The Official Aloha Shirt Thread

[zargoz]

Bumping this thread after almost a decade...

I want to buy some aloha/hawaii/camp shirts and I am looking for some advice.

• What are the lower tier, mid tier, and top tier brands for these shirts? In terms of quality/material used for the shirts.
• Which brands have the most unique designs?

I did some research and know this:

PACIFIC LEGEND = low tier? based on price
TOMMY BAHAMA = mid tier? based on price, however, some people claim it's low quality
SUN SURF = top tier? based on pricing and their, in my opinion, very unique designs

Quality is the most important factor. I prefer to spend more on a shirt that will last a long time over something that's poorly constructed.

I totally forgot this thread existed... until popped up in my feed. Thanks for the revival!

Tommy Bahama... Russell Brand's character in 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' said it best. Avoid. No offense to any fans here.

Sun Surf is awesome, a new collection along different themes (classic, modern, Japanese) every year. It's a Toyo (Sugar Cane) brand, MiJ, high quality. I have picked up a shirt from them every year or two.

Grabbed a Portuguese Flannel aloha style from SF's Spoo this Sunday and it just arrived, impressed. I didn't previously know the brand did this style, but another one to check out. Some standard stuff but some unique ones as well.

Hana shirt co. sells vintage ones from Hawaii, can be pricy but they have very unique stuff.

 

[kurdo]

I purchased four aloha shirts since my first question in this thread a few months ago. My most recent addition is this Fuji silk aloha shirt from MUSA-SHIYA THE SHIRTMAKER, made in Hawaii. It's the first reprint since the original design sometime in the 1940s. Apparently Sun Surf's fastest selling aloha shirt ever and sold out almost everywhere. I managed to get one of the last medium-sized shirts. Haven't received it yet. Anyone else got this one?

 

[Garrister]

I purchased four aloha shirts since my first question in this thread a few months ago. My most recent addition is this Fuji silk aloha shirt from MUSA-SHIYA THE SHIRTMAKER, made in Hawaii. It's the first reprint since the original design sometime in the 1940s. Apparently Sun Surf's fastest selling aloha shirt ever and sold out almost everywhere. I managed to get one of the last medium-sized shirts. Haven't received it yet. Anyone else got this one?

This is not a traditional Hawaiian print. It's Asian.

 

[Garrister]

I don't own any but I've handled some by Two Palms and they seem like an incredible value. They're around $50, made in Hawaii, pattern matched pockets (a detail they're rightly very proud of), with traditional prints in actual Rayon.

I own 5 or 6 Two Palm Aloha shirts in rayon. For my money, they are a great value and remind me of the old Reyn Spooners you could buy off the shores of Waikiki about 20 years ago -- but no longer -- as Reyn Spooner has gone decidedly upscale.

 

[kurdo]

This is not a traditional Hawaiian print. It's Asian.

Yes, the print is oriental, but the style is Hawaiian shirt. The maker of this shirt (MUSA-SHIYA THE SHIRTMAKER) was the first company to use the term "aloha shirt" in its advertising. The shirt is printed in Honolulu .

From Toyo Enterprise:

"Aloha shirt - the garment that symbolizes the paradise called Hawaii. However, its origin has much to do with the Japanese immigrants to the islands, and thus the shirt designs range from tropical patterns to that of oriental. In the mid-20th century, when Hawaii became a popular tourism cite, Aloha shirts were in great demand as a souvenir. With this background did the designs become even more diverse, some of which still appear to this day as incredibly rare vintage. “Sun Surf Special Edition” has a high regard for these textile designers of the time, and it is dedicated to creating complete replicas of such exquisite vintage, by precisely mirroring such features as the multicolor and impressive patterns or the various use of fine details, many of which have tended to be lost over time."

 

[Junglejack]

Dig this thread and live on the Big Island. While I hardly wear them, most of my Aloha shirts are from Sig Zane. Highly recommend checking out his wares and all made in Hawaii. If wanting a more fitted shirt, Avanti’s shirts are well priced, made in Hawaii and will not need tailoring for those who prefer a fitted look.

 

[double00]

This is not a traditional Hawaiian print. It's Asian.

fyi asian motifs underpin aloha fabrics since the very beginning of the type . many of the earliest specimens used kimono fabrics , that's baked into the aloha shirt's dna .

aloha shirts are hawaiian but they are a cosmopolitan construct and reflect the islands' various influences

 

[Garrister]

fyi asian motifs underpin aloha fabrics since the very beginning of the type . many of the earliest specimens used kimono fabrics , that's baked into the aloha shirt's dna .

aloha shirts are hawaiian but they are a cosmopolitan construct and reflect the islands' various influences

That arguments only goes so far. Dragon motifs are not Hawaiian at all. Calling a shirt like that an Aloha shirt is a massive stretch because there is nothing Hawaiian about it -- and, in this case, it's not even made by Hawaiians. It's better to refer to a shirt like that as a Made in Hawaii shirt because that is really all it is.

 

[double00]

That arguments only goes so far. Dragon motifs are not Hawaiian at all. Calling a shirt like that an Aloha shirt is a massive stretch because there is nothing Hawaiian about it -- and, in this case, it's not even made by Hawaiians. It's better to refer to a shirt like that as a Made in Hawaii shirt because that is really all it is.

i'm not making an argument ; i'm imparting a simple truth .

reynolds mccullough ( the reyn in reyn spooner ) was a californian btw and started that firm on catalina island . meanwhile some of the earliest aloha tailors had names like chun , mirata , and miyamoto .

if i was going to make an argument i'd suggest you get a clue lol

 

[mhip]

 

[Garrister]

i'm not making an argument ; i'm imparting a simple truth .

reynolds mccullough ( the reyn in reyn spooner ) was a californian btw and started that firm on catalina island . meanwhile some of the earliest aloha tailors had names like chun , mirata , and miyamoto .

if i was going to make an argument i'd suggest you get a clue lol

A dragon motif is not Hawaiian. Almost everyone in the world would recognize that to be true ... except you evidently. By your logic an "Aloha Shirt" can display a picture of Mao Zedong and still be authentically Hawaiian. So, there is only one of us that needs a clue, and it's not me.

 

[double00]

A dragon motif is not Hawaiian. Almost everyone in the world would recognize that to be true ... except you evidently. By your logic an "Aloha Shirt" can display a picture of Mao Zedong and still be authentically Hawaiian. So, there is only one of us that needs a clue, and it's not me.

from a 40s print :



truth will set you free brother . the first aloha fabrics were japanese kimono fabrics of silk and rayon ( mao was chinese btw ) .

alfred shaheen wasn't even hawaiian , get a grip .

btw ever visited the islands ?

 

[Junglejack]

from a 40s print :

View attachment 1990505

truth will set you free brother . the first aloha fabrics were japanese kimono fabrics of silk and rayon ( mao was chinese btw ) .

alfred shaheen wasn't even hawaiian , get a grip .

btw ever visited the islands ?

Even the Native Hawaiians often are often of partial Chinese, Portuguese, and Japanese extraction owing primarily to those being the main groups that came to farm Sugar Cane and the Native Hawaiian population being decimated by disease when Cook, et al came.

Will say most Aloha shirts seen around here on this island anyway are of plants and patterns native to the islands.

 

[double00]

the truth is there are lots of asian motifs in trad aloha fabrics : pagodas , koi , etc .

idk what is up with the weirdo gatekeeping

 

[Junglejack]

Really and truly such shirts are generally worn around here for somewhat formal occasions with the primary uniform for most all being shorts, t-shirts, and sandals.