#beyond retro

The Hawaiian shirt is a true vintage classic, an iconic look that has lasted through the decades and is now a staple in the summer style staples. Whether you’re inspired by a retro film or your uncle’s holiday style, there’s no doubt that its influence is everywhere in fashion. So we’ve decided to delve into the history of this iconic shirt, from its origins to the big pop culture moments that have kept the Hawaiian shirt back to the forefront of men’s fashion.

The Origin of the Hawaiian Shirt

Even though Hawaii was self-governed in the 1880s there was still a massive presence of US-run businesses. Seeking cheap labour, American business owners recruited from all corners of the world, from China, Korea and Portugal, but most importantly to the Aloha shirt, Japanese immigrants.

Why was this important?

Fast forward to the 1920s where Gordon Young, a student at the University of Hawaii, worked with his mother’s dressmaker to create a ‘pre-aloha shirt’. Using Japanese Yutaka cloth, known to be used by Japanese women for work kimonos. Patterns included blue or black bamboo and geometric designs on white backgrounds. Soon enough, these became popular with his classmates in Hawaii. Young later attended the University of Washington, bringing his shirts with him, turning heads aplenty and sparking a lot of fashion debate.

It wasn’t until the 30s that the Aloha shirt really started to increase in popularity. The key to this was Ellery Chun, a local businessman who had just graduated from Yale in 1931. He transformed a Chinese dry goods shop into the first mass producer of Hawaiian shirts, coining the term “Aloha-shirts” and making them a must-have of Honolulu.

Shortly after, Hawaiian shirts went into mass production. Alfred Shaheen was at the forefront of this, during the 50s his textile company ‘Shaheen’s of Honolulu’ was the largest producing Hawaiian shirts in Hawaii. Aloha shirts for men were his big speciality, but his range also included sarong dresses for women, the first of their kind being made in large-scale. As sales boomed, Shaheen hired teams of artists to design new motifs for fabrics, with artists experimenting with prints and producing non-traditional coconut tree’s, oriental fish and surfers.

These foreign influences, paired with Hawaiian native Kapa cloth clothes, were instrumental in creating the Hawaiian shirt.

Other big names such a Kamehameha and Duke Kahanamoku, as well as Shaheen’s of Honolulu, helped turn the Hawaiian shirt from a novelty tourist item into a commercially traded product.

Aloha shirts have strong Japanese roots as these immigrants often brought with them bright kimono fabrics. Filipino and Chinese immigrants also play a role by bringing barong talongs, a type of traditional untucked shirt, and multicoloured silks.

The Mass production of Hawaiian Shirts

Our 6 Favourite Hawaiian Shirt Moments In Pop Culture

From Here to Eternity, 1953.

Hollywood in the 50s really embraced the shirt. Shaheen was big on celebrity endorsement, encouraging all the biggest Hollywood stars to wear his pieces, helping them break through to more mainstream fashion in America. They became immortalised on the silver screen with Frank Sinatra, Ernest Borgnine, Montgomery Clift, and Burt Lancaster all wearing them in the 1953 movie classic, “From Here to Eternity.” making them a staple in movie fashion history.

Elvis Presley in Blue Hawaii, 1961.

Elvis was THE style icon of his time, breaking boundaries in men's fashion throughout his career, capturing the imagination of the world. When the King of Rock n Roll starred in Blue Hawaii, he was the perfect model for Shaheen’s Hawaiian Shirts. Coupled with an iconic soundtrack and set in paradise, Elvis made the Hawaiian shirt the perfect item for a summer holiday on the beach.

Tom Selleck in Magnum P.I., 1980-1988.

This American crime drama set in Hawaiian became an overnight success, ranking in the top 20 TV shows in the US for most of the 80s. As the key character, Tom Selleck’s stardom exploded, and his relaxed summer style featuring multiple Hawaiian shirts in a dazzling array of colours and prints, along with short shorts, baseball caps and accessorised with lots of chest hair and a giant tash, became one of the most recognisable looks of the decade.

Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, 1994.

Just when you thought the Hawaiian shirt’s loud colours had been left in the 80s, the outlandish comedian Jim Carrey somehow brings it back for his bizarre character in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Not the most obvious source of style inspo, Carrey works an open Hawaiian shirt over a white t-shirt and flashy trousers making it modern, fun and wonderfully weird.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Romeo + Juliet, 1996.

This was quite possibly the best film of the 90s, with Baz Luhrmann adapting William Shakespeare’s classic without changing the language, but updating the location, music and style, taking it to dizzying heights of cool. Leonardo DiCaprio cemented his 90s heartthrob status for life in this film, and his beautiful collection of Hawaiian shirts, also worn by his crew The Montagues, showcase how to make this look effortlessly cool.

Johnny Depp, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1998.

A modern classic, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a trippy adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s American Dream novel that became a cult hit. Johnny Depp took his wardrobe into his own hands, managing to get a hand on items that really did belong to Thompson himself, including his iconic Hawaiian shirts. This bad boy take on the relaxed summer look was combined with hazy yellow sunglasses, bucket hats and converse, perfect for an endless, potentially trippy, summer.

How to style a Hawaiian shirt

Feeling inspired by our top classic Hawaiian shirt moments? We've chosen 3 easy styles perfect for everyday wear whether your off on holiday, having a weekend at a festival or just hanging out with your mates.

Beachwear

Hit the beach in a classic Hawaiian shirt and add some fresh colours to your holiday wardrobe. Whether you're looking for scenic beach prints, palm leaf patterns or a novelty parrot motif, we have a Hawaiian shirt for every occasion. Style with beach trunks or shorts for an easy breezy look to handle the heat.

Festival Ready

Shop bold Hawaiian print perfect for a summer full of festivals. Layer over your favourite vintage t-shirt to put your own style stamp on this classic look. Don’t forget your favourite 90s sunnies to hide tired eyes!

Skater Street Style

This low key look is perfect for a weekend in the city, at the skate park or the pub. Pair with your trusty old pair of Vans and jeans and you’ve got a great look for day to night.

May 2022 edit: Esme Young made the Romeo shirts - had to make 10 of them!

A look I believe I don’t have to introduce to you in detail is Gaga’s bespoke Mugler moulded black leather bodice which was “inspired by humanoids, alien sex humanoid hybrid women”...

...with matching nefertiti-inspired moulded leather hat...

...and thigh-high coated and cracked stretch leather platform boots made in collaboration with London-based designer Nasir Mazhar.

Of course we couldn’t miss out on this statement piece. Here, she wears her bespoke Tom Tom Fashions 'Born This Way' hand-painted, oversized grey leather biker jacket and sleeveless vest, both customized with brushed gold-tone stud details.

Custom black leather Unicorn heelless platform ankle boots by Noritaka Tatehana completed the look.

The second sickening Mugler moment, head-to-toe again! Gaga’s black latex oversized biker jacket is from the Fall/Winter 2011 “Anatomy of Change” menswear collection...

...which were paired with custom lattice platform boots with knife heels.

The provocative latex tuxedo with 3D breats, Gaga wore in these shot, was custom-made for her by London-based fetish-to-fashion label Void of Course!

For these shots, Gaga poses fiercely in a black leather and lace bra from Allure Lingerie matched with vintage Excelled black leather pants turned into shorts.

Her other bra, signed by French lingerie house Kiki de Montparnasse, is Ingenue in beige Leavers lace.

Here, Gaga is rocking a full denim look including a custom shirt by Perry Meek. I immediately recognized from the embroidery details on the back pockets that her Hercules cut-off shorts are by Levi’s.

Of course, the Pleaser Xtreme-1020 boots in black vinyl completed the look.

Talking of denim. The vintage Lee stone washed denim pants were purchased at the Beyond Retro store.If you belong to the vintage lovers community, this is a little paradise, so brooowse the site while you are there!

She also wore an Agent Provocateur strapless satin bustier top with sweetheart neckline.

Here, the Italian-American entertainer wears the heavy crystal Diamond Virgin dress with its matching bejeweled silk briefs, crystal headpiece draped around her body, and Ikarus winged crystal shoulder piece (worn as headpiece) by German clubwear designer and couturist Lorand Lajos.

In her hair, we can spot a vintage 1980s Butler & Wilson black, silver and red crystal snake brooch, which was once also worn by Princess Diana!

She also rocks a custom Rodrigo Otazu bejeweled face piece and heelless crystal-embellished platform boots from Dutch designer Jan Taminiau’s Fall/Winter 2010 “Reflections” Haute Couture collection.

Next, Gaga is wearing a design by Austrian fashion designer Daniela Karlinger. The shape outfit, which comprises a strapless geometric dress and cape belong to Daniela’s 2009 “Organic Shape” collection.

You should definitely check out the website of this young talent.

The bubble is actually a dress by Philips Design, made in collaboration with Studio XO, as part of their “Skin Probe Project” that examines the future integration of sensitive materials in the area of emotional sensing – the shift from ‘intelligent’ to ‘sensitive’ products and technologies. The project explores skin, body and future integration of sensitive textiles in garments.

Bubelle, also known as “the blushing dress”, introduced to the world in September 2006, intended to convey “the emotional state of the person wearing the garment through 18 separate miniature projectors located between the layers of the garment. A series of biometric sensors collect data such as heart rate, respiration and galvanic skin response, and this information is then interpreted and equated to certain moods and emotions, which in turn are visualized by altering the intensity, shape and colors of light generated by the projectors”.

A pair of Pleaser’s PVC & perspex Xtreme-801 platform mule sandals complete the look.

Another piece, I don’t really have to introduce to you, is her custom Atsuko Kudo flesh-colored latex catsuit with contrasting black zippers all over.

The insane sculpturesque alien vessel-inspired shoes were custom-made for this shoot by German artist and sculptor Rein Vollenga using epoxy resin!

I was told by Rein Vollenga that the shoes were part of a full look, which included this bone structure epoxy breast plate with visible ribs!

The purple and orange slime outfit was created by Dutch artist Bart Hess who also collaborated with Gaga on the “Born This Way” video.

Bart works in primitive and infinite ways. He works with his instinct and starts by using a material on the body, exploring volumes and ways of re-shaping the human silhouette. In fast speed, expelling all his creative energy.

He creates imagery that captures future human shapes and new body forms. He’s discovering a low-tech prosthetic way for human enhancement.

Her extra large black perspex hat hails from Charlie Le Mindu’s Spring/Summer 2011 “Detox Retox Botox” collection.