The aloha shirt, also known as the Hawaiian shirt. Where, I wondered, did it come from?
There's an answer. Apparently a certain mania for Hawaiian things had already hit the mainland by World War I, decades before Hawaii became a state. Ukuleles were a popular instrument through to the end of the 1920s, at least. And the shirt became a craze over the next decade, during the Great Depression.
Fads are fads, though, and usually burn themselves out pretty quickly. The ubiquitous 20s image of college men wearing raccoon coats to the football game had become a period piece by the start of the 40s. But I have a few aloha shirts, or at least light button-down short sleeved shirts with printed designs that evoke the tropics. So do a number of people with a considerably more credible claim to being cool. So how did this particular fad last? Well, there's the comfort factor, but the truth is you just never know.
1 comment:
Wikipedia tells me that the original 'Hawaiian or Aloha' shirts were made by Japanese women from old kimonos. I don't know for sure that's true considering the wild patterned fabrics, kimonos are generally made of subtle colors, but they may well have looked different in the early years. I once bought a silk Aloha shirt for a friend's birthday.
I guess the reason they've continued to be popular is that they must be very comfortable in hot weather - lots of air flow. And in Hawaii they're considered routine formal wear at weddings etc. where even the lightest suits would be uncomfortable.
It looks as though your favorite shirt choice may remain fashionable for a good while to come. Beides Elvis having worn one in Blue Hawaii did you know Robert DiNiro as Max Cady wore one in Cape Fear?
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