Aloha Shirts -Classic Vintage Designs

The reputation of the Aloha shirt has come a long way over the years. What was once a colorful (if not gaudy) tourist memento has evolved into a prized art form combining fashion, style and nostalgia. Shirts from the golden age of the Aloha shirt are now very popular with collectors. Nathan Garrett, a New Yorker, owns over 350 shirts and, although considered summer clothes, he proudly wears a different one every day. His shirts, most of which are made of vintage rayon and silk, include designs depicting maps, Hawaiian words, and floral designs silk-screened in vibrant colors. Garrett’s collection features some of the most popular manufacturers of their day; I wonder if he has any of the famed "Go Barefoot" Hawaiian shirts. He finds shirts on e-bay, at vintage clothing shows, and occasionally in thrift shops.

The cover of Life Magazine, dated December 10, 1951, featured a beaming President Harry Truman wearing a Hawaiian shirt for a story entitled “The President of the United States - Evolution of a Wardrobe.” Truman wore Aloha shirts, as they came to be known, regularly while in office and in retirement. The Aloha shirt gained popularity after World War II, reaching a peak in the 1950’s and 60’s, as jet travel and statehood brought Hawaii onto the national spotlight.

It is believed that the first aloha shirt was born in 1936 and inspired from the colorful Japanese kimonos. Hollywood embraced the new Hawaiian prints and a fashion trend was born. Hawaiian and polynesian themes were silk screened onto rayon, silk and cotton fabrics. By 1946, World War II had come to a close, and Isamu Takabuki of Hawaii formed Iolani Sportswear and began manufacturing Hawaiian "Aloha" garments. He also purchased the Aloha Boeki screenprinting company in Kyoto, Japan to print his fabric with designs by Hawaiian artists. In 1957 Clarence Hara and Isamu formed a new company and incorporated Fuji Import Company, Inc. They sold their imported Hawaiian Aloha shirts and robes wholesale from Japan made from silk, rayon, and cottons. Today these vintage summer clothes are highly prized collectors items. Soon Clarence recognized the need for a new product label; a "handle" for his ultimate customer to grasp. On one of his trips to Hawaii to develop designs for his Hawaiian shirts, Clarence met with his old friend Sterling Mossman, a well known nightclub entertainer at Waikiki's Queen's Surf and the famous Barefoot Bar. From his friend, he received legal approval to use the "Barefoot" which was the decor of the Barefoot Bar, with footprints on the walls and steps leading to the Bar and entertainment. The new label then became " Go Barefoot in Paradise" (also the name of Sterling's Waikiki show) and later was shortened to "Go Barefoot".

For the past 50 years, Mr. Hawaii, Inc. has been designing and producing the finest quality Hawaiian Aloha shirts. These garments reflect the beauty and aloha that is found in only one place on our planet - the island of Hawaii. The company has also grown to include men's knitwear shirts and women's fashions as well as traditional aloha shirts.

A family history that transcends time with a deeply rooted committment to quality, tradition and lifestyle.

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