Hawaiian Shirts - Aloha Shirts

[Clyde R.]

Anybody know of a source for one of the other Clift shirts from Eternity...not the dark "death shirt?" I saw one online a year or two ago but now can't find it.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

It was probably a Sun-Surf shirt made in Japan, They've done some of the patterns from the movie.

History Preservation carries them, I picked up a "Land Of Aloha" that was out of print for sometime, so they may have something in the wharehouse.

http://historypreservation.com/hpassociates/sunsurf.php

 

[Mike K.]

Aloha shirts - Hawaiian Shirts

Summer is here and it's time to break out those aloha shirts. Of course those of us living in warmer climates will tend to wear them year 'round.
Here's a few of mine...

 

[KAT]

I ordered my aloha shirt for the summer..hope it will arrive soon

 

[Salv]

I have a couple of Avanti repros, this being one of them:

 

[Mike K.]

Nice coconuts Kat!

 

[Benny Holiday]

Avanti rocks Salv!

Look at the collar on that baby! I was going to buy a couple back in October, but house renovations ate my dough. There are more than a few Avanti designs I love, I'll be sure to get some once the house is done.

 

[Katydid]

What about the women?

Where can I find aloha shirts for women? I think the prints are so fun and summery.

 

[dr greg]

avanti

hate to be a party pooper, but Avanti are apparently dodgy repro's and serious collectors don't touch them, I've had a few dealings with Camille Shaheen, daughter of the legendary Alfred
http://www.alfredshaheen.com/
and she has had a lot of trouble enforcing design copyright with mobs like Avanti and the japanese repro gang..buy the real thing, it's worth it:
like this 50's Pali I got with provenance for $US75, that's how much some chinese billabong crap is worth in a surf shop.

 

[Mike K.]

I have ordered a number of fine shirts from www.rainbowhawaii.com
These are the authentic items...matched pockets, appropriate buttons, etc.
They carries tons of different prints and have apparel for both men & women.
Made in Hawaii.

The other place to look is www.hotshirts.com
They are a bit more pricey, but most are high quality brands (even the Paradise on a Hanger store brand is really good). Besides shirts they also stock dresses and even doggie apparel...cool.

Be sure you get the real deal. Hawaiian/Aloha shirts should have a matched pocket, i.e. it blends perfectly with the shirt print so from a distance you can hardly tell there is a pocket. Buttons should be coconut, kukui, bamboo, etc.
Have fun!!!

 

[Tomasso]

 

[Absinthe_1900]

My favorite Avanti shirt, it's one of a limited run, and now out of print.
I'll have to pull some of my Sun-Surf shirts and a few others and shoot some photos.

 

[dr greg]

a classic example

That design there is a well-known one that originally came out on both the Hale Hawaii and Pali Hawaiian Style labels in the 50's, I have it in red, but a bit beat-up. The Sun Surf ones are incredible repro's even down to the stitching, and fetch nearly as much as the real thing, but I must mention that not all high-end classic aloha shirts had matching pockets. I have some very nice Royal Hawaiian, Surfrider's Sportswear, and Polynesian Sportswear that don't.
Then there are those that do

Pali Hawaiian Style, rayon

Pali Hawaiian Style, rayon

Makaha, rayon

McInerny's, cotton, came in the original box, which explains the small stains from the coconut buttons

Waikiki Sports, cotton

 

[DanielJones]

I just managed to find a Mambo Loud Shirt on EBay a little while back. Loud & Tropical. They don't even make them any more. They're sort of the Aloha shirt of Australia. Some real cool crazy graphics.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[dr greg]

mambo

The mambo crew still do shirts but the production has gone offshore, i see those around in thrift shops from time to time, but the really hard ones to get are the original ones made in australia, a friend of mine collects them. Reg Mombasa's designs are very collectible as art as well.
http://www.mwk16.com/perfectstrangers/GRUV/mambo/mbohome.htm

 

[Speedster]

I have three Paradise Found shirts.

One Jungle Bird in red:

and one Star Orchid in blue:

and one similar to the Jungle Bird, but in darker red and with more parrots one it.

Will have to dig out my camera and post some pictures of them.

 

[dr greg]

the bird

the paradise found jungle bird in red is of course the famous Magnum PI shirt and one is in the smithsonian i believe, I've got one in blue, which doesn't count, but a nice traditional style anyway for the 80's

 

[Speedster]

the paradise found jungle bird in red is of course the famous Magnum PI shirt and one is in the smithsonian i believe, I've got one in blue, which doesn't count, but a nice traditional style anyway for the 80's

Yes, back in the 80'ies i used to watch Tom Selleck in Magnum, and when on holidays in Florida in 1991 I saw, in a shop selling Aloha shirts, a photo of him wearing the Paradise Found Jungle Bird shirt, so i just had to buy it.

Unfortunately the shirt has been shrinking over the years (or i have grown bigger) and is now slightly too small for me. The two others are only 3 years old and suits me perfect.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

That design there is a well-known one that originally came out on both the Hale Hawaii and Pali Hawaiian Style labels in the 50's, I have it in red, but a bit beat-up. The Sun Surf ones are incredible repro's even down to the stitching, and fetch nearly as much as the real thing

Yes, I'm very familiar with the design, the Hale & Pali (Diamondhead shirt) design is my favorite of all aloha shirt patterns for many years, I bought a couple of the Avanti re-pops when it came out a few years ago.
(I saw a Hale version on eBay a few years ago that was in my size, not meet reserve at $1300.00 USD)

I'd like to see Sun-Surf do that pattern, I have a few of their re-pops and like their work.

I backed away from chasing the originals, since the designs I want, are insane as far as pricing on the collectors market. (Especially when you are looking for the larger sized shirts)

 

[dr greg]

aloha

The prices on feebay are definitely exponential in relation to sizes, reflecting the general scarcity of bigger people back in the old days, which has been canvassed on other threads. I'd love to have thousands to spend on shirts but unfortunately Jack Nicholson was born already so I couldn't be him.
Luckily I can get into the old OS (here) or L in US sizing and the odd roomy M, which means the classic shirts are still occasionally in my price range, I've got 1/2 a dozen Pali's and never paid more than 75 for them. Which is, as I say, pretty much the going rate in any surf shop for disposable crap. So why not have the real deal. More incentive to watch the waistline.