Declaration of love to the Hawaiian shirt

A symbol of old-fashionedness for many, the Hawaiian shirt is magical : it has the power to transform you into a tourist for eternity, to embody the sun on gray days.

And if there is one item of clothing that I have avoided for a long time, it is the Hawaiian shirt or aloha shirt. After all, it's just a tourist shirt with a floral print like you see everywhere, right? Of course, I had spotted some interesting, offbeat looks, but nothing too serious in my eyes. Until the day I was offered one that was completely different from what you usually find on the market, with much more complex and detailed designs. Since then, I have discovered a world apart.

To share this love with you, I would like to show you that behind the apparent superficiality of these fabrics, there lies, at the dawn of globalization, a story as rich as its patterns: that of a workwear heritage from plantations. of sugars, influences from Waikiki surfers and Hollywood heritage.

Before the shirt, there was…

For you to better understand the origin of this shirt, I must take the time to briefly explain the history of Hawaii. The Polynesians of Tahiti, originally from the Marquesas Islands, were certainly the first people to discover and live on the Hawaiian Islands, thanks to their emblematic two-hull canoe. They bring with them their own language, religion, traditions and clothing culture which I will return to later. They remained relatively isolated until the arrival of Europeans in 1778.

After the discovery of these islands by Captain Cook, the presence of Westerners was almost immediate. Protestant missionaries arrived in 1820. They were horrified by the apparent nudity of the Hawaiians and gradually imposed Western standards of modesty on them. Around 1822, the effects were visible and Western clothing gradually erased more traditional outfits. The first sewing machines arrived in 1853.

At the same time, around 1835, the first sugar plantations appeared. For the sugar industry to be commercially profitable, foreign workers are needed. In fact, the indigenous population was decimated by diseases introduced by foreigners and against which the natives were not immune.

It was therefore in 1868 that the Gannenmono arrive in Hawaii to work in difficult and dishonest conditions, alongside Chinese immigrants and others.

It is in this context, far from the beach and the coconut trees, closer to the sugar and pineapple fields that the story of the shirt will begin.

First of all, let's go back to its "prehistory": the clothes that preceded it and which are the source of today's shirt. There you will find the three main inspirations for the Hawaiian shirt.

1. The kapa

Kapa is a non-woven fabric that clothed early Hawaiians for centuries. Made from tree bark , it allows the creation of many clothes and everyday objects. It is a method found throughout Polynesia under different names and technical variations.

In a simplified manner, you must first extract the inner bark. The recovered strips are soaked for several days to soften before being beaten and flattened.

To decorate these fabrics, wooden stamps are covered with dyes, mainly vegetable, with a dominant yellow and red, which are the simplest colors to obtain. These are often geometric. They then make it possible in particular to make Malo loincloths and sarongs.

While the method is relatively simple to understand, it requires physical prowess and patience. The women who officiated were honored for their talent. These patterns will be one of the great inspirations for the Hawaiian shirt.

2. The pareo

Around 1810, a fabric arrived from Tahiti that was lighter and easier to make than tapa. . It is made in England.

For the sake of a “civilizing” mission, it will gradually replace the habits of the locals, according to trade routes and under pressure from Westerners. It is often made with white floral prints, hibiscus and breadfruit. These lightweight fabrics were quickly imported to Hawaii.

Photo taken in Polynesia on the Marquesas Island around 1909, during a traditional dance.

The other big influence is that of the Japanese who bring with them their own culture, particularly that of fabrics.

Initially, the different diasporas continue to wear their traditional clothing. In their suitcases, the Japanese are no exception and bring yukatas. These are light, unlined kimonos worn by both men and women.

Traditionally made of indigo cotton, their patterns and colors are varied and depend on gender and age. During the period of Westernization of Japan, in the Meiji era, the yukata became the only popular traditional garment worn in public by men. These are the patterns that inspired the first Hawaiian shirts. But before developing this point, I must tell you the lesser known story of the first Hawaiian shirt, far from the postcard image.

3. The first shirt

One of Palaka's most iconic companies is Arakawa, which began in 1909 with the manufacture of Kaukau bags (for carrying food) and tabis (Japanese split-toe socks).

To meet difficult working conditions, a cheap and robust fabric is required. The Palaka, imported from England and initially used by sailors, stood out. It is a thick cotton twill weave, very durable and dries quickly, in addition to being easy to repair. At first it was only available in blue, first as a jacket and then as a shirt.

In the 1930s, the industry changed. Hawaii is gradually moving from an agricultural industry to a service economy, we are at the dawn of mass tourism.

History has shown time and time again that clothes are first created to serve a function, before being diverted like jeans. The Palaka is no exception and therefore leaves the purely workwear wardrobe to be worn on all occasions by young people.

As a result, the industry is adapting and starting to use lighter fabrics, shorten sleeves and use more colorful shades. It shared its existence with the Hawaiian shirt, until fading in the 1960s. Today, the Palaka has become more confidential.

Birth of a shirt

The exact origin of the “aloha shirt” remains a matter of debate. The first traces of it can be found as early as 1920, with anecdotal productions carried out by students at the University of Hawaii.

From the start, it was a casual garment, shorter than the usual shirts and worn outside of the pants, something unusual at the time. Indeed, the students were inspired by the use of Tagalog Barong, traditional clothing imported by Filipino immigrants.

In the 1930s, Japanese migrants represented more than 40% of the Hawaiian population. At that time, it was still customary to have your shirts made by a tailor.

These tailors were often Japanese and Chinese who had left the harsh working conditions of the fields to open their own businesses. Japanese fabrics, in particular that of Yukatas, are then spontaneously diverted from their original uses to make light and colorful shirts. This is the birth of the Hawaiian shirt.

If at the same time, several tailors began to create their own interpretation of the Hawaiian shirt and claim authorship, history often remembers Ellery Chun.

Chun graduated from Yale University before taking over his father's shop, King-Smith Clothiers. Chun uses the shirt to promote a local style to tourists and to play on their desire to bring a piece of vacation home. And if the authorship of the Hawaiian shirt is a source of controversy , it was he who registered the name “aloha shirt” in 1937. Aloha is a word meaning both hello and goodbye. It is also related to the “aloha” spirit, a form of consideration for others that revolves around respect and love for others.

Prints are evolving and increasingly refer to Hawaii itself. The Japanese motifs, chrysanthemums, Mount Fuji and dragonflies fade to give way to Hawaiian landscapes with Mount Mauna Kea, the beach and coconut trees. The shirts, which become walking postcards, offer a watered-down vision of Hawaii.

The first drawings, in fact, were created by Japanese artists who had never set foot in Hawaii. To create their prints, they then use all the documents at their disposal to imagine life on site: photos, advertisements, magazine articles, etc.

It was not until the mid-1930s that Watumull's East India store led the way by commissioning artist Elsie Das for floral designs reflecting tropical paradises and presaging the beginning of today's prints.

The industry continues to grow. It was the beginning of tourist aviation which made it possible, from the west coast of the United States, to go from a six-day trip by boat to an 18-hour flight.

There are now more than 275 tailors in Honolulu. It was at the same time that the ready-to-wear culture developed. From 1936, two brands were able to produce series in large quantities with their own prints. Including Kamehameha, a pioneer in silk shirts, which exports and wholesales.

By the 1940s, more than 450 people were employed designing Aloha shirts and approximately $600,000 worth of clothing was exported to the rest of the world each year.

Everything was going well, at least until December 7, 1941, the day when the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor led to the United States entering the war. Suddenly, the entire tourism economy stops to make way for the arrival of soldiers ready to go into battle in the Pacific islands.

Although the situation is difficult, the demand still exists, whether from locals but also from GIs who visit the island in search of souvenirs, in short, trophies to bring back.

After the war and the return of soldiers to the country, interest in the little light shirt continued to grow beyond the oceans, to the point of being able to find the first dedicated boutiques in California and the first shirts inspired but manufactured outside the country. 'island. And before talking about all the celebrities who popularized it, I have to tell you about the national sport, surfing.

Long before it was the most “Instagramable” sport there is and long before the arrival of connected boards, surfing was already a common practice on the islands. Far from today's sporting image, which would be totally anachronistic, surfing was fully integrated into Hawaiian tradition as a social practice.

This was gradually lost with the arrival of Westerners, the missionaries considering surfing as an act of depravity.

It would only return to the forefront in the 20th century. A young man will thus restore its place to surfing and with it, publicize the Hawaiian shirt. This is Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, aka Duke.

Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, the man who will restore the nobility of surfing. Photo credit: Bettmann/Getty

Olympic champion in the 100m freestyle twice, considered one of the fathers of contemporary surfing, he widespread the practice, between two competitions, on the American and Australian coasts.

In 1937, he signed a five-year contract with George Brangier, co-creator of Branfleet, to use his champion name and whose shirts bore the following inscription: “designed by Duke Kahanamoku, world champion swimmer and manufactured in the Hawaiian Islands ”.

After this contract, it is with the Cisco brand, distributed in California and New York, that Duke's adventure continues, 12 years in a row. He uses his notoriety to directly promote the shirt on the American continent. It's a real success, with around 150 stores selling “The Duke” line in California.

He was associated again in 1961 with Kahala to produce shirts signed with his name “Duke Kahanamoku” which will be his best-known line.

He died in 1968 and left behind an unparalleled legacy to surf culture. A bronze statue in Honolulu still attests to his notoriety today.

(Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

If Duke is a bit like the David Beckham of co-branding before its time, others have of course contributed to the shirt's notoriety, particularly on the big screen.

Hollywood cinema thus greatly participated in building the legend.

For example, “From here to eternity” , is the first film to show Hawaiian shirts to the (very) general public, in black and white. The majority of the shirts in the film are from Cisco's Kahanamoku line.

During this same period, several films associate Hawaii with its shirt. “Naked in Paradise” by Richard Denning, “On an Island with you” by Richard Thorpet or even “Hawaii Call” by Edward Cline.

The most emblematic example is “Blue Hawaii”. Known for the presence of Elvis Presley as the main actor, the film is a succession of postcard clichés, the best cinematographic incarnation of the Aloha Shirt, of an idealized vision of 'Hawaii.

Closer to us, let us cite the emblematic Magnum series which tells the adventures of a veteran of the Vietnam War, who became a private detective, surveying the heavenly landscapes of the archipelago at the wheel of his Ferrari, accompanied by his legendary mustache and much more. sure of his shirts!

Far from official partnerships, it was only after the series' success that Pacific Clothing began supplying shirts for Tom Selleck. Initially, the shirts were purchased without informing the brand. Subsequently, production will purchase the fabric directly in order to make them tailor-made.

Conversely, in the film “Once upon a time…in Hollywood” by Quentin Tarantino, nothing was left to chance. In this thriller, Brad Pitt plays Cliff Booth, stunt double for a has-been actor, a magnificent loser whose superb Hawaiian shirt will be remembered .

It's Arianne Phillips, costume designer of the film that we owe the choice of the Hawaiian shirt. The vast majority of outfits were created for the occasion from real archives, in order to have perfect mastery of the sartorial message, a mastery rewarded with an Oscar for best costumes.

Photo credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Today the Hawaiian shirt continues to influence our clothing habits and sometimes in much more subtle ways than you imagine.

For example, it was in Hawaii that casual Friday was born. Originally, locals dressed very formally. And no one had air conditioning to help support even the lightest of jackets. If outfits were already a lot less formal than on the continent, you can thank the “Hawaii fashion guide” which promotes the use of Hawaiian shirts on Fridays.

And it is with the influences of surfing on the Californian coasts that the trend develops, before transforming this day into a casual day.

If multi-colored shirts remain the prerogative of tourists and are perceived by the inhabitants of the island with the same gaze as those wearing an “I love Paris” striped shirt back home, so-called formal Hawaiian shirts are authorized in the professional sphere. And you can even, in some courts, be a lawyer and plead in your best print. Sober of course.

The return to grace

For several years now, after falling into disuse, it has returned, as if nothing had happened, to replace the liberty trend with its more generous prints. Today at the height of its glory, you will find it everywhere, in all collections. Let's look together at how to recognize Hawaiian shirt codes.

1. The fabric

While there are contemporary exceptions, the industry is structured around two textiles: cotton but also very often viscose. produced from cellulose, an alternative to silk that appeared during World War II. It is breathable and perfectly suited to high temperatures.

There are crepe variants that provide a wavy feel that is frequently found on kimono fabrics. The army having rationed the production of silk for parachutes, it made it possible economically to regain a silky appearance and to get closer to the same drape.

Even today, the use of silk has continued but it remains a niche market. Finally, polyester is not recommended for greater comfort.

2. The collar

Thin collars and Cuban collars are commonly found on Hawaiian shirts. It is the second that interests us the most. Indeed, the flared collar has the advantage of minimizing contact with the skin and therefore being more comfortable in periods of high heat.

Older models often have much more generous collars. Today, many will find it much easier to wear the newer models, with a narrower collar. It is also possible to find a buckle to close the top of the neck but it is purely decorative.

3. The pocket

One of the signatures of the Hawaiian shirt is the presence of a chest pocket. For aesthetic reasons, the vast majority of shirts have a tone-on-tone pocket so as not to interrupt the print. Although it is a detail often seen as a guarantee of quality, we sometimes find misaligned pockets in respectable vintage brands.

4. Buttons

Although it is now common to find them made of plastic, the most popular are often made of coconut. Making coconut buttons used to be a hobby, long before the advent of the Hawaiian shirt. It is a souvenir in its own right since they are produced on the island itself. With one coconut, it is possible to make around 20 buttons.

It was one of the rare raw materials that did not require import. Production developed rapidly before the arrival, from the 1950s, of foreign competition and the use of much cheaper bamboo from Japan. Bamboo is still widely used today.

In practice, we find other more exotic materials such as metal, highlighted by Alfred Shaheen, or even pearly buttons.

It is not uncommon to find fewer buttons than on a more ordinary shirt .

5. Prints

Central element of the shirt, the patterns have evolved over time.

Full prints

These are the most classic, without specific pattern location. The print evenly covers the shirt.

There is a variant with one-dimensional prints to make the print more readable and aesthetic.

Prints with a dedicated location

This is a method developed in the 1940s. These are patterns that are placed in a particular location on the shirt. Often to play on symmetry or a print that plays on the edges of the shirt

In these cases we also find shirts with border prints. These are shirts where the print stops on the ends of the sleeves and sometimes the bottom of the shirt.

Reverse prints

These are the most popular in Hawaii. It's a process invented by Reyn Spooner, which consists of using the reverse side of the print to have a faded finish and thus have less garish colors. It remains the most used in professional circles and fits perfectly into the logic of “formal” Aloha.

However, I insist on the fact that not all locals wear it, just as we do not all wear a sailor top with a little beret to buy our baguette every morning.

6. Print styles.

They are obviously very numerous but here is a selection of the most common.

Le Pareau

Perhaps the most emblematic, it was popularized by Alfred Shaheen with the “Tapa Tiaré” pattern from a Haitian model.

Tapa or Paka

Linked to the history of native Hawaiians and traditional fabrics. Many brands have used prints from Samoa, wrongly presenting them as typical of the local culture. Today certain brands are specifically rehabilitating the history of the kapa print. Kapa only refers to Hawaiian fabrics.

Oriental style

Coming from the kimono culture, we find, even today, both diverted fabrics but also prints inspired by Japanese culture, such as Japanese prints which often leave room for Mount Fuji, the temple, as well as 'to Japanese fauna and flora, such as tigers and chrysanthemums.

Scenic

These are idealized representations of Hawaii. Unsurprisingly, we find the islands, the beach or even Mount Black Diamond, but also elements specific to the world of vacations, whether liners, deckchairs, or even the first seaplanes, symbols of the beginning mass tourism.

Finally, images of life before the arrival of Europeans are frequently represented with two-hull canoes, fishing scenes, traditional houses... As well as a certain sexualization of "exoticism" with the dancing Hawaiian vahiné in traditional dress. On this last point, being for my part sensitive to the question of representations of women, I am more reserved about wearing this type of pattern.

In any case, if the scenes are often repetitions of motifs, we sometimes find real paintings showing a moment of life, a story.

The quality of a Hawaiian shirt will essentially depend on the quality of the print. To support this point, here is an example with two models representing the iconic shirt worn by Leonard DiCaprio in Romeo+Juliette.

On one side ASOS , on the other Senshi

The difference is obvious.

The ASOS shirt, for obvious reasons of cost, only offers a very limited number of details, it is only a shadow of the original.

A whole world with the Senshi which has been the subject of the best printing techniques. The details are rich, the print much more complex and the colors much deeper.

In the meantime, the Farafield version below is also interesting, with the merit of offering an atypical proposition on the market.

How to choose it

If you're still here, maybe I've convinced you that not only is the history of the Hawaiian shirt fascinating, but that you also have a terrible desire to wear one. I understand you. You may be, like me, at the dawn of a new addiction.

In the vintage market, several aspects will determine the value of a shirt.

However, the task is not as easy as it seems. Generally speaking, although we find millions of them in thrift stores, many are of poor quality, made of polyester, with uninteresting prints.
So we have to do a lot of sorting.

• The Graal is what we call “dead stock”, that is to say shirts that have never been worn.
• Print will have a special place. The most sought-after prints are generally those that have been publicized (films, series, etc.). But some, more specialized, interest connoisseurs for the history they convey .
• Sizes L and XL are the most popular. Knowing that for the oldest, the vintage , cut on average one size less than the current ones.

The difficulty is that many owners of old shirts realize neither the real value nor the fragility of the fabric. Many shirts have not stood the test of time and it is therefore not easy to find ones in good condition.

Where to buy them?

You will find them in all thrift stores, including Kiliwatch and Épisode pour les Parisiens.

If you want a (small) selection you can also find some at the Boutique Le vive and Brut Clothing .

On the internet, it's a different story. There are good references there but the prices can soar.

Despite everything, here are some ideas:

• Broadway&Sons . The Swedish thrift store has an interesting little selection.
• On Etsy you also have some interesting resellers. The simplest method is to search for vintage brands: this will allow you to find stores offering a more specialized selection. You can obviously search by typing “Aloha shirt” but the market is saturated with cheap shirts, which will require sorting.
• Finally, there is THE reference site, Hanashirt Co , dedicated to the sale of vintage Aloha shirts. As usual in vintage stores where great emphasis is placed on curation, you will find the most beautiful shirts at full price. On the other hand, the selection is of very good quality and the site offers sorting by periods.

Finally, if you are lucky enough to be there, the ideal is to go to the king of Hawaiian second-hand clothes: David Bailey's. After launching his small business in the 1980s, he now has more than 15,000 references, from small shirts costing $10 to shirts selling for several thousand euros.

My selection of brands

I hesitated to make an exhaustive list, but instead I preferred to make a more personal, more readable selection to invite you to discover more for yourselves.

Percival Clothing . Often cited on BonneGueule, it is clear that the British brand enjoys excellent value for money. This year she released sophisticated Hawaiian shirts, with an interesting composition, good quality and with coconut buttons: excellent value for money. We devoted an article to one of them here .

Vintage Gitman . This brand offers interesting and quality shirts from time to time. There is also a good deal on Yoox with a print clearly copied from a Cisco Champion model from the 1940s.

Paradise Found . Created in 1978, it started out as a small brand like many others. It was only with the Magnum series that it became one of the most popular. His shirts are quality. It is also one of the only brands that you can easily buy in France. Be careful, they run large.

Two Palms . A “young” brand that has been producing shirts for only 20 years. This is one of my favorite brands, with prints that are easy to wear every day.

Avanti . Since 1991, it has offered reproductions of shirts from the 1930s to the 1950s. Be careful, therefore, with the generous collars of the period, which make them more difficult to wear. The prices are very affordable, especially the sale shirts.
However, expect average quality tailoring and the absence of the precious “made in Hawaii”. In return, it is the opportunity to have prints that are often inaccessible in this price range.

Sun Surfing . Unique Japanese brand, specializing in reproducing Hawaiian shirts for over 40 years. Here, reproduction is elevated to the rank of art. The colors are faithfully reproduced, and the detail goes down to the choice of buttons and the reproduction of the label. The prices match this impressive attention to detail. It is also one of the rare brands to offer a workwear range in Palaka.

Pagong Kyoto . Originally a kimono dyeing company founded in 1919. As demand declined to make way for Western clothing, Kazuaki Kameda, from 2002, used all his traditional know-how to create one-of-a-kind shirts. . In 2006, it was recognized: it was considered one of the 100 emblematic companies of Japanese industry by the Japanese Ministry of the Economy.

Sources

If you want to know more, here are three books that I recommend reading.

Japanese Immigrant Clothing in Hawaii, 1885-1941 by Barbara F. Kawakami
Japanese immigrated to Hawaii with her family at three months old. After a career as a seamstress At 53, Barbara Kawakami entered university to study fashion design. She has done a great deal of work on the traditional outfits of the first generations of Japanese in Hawaii.

The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands by Dale Hope
Dale Hope has spent his life in the clothing industry in Hawaii, including serving as creative director of the legendary Kahala label. He also worked with Patagonia on the Pataloha label and today works in particular on the aloha western project. He is considered the author of the reference book.

Aloha Attire: Hawaiian Dress in the Twentieth Century by Linda Arthur
Professor at the University of Washington and curator in the design and textiles department. She is the academic authority on Hawaiian shirt matters.