How To Wear a Hawaiian Shirt How to wear a Hawaiian shirt can be one of life’s little mysteries. But you can breathe a sigh of relief because Wave Shoppe has the answers to all of your fashion questions! Make sure that you start out with the real deal, which is an authentic Hawaiian shirt. There are typically two different men's styles of Hawaiian shirts for men with those being the open collar shirts (also referred to as resort shirts or camp shirts) and shirts with a button-up collar from brands such as Wave Shoppe or Kahala, both of which offer shirts in styles that are very old school Hawaii. While designs and construction methods vary, both are considered authentic island wear just as long as the men’s shirts have button up closures and short sleeves. Sorry, but on and off the islands, a pullover is not considered a Hawaiian shirt. Once you have decided on a shirt design, you want to make sure that you choose a size that feels reasonably loose fitting on you. Reason Number 1 for choosing a loose fit is that as soon as the garment is washed in water, it will experience some shrinkage when it dries, good quality fabrics may shrink 1% to 3% and lesser quality fabric (often used in imported shirting) may shrink substantially more. Reason Number 2 for choosing a loose fit is that when you don a Hawaiian shirt, it is actually engineered to be loose fitting in all the right areas, which is what makes them so extremely comfortable to wear. A Word on Fit: if it is a button up collar (and you actually like your collar buttoned) you should be able to button it at the neckline and then be able to easily slip 2 fingers between you neck and the shirt collar. Most people leave the top 2 buttons undone which implies you live a pretty carefree lifestyle. The shirts sleeve should come all the way down to the top of your elbow when you arms are in a relaxed position. When standing erect, the drop length for the hem should be 3 1/2" to 4" below your belt line. Remember that whenever you catch yourself wondering how to wear a Hawaiian shirt, the golden rule is that you should always be thinking about your comfort, not someone else's. Additional FAQs: Do you need to wear a undershirt with a Hawaiian shirt? Only if you feel like it, but no, you do not have to. Which brings us around to another question you may have about the topic; do you wear a Hawaiian shirt tucked in, or not tucked in? The answer is simple, as with all shirts with a straight hem and side slits, you wear them un-tucked and flying in the breeze. That’s the way of the island locals.But is it acceptable to wear my shirt completely unbuttoned? Absolutely! These garments are all about having some fun and enjoying the life of Aloha. Now you know how to wear a Hawaiian shirt like a local. Of course there is the other clothing conundrum, what do you wear your new found colorful shirt with? We have you covered with an article appropriately titled, How to match Hawaiian clothing. Thank you for buying our American made Hawaiian clothing! We design our fabrics in Oahu and cut and sew all of our Wave Shoppe labeled shirts and dresses in San Diego CA, as well as offering very competitively priced open collar camp shirts that are made in Oahu HI.We guarantee that you will get a well made garment at a reasonable price, and delivered within a few business days. Once again we sincerely appreciate your support. |