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*A*
Aloha: Celebrates the spirit of the Islands...laid-back, easy-going, and just plain fun.
Andrade: Island specialty men's clothing retailer.
Anthurium: Easily recognizable heart-shaped flowers in Hawaii; usually white. Often found in Aloha shirt designs/patterns.
*B*
Bamboo: Popular theme in patterns. Sometimes used for buttons.
Barkcloth: Very dense, textured material.
Bluewater Wear: Made in the continental USA. Themes reflect the coastal lifestyle.
Bottom hem: The bottom hem of aloha shirts are always cut straight for wearing outside of pants or shorts. Often-times, side vents (slits) are also included. Rarely, I have seen extra-long tails (back of shirt, bottom hem) on Hawaiian shirts.
Breadfruit: Tropical Hawaiian tree with large, thick leaves with lobes. The fruit is light green. Often used in shirt prints.
Buttons: Coconut wood is still the most desired. Many vintage shirts have metal buttons. Plastic is the most common as is wood. Oyster and abalone shell are exquisite being found mainly with top-of-the-line Tori Richard shirts.
*C*
Collar: The traditonal aloha shirt has a large pointed collar. Shirts have evolved to a more tailored look with button-down collars and the sporty polo-style knit collars.
Cooke Street: One of the most underated brands. Beautiful, large selection and patterns. Well made. Most, but not all, made in Hawaii. Very popular.
Cotton: Most popular fabric used in shirts. Often as a blend with polyester which is more durable and has much less tendency towards shrinkage as plain cotton does; polyester also aids in much faster drying. Cotton lawn is used in premium shirts (such as Tori Richard)...a fine fabric with a tight weave; soft, creases well. Premium cottons are Egyptian and Pima.
*D*
Diamond Head: Sought-after, highly prized aloha shirts.
*E*
Egyptian Cotton: Considered to be the best cotton in the world; longest and strongest fibers. Grown in the Nile River Valley.
*F*
Fit: Aloha shirts should be fairly loose fitting and airy; that's why they're worn not-tucked-in especially when the weather is hot.
*G*
Go Barefoot: High-end brand with original roots in Hawaii now made in Los Angeles, California. Extremely well made with durable fabric. Excellent quality with wonderful patterns.
*H*
Hawaii: State flower - yellow hibiscus; State tree - Kukui; State bird - Nene; State marine animal - humpback whale...these are all often featured in print designs.
Hilo Hattie: Largest retailer and manufacturer of Hawaiian-wear. Also have retail outlets in continental USA. Good quality; nice prints.
Holo Holo: Great prints; usually made of rayon.
*I*
Iolani: Very respected quality. Made in Hawaii since 1953.
*J*
Jamaica Jaxx: Usually made of silk. Very popular.
Jams World: Founded in 1964...now a division of Surf Line. All I can think of is "Wow!". Like wearing a painting; these shirts are so artsy. Typically very colorful and bold; abstract prints common. Typically made of rayon; "wrinkled look" common. Extremely popular.
Joe Kealoha's: Usually made of rayon. Earlier collections were outsourced to Reyn Spooner. Very similar to Jams World in bold, vivid colors and designs. Designs not as far-out as Jams World.
*K*
Kahala: Have been around a long time. They just seem to get better and better. Huge selections of prints and materials.
Kalaheo: Authentic made-in-Hawaii aloha shirts.
*L*
Liberty House: Popular Islands retail chain.
*M*
Made in Hawaii: All aloha shirts are made in Hawaii. Wrong! Almost all silk shirts, regardless of brand, are made in China. Why? Seems China has the market on silk as it has had for centuries and they don't want to let go of that resource without a price. Tommy Bahama, extremely popular, never manufactures their shirts in Hawaii; most are made overseas. Good quality shirts are also made in the continental USA. However, the purists still want to see "Made in Hawaii" on the label; seems it helps with sales.
*O*
Outrigger: Polynesian canoe with side pontoons. A popular aloha shirt motif.
*P*
Paradise Found: Probably remembered best for the red parrots shirt worn by Tom Selleck in Magnum P.I. Very popular. Most are made from rayon. Many prints are no longer available.
Petroglyph: Prehistoric rock carving or painting; often used as a theme in Hawaiian shirt patterns.
Pima Cotton: Second in quality to Egyptian cotton. Grown in the U.S. South West by the Pima Indians. Used in high-end apparel.
Pockets: Most aloha shirts have a front left-side pocket; most quality shirts have a pocket that matches or blends-in perfectly with the pattern...but not always. Matching pockets cost more to manufacture; thats why usually the cheaper brands do not have matching pockets, hence they often look cheap. Hidden pockets are common with the more vintage shirts; since they are basically on the inside of the shirt, they do not interfere with the pattern.
Polyester: Man-made fabric introduced to the American public in apparel in 1951. In cotton blends makes for a very durable, long-lasting shirt. By itself it is very light-weight, cool, and difficult to wrinkle; almost impossible to shrink. Dries very quickly. Since it is impervious to UV rays, dyes will not fade. It lost favor due to the disco double-knit image of the 70's but is quickly regaining favor as paper-thin versions in apparel for trendy active sportswear and is being endorsed by such celebrities as Tiger Woods, Andy Roddick, etc. Even now manufacturers are starting to double and even triple mercerize cotton to appear like shiny, satin-smooth polyester. Polyester can be made to feel like silk. Already making a comeback in aloha shirts. Very versatile material.
*R*
Rayon: Man-made fabric. Seems to have replaced polyester. Light and airy. Luxurious feel similar to silk; originally intended as a replacement for silk. Tendency to wrinkle. Takes dyes nicely.
Reverse print: The print is actually on the inside of the shirt which gives the appearance of a more subdued and worn print on the outside of the shirt; originally instituted by Reyn Spooner.
Reyn Spooner: Took aloha shirts to a new level. More stylish with button down collars and reverse prints. Extremely popular. Some of the earlier classic lines are still being produced. The cotton blends seem to last forever and the prints are very sophisticated.
RJC: Founded in 1954.
Royal Creations: Made in Hawaii. Well made and popular. Prints more in classic or vintage lines.
*S*
Silk: Produced from the cocoon of silkworm larva. Soft texture and shimmering lustre. Has a natural affinity for dyes. Very strong and elastic. Silk aloha shirts are the most expensive and sought after. Most silk is produced in China as it has been for two to three thousand years.
Surfing: A classic aloha shirt motif.
*T*
Tapa: Tapa cloth is also known as barkcloth. The Native Hawaiians actually made garments from the bark of trees and then applied unique designs indigenous to their culture.
Tiki: According to Polynesian myth, the first man , or the god who creates him; a representation of a god, often a small sculptured figure. Often seen as themes in Hawaiian shirt patterns.
Tommy Bahama: Not a true aloha shirt in my opinion...more like resort-wear; very often come with polo-style collars and pockets that don't match. However, they are truly well-made and the prints are outstanding. The material is usually more ample than most and the sizes run larger than usual for a very relaxed fit. I have yet to see one made in Hawaii but so what...I like them a lot.
Tori Richard: The epitome of a classy, up-scale Hawaiian-made shirt. In my opinion they are one of the best with sophisticated patterns/designs and colors. In cotton lawn with abalone or oyster shell buttons, they can't be beat. Very popular.
*U*
Unisex: Even though most Hawaiian shirts button Men's (buttons on right side) they are intended to be worn by either men or women.
*V*
Vintage: Sometimes, the word vintage can be used loosely. As a general rule, I choose the word vintage to describe shirts that are from Hawaiian shirt manufacturers that are now defunct. This list can include Malihini, Iolani, Kamehameha, Surfriders, The Kahala, Shaheen, and others from the 30's to the 60's. However, even manufacturers that are still producing aloha shirts but haven't produced a certain pattern (pattern retired or commemorative) in several years may fall under vintage...such as Kahala, Diamond Head, RJC, Jams World, and even Reyn Spooner, and Tori Richard.
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