known as the Hawaiian Fashion Guild began to promote aloha shirts and clothing for use in the workplace, particularly as business attire. In a campaign called "Operation Liberation", the Guild distributed two aloha shirts to every member of the Hawaii House of Representatives and the Hawaii Senate. Subsequently, a resolution passed in the Senate recommending aloha attire be worn throughout the summer, beginning on Lei Day. The wording of the resolution spoke of letting "the male populace return to 'aloha attire' during the summer months for the sake of comfort and in support of the 50th state's garment industry".

In , Bill Foster Sr., president of the Hawaii Fashion Guild, led the organization in a campaign lobbying for "Aloha Friday", a day employers would allow men to wear aloha shirts on the last business day of the week a few months out of the year. Aloha Friday officially began in ,[36] and young adults of the s embraced the style, replacing the formal business wear favored by previous generations. By , aloha wear had gained acceptance in Hawaii as business attire for any day of the week. Unlike the court dress required in most jurisdictions, attorneys in Hawaii may be allowed to wear aloha shirts in court, though this varies among individual courts.[37]

Hawaii's custom of Aloha Friday slowly spread east to California, continuing around the globe until the s, when it became known as Casual Friday. Today in Hawaii, alohawear is worn as business attire for any day of the week,[21] and "Aloha Friday" is generally used to refer to the last day of the work week. Now considered Hawaii's term for "Thank God It's Friday" (TGIF),[38] the phrase was used by Kimo Kahoano and Paul Natto in their song, "It's Aloha Friday, No Work 'til Monday",[39] heard every Friday on Hawaii radio stations across the state.[citation needed]

Aloha attire

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The related concept of "aloha attire" stems from the aloha shirt. Semi-formal functions such as weddings, birthday parties, and dinners are often designated as "aloha attire", meaning that men wear aloha shirts and women wear muumuu or other tropical prints. Because Hawaii tends to be more casual, it is rarely appropriate to attend such functions in full evening wear like on the mainland;[40] instead, aloha attire is seen as a happy medium between excessive formality and casual wear (i.e., business casual).

Notes

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Rooted perhaps to the Filipino barong tagalog
^
(
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in . After Miyamoto's death in , the shop was renamed "Musa-Shiya Shoten" (Japanese title: &#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#; (Musashi-ya-gofukuten) by his son Kōichirō Miyamoto
(
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)
, who sewed Aloha shirts using Japanese kimono fabrics and was allegedly the first to sell shirts of this kind.
[
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Musa-Shiya was established by Japanese immigrant Chōtarō Miyamotoin . After Miyamoto's death in , the shop was renamed "Musa-Shiya Shoten" (Japanese title: &#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#; (Musashi-ya-gofukuten) by his son Kōichirō Miyamoto, who sewed Aloha shirts using Japanese kimono fabrics and was allegedly the first to sell shirts of this kind.

References

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Hawaiian Shirt History: Where the Aloha Shirt Began