Hawaiian shirt​

It’s time to find your inner island spirit as we dive into the history of the fun and colourful Hawaiian shirt in Iconic Products.​

​It’s a celebration of island culture. With its informallocker, leger​informal style and multicultural origins, the Hawaiian shirt is stylish for some people, a cliché for others.​

The shirt is inspired by Hawaii’s multiethnic heritageErbeheritage: Japanese kimono fabricStofffabric, the Barong shirts of the Philippines, the traditions of Tahiti, the Palaka shirts of plantationPlantageplantation workers, the colorful silkSeidesilks of China... Musa-Shiya Shoten, a tailorSchneider(in)​tailor in Honolulu, first sold Hawaiian shirts in the 1920s, but Ellery Chun of King-Smith Clothiers registered the “aloha shirt” name in 1936. The shirt to evolvesich entwickeln, sich wandeln​evolved into a mix of fabrics (cotton, linenLeinenlinen, silk, and viscose) with Pacific motifs: palm trees, pineappleAnanaspineapples, flowers, hula dancers, surfboards, and sea.​

In 1946, Honolulu allowed Hawaiian shirts to be worn in the office – perfect for the local weather. Hollywood loved the relaxed look: actors, singers, even presidents enjoyed the aloha look. By the 1960s, Hawaii was part of the U.S. – Elvis wore a Hawaiian shirt on the cover of his Blue Hawaii LP – and the trend went and stayed global. Everyone, it seems, needs a touch of tropical paradise.​