Hawaiian Shirts

The Hawaiian Shirt is the result of evolution over time and a mystical blending of cultures from old Hawaii. The native Hawaiians wore vibrantly-patterned kapa malo (loin cloths), and royalty wore vibrant, brightly colored feathered capes and headwear.

As Hawaii entered the modern age, Plantation Workers from various corners of the globe brought their own fashion influences. The Japanese brought brightly colored kimono cloth, the Chinese brought silks, the Filipinos brought the untucked Barong Tagalog shirt, and Westerners brought the traditional collared shirt.

In the 1930's, Ellery Chun, a Hawaii-born Chinese-American, began selling brightly colored shirts from his Dry Goods Store, and is largely seen as the "father" of the Aloha Shirt. The Aloha Shirts were also being sold by Musa-Shiya and Ti-Haw-Ho of Surfrider Sportswear during the same time period.

The Hawaiian Shirt began gaining popularity and notice in the U.S. Mainland, with the release of the landmark movie "From Here to Eternity", which featured Frank Sinatra and Montgomery Clift wearing the fancy Hawaiian shirts. Popular entertainers such as Arthur Godfrey and Bing Crosby often wore Hawaiian Shirts on their radio and television shows.

The exposure of Hawaiian Shirts continued, with regular appearances in the "Hawaiian Eye" TV Series starring Robert Conrad, and the movie "Blue Hawaii" with Elvis Presley. Other key Hawaiian Shirt appearances in popular culture included "Hawaii Five-O" with Jack Lord, and "Magnum P.I." with Tom Selleck.

The Hawaiian Shirt is now a vibrant and ingrained part of Americana, thanks to a tropical paradise and the diverse melting pot of cultures that live there.

The Beanteacher Hawaiian Shirts Store offers well over 100 styles of Hawaiian Aloha Shirts and theme wear, including Bowling Shirts, Western Shirts, and Hawaiian print shirts and dresses.