What the Aloha shirt can teach us.

The history of the aloha shirt dates back to the 1930s, when Japanese immigrants apparently named the shirts "aloha shirts" after souvenirs from Hawaii, which was beginning to become a tourist destination in the 1930s. There is a 1935 record of a Japanese American tailor shop called "Musashiya" selling shirts called "Aloha Shirts," but it was a man named Ellery Chan who registered the name "Aloha Shirt" as a trademark in 1936. This was in 1936. This is where the history of the aloha shirt began.

However, there are many theories about the origin of the aloha shirt. It is well-known that Japanese immigrants began to take apart kimonos and yukata kimonos and tailor them into shirts. In any case, it is true that there were many Japanese patterns in the early days, and as the number of manufacturers increased, the patterns of aloha shirts became more diverse.

Common motifs for aloha shirt patterns include plants unique to Hawaii, animals such as sea turtles and birds, and the world of hula, a dance dedicated to the gods. Each motif has its own meaning. Plumeria, for example, is said to be the flower in which the gods reside, and it can be worn to "wish happiness to your loved ones. By choosing an Aloha shirt based on the traditions and meanings of the motifs, the world of Aloha shirts can be further expanded.

From the 1930s through the 1950s, the number of manufacturers of aloha shirts continued to increase. In addition to the boom in tourism to Hawaii in the mainland U.S., many Hollywood movies were produced in the 1950s that were set in Hawaii, and the actors wore aloha shirts, creating a huge boom. This period was the golden age of the aloha shirt. The aloha shirt industry became the third largest industry in Hawaii after sugar and pineapple, supporting the Hawaiian economy.

Aloha shirts are formal wear in Hawaii. Aloha shirts worn on business occasions and at weddings and funerals are often made by long-established manufacturers. There are several classic aloha shirt manufacturers, one of which is Kahala, which was established in 1936. Kahala, founded in 1936, continues to produce most of its line in Hawaii.

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Kahala is an important part of the surfing industry. The Kahala was first named after the surfing god Duke Kahanamoku. Duke loved to wear red pannoki-print aloha shirts, and his lifeguards, the Waikiki Beach Boys, wore Kahala aloha shirts as their uniform. Kahala's aloha shirts are full of Hawaiian flair, with more than 1,000 vintage patterns that are regularly revived.

One aloha shirt classic that should not be forgotten is the REYN SPOONER, established in 1956. The company is loved mainly by Hawaiian businessmen, and it is partly responsible for the fact that these businessmen began to wear aloha shirts frequently. At the time, most aloha shirts were worn by tourists, and many of them had flashy patterns that were popular as souvenirs. So, instead of the open collar, rayon shirts that were the mainstream, Rainspooner turned the fabric inside out to avoid the concern of being too flashy, and created button-down shirts made of cotton. This caught the hearts of businessmen and became a big hit.