The Aloha Shirt

The Shirt that defined the Islands

Hawaii, awash in romance, marbled by different cultures, saturated with beauty, and compelling in contrasts, gave birth, over 50 years ago, to the renowned Aloha shirt.  There is today probably no better-known garment in the world that captures a land’s “spirit of place”.  For half a century, the Aloha shirt has been Hawaii’s most enduring and visible

“The Aloha shirt has been Hawaii’s most enduring and visible ambassador”

ambassador – like a lei, the Aloha shirt is worn as a statement of one’s love for, and connection to, a most special place.”  From the preface to the book The Aloha Shirt, words by Tommy Holmes.

The Aloha Shirt captures the true history of this cultural symbol.  The history of such a marvelous cultural icon, so evocative of the spirit of its home, is woven with the mystery and allure of Hawaii and the stories of those who have lived there.  Different tales have circulated for decades about the origins of the Aloha shirt.  Did it spring forth late one night from the hand-operated sewing machine of a Japanese tailor?  Was it inspired by the tail-out shirts of the Philippines, elegant kimono cloth from Japan, or vivid floral prints from Tahiti?

There are well-documented stories from the pre-war years of teenagers, buying wonderful, finely printed, Kabe crepe material, imported from Japan, in the dry-goods stores of downtown Honolulu.  These young men would have had their mothers sew beautiful shirts from the fabric.  That tradition, of the beautifully sewn printed shirts, spread from the Asian dry-goods merchants and home-sewers to the tailors and dressmakers of Hawaii, creating a new style of colourful clothing.

The early Aloha shirts most often depicted ancient symbolic imagery of the Orient.  Pine and plum tree prints represented long life, good fortune and success.  The image of a tiger symbolized strength and courage.  Prints of bamboo denoted strength and flexibility.  Early designs were also graced with traditional images of Mount Fuji, ornate temples or peaceful landscapes.

It was not long before local artists began to design textiles that captivated the dreamy, romantic lifestyle of their island home.  Early prints that were intended for home interiors soon made their way into clothing.  Elsie Das designed beautiful botanical prints of native plants – hibiscus, breadfruit, night-blooming cereus – as well as a humorous pattern incorporating hula girls.

“Celebrities of that era, such as John Barrymore, Bing Crosby and Elvis Presley, were widely photographed in the shirts”

Duke Kahanamoku, Hawaii’s most beloved surfer and its Olympic swimming champion, is hailed as the earliest and greatest promoter of the Aloha shirt.  He even had his own line of shirts, which are widely coveted by collectors today.

Whether it is a collectible shirt from the 1930s or a style of today, the Aloha shirt remains a symbol of the casual and care-free Hawaiian lifestyle.