The ABC's of Hawaiian Aloha Shirts

The following are my opinions and observations based upon my experience in selling thousands of Hawaiian aloha shirts over the past years. Many of the terms are used in my listing descriptions so it's my intention that this guide will benefit the consumer in making better informed buying decisions. I'm now able to tell the brand and material of an aloha shirt someone else is wearing...most of the time! Yes, sometimes I even ask them, if it is an especially nice looking shirt...then I compliment them. This is a continuing work in progress and I hope you enjoy it.

*A*

Aloha: Celebrates the spirit of the Islands...laid-back, easy-going, and just plain fun. It's everthing to do with the beauty of nature and people.

Aloha Shirt: Synonymous with Hawaiian shirt. 

Andrade: Island specialty men's clothing retailer.

Anthurium: Easily recognizable heart-shaped flowers in Hawaii; usually white. Often found in Aloha shirt designs/patterns.

*B*

Bamboo: Popular theme in patterns. Sometimes used for buttons. Stands for strength and flexibility.

Barkcloth: Very dense, textured material. See "Tapa".

Bluewater Wear: Made in the continental USA. Themes reflect the coastal lifestyle.

Bottom hem: The bottom hem of aloha shirts are always cut straight for wearing outside of pants or shorts. Often-times, side vents (slits) are also included. Rarely, I have seen extra-long tails (back of shirt, bottom hem) on Hawaiian shirts.

Breadfruit: Tropical Hawaiian tree with large, thick leaves with lobes. The fruit is light green. Often used in shirt prints.

Buttons: Coconut wood is still the most desired. Many vintage shirts have metal buttons. Plastic is the most common as is wood. Oyster and abalone shell are exquisite being found mainly with top-of-the-line Tori Richard shirts.

*C*

Camp Shirt: Same style as an Hawaiian aloha shirt only with a solid color and no print; Tommy Bahama makes a lot of these.

Celebrities: There are many famous people who have helped to make Hawaiian shirts popular...Arthur Godfrey, Weird Al Yankovic, Richard Lewis, Elvis Presley, Don Ho, Jimmy Buffett, Tom Selleck, Pres. Harry S. Truman, Wayne "Dog" Chapman, Duke Kahanamoku, Bing Crosby, Johnny "Tarzan" Weismuller, Walt Disney, and John Wayne (see photos).

Chest/width measurement: With the shirt lying flat, measure across chest from armpit seam to armpit seam; this is the width. The width times 2 equals the chest measurement. 

Collar: The traditonal aloha shirt has a large pointed collar. Shirts have evolved to a more tailored look with button-down collars and the sporty polo-style knit collars.

Cooke Street: One of the most underated brands but quickly gaining in popularity. Beautiful, large selection and patterns. Well made. Most, but not all, made in Hawaii. Update: Just did an RN number search on several Cooke Street shirts and kept coming up with two recurring RN numbers both of which belong to Tori Richard LTD...see below, a very respected name in Hawaiian wear! Can't say I'm surprised.

Cotton: Most popular fabric used in shirts. Often as a blend with polyester which is more durable and has much less tendency towards shrinkage as plain cotton does; dries faster. Cotton lawn is used in premium shirts...a fine fabric with a tight weave; soft, and holds creases well. Premium cottons are Egyptian cotton and Pima cotton.

*D*

Diamond Head: Sought-after, highly prized, especially their vintage shirts.

*E*

Egyptian Cotton: Considered to be the best cotton in the world; longest and strongest fibers. Grown in the Nile River Valley.

*F*

Fit: Aloha shirts should be fairly loose fitting and airy; that's why they're worn not-tucked-in especially when the weather is hot.

Flora/fauna: Tropical flowers, especially hibiscus, tropical birds such as the parrot, and palm trees are probably the most popular aloha shirt themes followed closely by pineapples.

*G*

Go Barefoot: High-end brand with original roots in Hawaii now made in Los Angeles, California. Extremely well made with durable fabric. Excellent quality with wonderful patterns.

*H*

Hawaii: State flower - yellow hibiscus; State tree - Kukui; State bird - Nene; State marine animal - humpback whale...these are all often featured in print designs.

Hilo Hattie: Largest retailer and manufacturer of Hawaiian-wear. Also have retail outlets in continental USA. Good quality; nice prints.

Holo Holo: Great prints; usually made of rayon.

*I*

Iolani: Very respected quality. Made in Hawaii since 1953.

*J*
Jamaica Jaxx: Usually made of silk. Very popular.

Jams World: Founded in 1964...now a division of SurfLine. All I can think of is wow! Like wearing a painting; these shirts are so artsy. Typically very colorful and bold; abstract prints common. Typically made of rayon; "wrinkled look" common. "Jams" was taken from the word pajamas and when Surfline Original Jams started in the 60's it became an instant hit.

Joe Kealoha's: Usually made of rayon. Earlier collections were outsourced to Reyn Spooner. Very similar to Jams World in bold, vivid colors and designs. Designs not as far-out as Jams World. Pua (Joe?) Kealoha was a colorful lifeguard in Hawaii in the 50's and was very popular with the surfing crowd for playing his guitar or ukelele on the beach for impromtu entertainment with the Waikiki Beachboys.

*K*

Kahala: Have been around a long time. They just seem to get better and better. Huge selections of prints and materials.

Kalaheo: Authentic made-in-Hawaii aloha shirts. (see RJC).

Kamehameha: (1) King Kamehameha or Kamehameha the Great is often depicted as a motif on aloha shirts. (2) Also a desirable vintage brand name.

*L*

Length (of shirt...how measured): With the shirt lying flat, measure from shoulder seam just under collar to bottom hem of shirt.

Liberty House: Popular Islands retail chain.

*M*

Made in Hawaii: (1) All aloha shirts are made in Hawaii. Wrong! Almost all silk shirts, regardless of brand, are made in China. Why? Seems China has the market on silk as it has had for centuries and they don't want to let go of that resource without a price. Tommy Bahama, extremely popular, never manufactures their shirts in Hawaii; most are made overseas. Good quality shirts are also made in the continental USA. However, the purists still want to see "Made in Hawaii" on the label; seems it helps with sales. Due to economical supply and demand issues, Hawaiian aloha shirt manufacturers often out-source to other countires. (2) Also the name of a vintage brand.

McInerny:  One of the oldest Island retail chains in Hawaii established in 1850. Prominent shirtmakers such as The Kahala and Tori Richard made shirts for the chain with the McInerny label. Went out of business in the 1980's.

*N*

Norfleet: Nat Norfleet, Sr. along with George Brangier started Branfleet in 1936 later to become Kahala. There is an account that along with Pat Dorian they made the first reverse print shirt...by accident!

*O*

Outrigger: Polynesian canoe with side pontoons, often with sails. A popular aloha shirt motif.

*P*

Paradise Found: Probably remembered best for the red parrots shirt worn by Tom Selleck in Magnum P.I. Very popular. Most are made from rayon. Many prints are no longer available.

Petroglyph: Prehistoric rock carving or rock art; often used as a theme in Hawaiian shirt patterns.

Pima Cotton: Second in quality to Egyptian cotton. Grown in the U.S. South West by the Pima Indians. Used in high-end apparel.

Pockets: Most aloha shirts have a front left-side pocket; most quality shirts have a pocket that matches or blends-in perfectly with the pattern...but not always. Matching pockets cost more to manufacture; thats why usually the cheaper brands do not have matching pockets, hence they often look "slapped on". Matching pocket Hawaiian shirts are more costly than other kinds of shirts because the pocket has to be cut and aligned by hand...think of it as trying to put together an intricate jig-saw puzzle; plus the process is wasteful of material. Hidden pockets are common with the more vintage shirts; since they are basically on the inside of the shirt, they do not interfere with the pattern.

Polyester: Man-made synthetic fabric introduced to the American public in apparel in 1951. In cotton blends makes for a very durable, long-lasting shirt. By itself it is very light-weight, cool, and difficult to wrinkle; almost impossible to shrink. Dries very quickly. Since it is impervious to UV rays, dyes will not fade. It lost favor due to the disco double-knit image of the 70's but is quickly regaining favor as paper-thin versions in apparel for trendy active sportswear and is being endorsed by such celebrities as Tiger Woods, Andy Roddick, etc. Even now manufacturers are starting to double and even triple mercerize cotton to appear like shiny, satin-smooth polyester. Polyester can be made to feel like silk. Is already making a comeback in aloha shirts. Very versatile material.

Polynosic: A synthetic microfiber often blended with other fabrics to give a soft, luxurious feel. Will not stretch when wet and has excellent moisture wicking properties for active-wear.

Plumeria: Very fragrant flower with five white petals and yellow center. Found in several Pacific islands, such as Hawaii and Tonga, Plumeria is used for making leis. The flower is also, in Hawaiian culture, worn by women to indicate relationship status - over the right ear if seeking a relationship, and over the left if taken. Very popular print theme in aloha shirts. 

*R*

Rayon: Man-made fabric. Light and airy. Luxurious feel similar to silk; originally intended as a replacement for silk. Tendency to wrinkle. Takes dyes nicely. Also known as Viscose.

Reverse print: The print is actually on the inside of the shirt which gives the appearance of a more subdued and worn print on the outside of the shirt; originally popularized by Reyn Spooner.

Reyn Spooner: Took aloha shirts to a new level. More stylish with button down collars and reverse prints. Extremely popular. Some of the earlier classic lines are still being produced. The cotton blends seem to last forever and the prints are very sophisticated.

RJC: Founded in 1954. See also Kalaheo. 

RN Number: Found on modern aloha shirt labels. RN stands for Registered Identification Number. It is a number issued by the FTC to U.S. businesses that manufacture, import, distribute, or sell products covered by the Textile, Wool, and Fur Acts. Businesses can use this number on product labels in lieu of the company name. A search can be performed to find the aloha shirt manufacturer according to that particular shirt label's RN#.

Royal Creations: Made in Hawaii. Well made and popular. Prints more in classic or vintage lines.

*S*

Sealife: Fish, seaturtles, seashells, coral, octopus, sea plants, etc. are extremely popular shirt themes.

Shoulder measurement: With shirt lying flat, measure across back along shoulder seam from arm/side seam to arm/side seam.

Silk: Produced from the cocoon of silkworm larva. Soft texture and shimmering lustre. Has a natural affinity for dyes. Very strong and elastic. Silk aloha shirts are some of the most expensive and sought after. Most silk is produced in China as it has been for two to three thousand years.

Surfing: A classic aloha shirt motif. What other sport comes to mind when thinking of Hawaii and the ocean? Maybe scuba diving and sport fishing?

*T*
Tapa: Tapa cloth is also known as barkcloth. The Native Hawaiians actually made garments from the bark of trees and then applied unique designs indigenous to their culture.

Taro: Taro leaves are a very popular motif in Hawaiian shirt prints.
Tencel: Made from wood pulp cellulose; offers a unique combination of being as soft as silk, strong as polyester, cool as linen, warm as wool, and more absorbent than cotton with its nanofiber wicking properties.    

Tiki: According to Polynesian myth, the first man , or the god who creates him; a representation of a god, often a small sculptured figure. Often seen as themes in Hawaiian shirt patterns.

Tommy Bahama: Not a true aloha shirt in my opinion...more like resort-wear; very often come with polo-style collars and pockets that don't match. However, they are truly well-made and the prints are outstanding. The material is usually more ample than most and the sizes run larger than usual for a very relaxed fit. I have yet to see one made in Hawaii but so what...I like them a lot.

Tori Richard LTD: The epitome of a classy, up-scale Hawaiian-made shirt. In my opinion they are one of the best with sophisticated patterns/designs and colors. In cotton lawn with abalone or oyster shell buttons, they can't be beat. Founded in 1956. Extremely popular. They also make aloha shirts for other respected labels such as Pau Hana and Cooke Street.

*U*

Unisex: Even though most Hawaiian shirts button Men's (buttons on right side) they can be be worn by either men or women.

*V*

Vintage: Sometimes, the word vintage can be used loosely. As a general rule, I choose the word vintage to describe shirts that are from Hawaiian shirt manufacturers that are now defunct. This list can include Malihini, Iolani, Kamehameha, Surfriders, The Kahala, Shaheen, Champion Kahanamoku, and others from the 30's to the 60's. However, even manufacturers that are still producing aloha shirts but haven't produced a certain pattern (pattern retired or commemorative) in several years may fall under vintage...such as Diamond Head, Kahala, RJC, Jams World, and even Reyn Spooner, and Tori Richard.

*W*

Winnie Fashion: Reasonably priced quality aloha shirts; located in Honolulu.

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