The Aloha Shirt

Collectibles/Photography “The most fun and affordable Hawaiian vacation you will ever take.” Mark Cunningham, Bodysurfer “When I put on my aloha shirt, not only do I feel better but I’m certain that those who notice what I’m wearing feel a little something too. Such is the power of the aloha spirit.” From the Introduction by Gerry Lopez Now completely updated and revised, The Aloha Shirt is the most colorful and complete book on the most enduring souvenir ever invented: the Hawaiian shirt. Overflowing with hundreds of images, this book recounts the colorful stories behind these marvelous shirts: as cultural icons, evocative of the mystery and the allure of the islands, capturing the vibe of the waterman culture and lifestyle—casual, relaxed, and fun. Drawing from hundreds of interviews, newspaper and magazine archives, and personal memorabilia, aloha shirt designer Dale Hope traces the splashy history of Hawaiian shirts from their beginnings right after the Great Depression to today, when they are enjoying a revival. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of full-color shirt images, vintage black-and-white photographs, and priceless examples of "Hawaiiana," the book features separate chapters on the innovative artists, risk-taking manufacturers, and stories behind the success of the world’s most famous shirt. The Aloha Shirt is both a dazzling, fun-to-browse art book and a fascinating chronicle of the world’s love affair with Hawai‘i. The most colorful and complete book published on the most enduring souvenir ever invented: the Hawaiian shirt. Beautifully illustrated with hundreds of images, this book recounts the colorful stories behind these marvelous shirts: as cultural icons, evocative of the mystery and the allure of the islands, capturing the vibe of the watermen culture and lifestyle -- casual, relaxed, and fun. Valued by professional collectors and by millions of vacationers and fashionistos, these shirts are enjoying a fashion revival. Drawing from hundreds of interviews, newspaper and magazine archives, and personal memorabilia, the author evokes the world of the designers, seamstresses, manufacturers, and retailers who created the industry and nurtured it from its single-sewing-machine-shop beginnings to an enterprise of international scope and importance and its revival today. The Aloha Shirt is both a dazzling, fun-to-browse art book, and a fascinating chronicle of the world's love affair with Hawaii.