In the years leading up to 1959, when Hawaii became the 50th state and pineapples seemed exotic, American tourists returned to the mainland wearing newly purchased Hawaiian shirts with pride.
In those days, writes Dale Hope in "The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands," the flowered garments were "bright badges of good fortune, like stamps on a passport."
Although stars like Elvis Presley (in the 1962 movie "Blue Hawaii") and Leonardo DiCaprio (in 1996's updated version of "Romeo and Juliet") have worn the shirt with a kind of cool confidence, it nonetheless became a signifier of the style-challenged tourist.
"Often considered humorous, garish or tacky, these shirts were relegated to suburban backyard barbecues with a Hawaiian luau theme," Hope writes. "As tastes changed, the shirts often ended up in neighborhood thrift stores."
But designers love a challenge. And lately they have tried to repurpose this fashion don't as a luxurious must-have, with surprising results.
"We wanted to do our version of the classic tourist look but tweak it to make the Hawaiian shirt more interesting," said Jockum Hallin, the co-founder and chief executive of Swedish label Our Legacy. "We implemented patterns that are more urban-influenced. Our flowers and palm trees are done in a rough graffiti style, and our tropical 'greeting shirt' has more the look of a dark farewell than a warm welcome."
Valentino has jumped into the market, too, introducing a variety of Hawaiian-style shirts with traditional motifs, such as pineapples and flowers, thermally printed on silk and viscose. Other brands offering their takes on this dubious classic include Sandro, Topman, J. Crew and Comme des Garçons Shirt.
"I am glad that a new generation is drawing inspiration from a shirt that has deep roots in Honolulu," Hope said.
Hallin added: "In a hard, cold world, everyone dreams of that endless summer.
