Aloha Shirts

Why is it that, from time to time, I see posts where people denigrate "middle aged men" for wearing aloha shirts? In Hawaii these shirts are acceptable almost anywhere. Where I live (Chico, CA) I can wear a nice aloha shirt to the finest restaurant in town. (No snide remarks about my home town please...)

Some people make very snide comments about aloha shirts and snicker about the "old fart losers" and such who wear them. Why?

Many of these shirts are pretty costly. Does that make those who wear them "senile" because they pay for a nice silk shirt? I really don't get it when people put down those who wear a nice aloha shirt. I've seen a gazillion people in polo shirts and nobody puts them down. Some of them really shouldn't wear them because they do tend to "show off" man boobs. However, these people are OK because their shirts don't have a floral print. I really don't get it.

No, I didn't wear aloha shirts when I was younger. Yes, I sometimes wear them now. I'm somewhat "snobbish" about them and won't wear ones where the pocket doesn't align with the rest of the print. I also don't care for cotton aloha shirts and buy ones made of silk. That doesn't necessarily mean they are all expensive. Jamaica Jaxx makes great aloha shirts that are silk and the pocket matches the rest of the print. These are not expensive but are hard to find. Tommy Bahama makes absolutely wonderful aloha shirts. These are (stupidly) expensive but easy to find. I have to admit I really like the Tommy's best as the cut is perfect.

As you may guess, I like my aloha shirts. :)

(No, I wouldn't wear one for formal night. Don't go there.)

This is not a facetious post. I really am interested in honest answers.

They cover up my gut pretty good too.

Well, you know how those Chico folks are....:-))

I have several, and have taken all of them to wear on my Caribbean cruises. I will wear one on formal night, as I always eat in the buffet on those nights. No, I wouldn't wear one on formal nights IF I were going to eat in the MDR.

I found the Jamaica Jaxx on sale at Costco the week after I retired. Bought four on the spot and a week later went back and bought another two. That was two and a half years ago. They still look great (after ironing).

The Tommy B's are very nice as well, and are better quality than JJ's. Having a couple of them for more "formal" aloha wear is always a good idea.

I even have two aloha shirts themed with my alma mater's colors.

Those folk who denigrate aloha shirt wearers are just insecure knuckleheads who wish they were comfortable enough in their own skin to really enjoy life. They probably don't understand Jimmy Buffet either.

Here's to life! Aloha

I think they are fine as long as the venue is appropriate! I don't think they are appropriate for formal night, but for a casual night with a nice pair of pressed khakis then I say, Yes!

My Dad is in his 60s and I love seeing him wear them! He too has several very expensive ones that look quite festive at a summer evening casual party.

I have several and I wear them because they are comfortable. Much more comfortable than a goofy looking tuxedo.

I think they are fine as long as the venue is appropriate! I don't think they are appropriate for formal night, but for a casual night with a nice pair of pressed khakis then I say, Yes!

 

My Dad is in his 60s and I love seeing him wear them! He too has several very expensive ones that look quite festive at a summer evening casual party.

Dang! You mean I'm suppose to wear pants too? Maybe that's my problem... :eek:

Dang! You mean I'm suppose to wear pants too? Maybe that's my problem... :eek:

LOL!!!! Yes, please wear pants.

My DH loves his Aloha Shirts. He feels comfortable and looks fine. That's all that matters to us. :D They are easy to pack, also. DH is a big guy. Polo shirts are heavier and more bulky. Makes my "job" easier. ;)

Cheers, Denise

I have no problem with Aloha shirts! As a matter of fact I was upset that I forgot to pack one on my last couple of cruises.

I do have a problem with people who like to denigrate or look down upon people who dress as they choose to dress on their vacation or other times for that matter! It is their hard earned vacation, and the last thing they need is to be worrying about what the snobs think!

I respect the formal nights in the main dining room and do feel there is a time and a place for everything. I choose not to carry a suit around on my vacations anymore as I want to be casual and relax more than I care to get all formal. Not to mention baggage fees are getting worse all of the time. There are plenty of informal places to eat that night and that is what I choose to do.

Aloha! (I have never looked to see if the pockets pattern lines up, you just triggered an OCD attack! HA HA!)

Happy cruising!

Mark

I have more than a few that I have purchased at Hilo Hattie's or in the Caribbean. I sometimes will wear one to a barbeque during the summer. I tried wearing a particularly loud one at the golf club last year and really got the raspberry....so that ended that idea. I always take 3 or 4 on a cruise and I purchased one on St. Kitts in January which depicts Santa in the tropics....I can hardly wait for Christmas.:D

Since we retired to south Florida my husband's 'dress up' wardrobe is a nice aloha shirt and slacks. His 'casual' wardrobe is a nice aloha shirt and shorts :D. After over 30 years in a suit and tie who can begrudge him -- and I agree with many of the other posters that many of shirts are quite lovely.

I do think he went too far when we returned to Virginia for the summer at the beginning of May. Spring was late and it was unseasonably cold but on his first trip to Lowes he had on an Aloha shirt and shorts (I had on slacks and a long sleeve shirt and was cold). He looked silly (and cold) and who should we run into but our next door neighbor who laughed and said 'welcome back but do you think you are still in Florida?'

As I'm reading this I look down and I see the very bright colors from my aloa shirt. Now we just got home from dinner out and never gave my shirt a thought. I have many aloa shirts, some from long ago that have shrunk from many a washing and are very tight. I'll have to talk to my wife why these shrink so bad :D

We live in Redding so when we say hot we mean hot, and these shirts feel great, shoot I even wear them when we are cruising Alaska. Count me as a aloa shirt guy.

OP, we never get denigrated for wearing aloha shirts. At least not that I am aware of. We really like them and have loads in the closets. They are comfortable and cheerful. The ones I can't stand are the rayon, polyester type. I like a nice looking hawaiian shirt on a man. Older or not. Many of our friends also wear them. Below is a place we go to a lot. Best place ever to wear the shirts. Great place to visit if you are coming to Ft. Lauderdale. It's been around since 1956. We have seen the show many times so we normally just go to the Molokai bar for happy hour. :D

http://www.maikai.com

......Those folk who denigrate aloha shirt wearers are just insecure knuckleheads who wish they were comfortable enough in their own skin to really enjoy life. They probably don't understand Jimmy Buffet either.

 

Here's to life! Aloha

You hit the nail on the head.

We are in the Balkans. You should see all the men in aloha type shirts - and they are not Americans. You see aloha shirts all over the world nowadays.

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I have more than a few that I have purchased at Hilo Hattie's or in the Caribbean. I sometimes will wear one to a barbeque during the summer. I tried wearing a particularly loud one at the golf club last year and really got the raspberry....so that ended that idea. I always take 3 or 4 on a cruise and I purchased one on St. Kitts in January which depicts Santa in the tropics....I can hardly wait for Christmas.:D

I have a great TB Christmas shirt! The only problem is that I'm now closer to Santa proportions than when I purchased the shirt. :o

I used to wear my aloha shirts almost exclusively at work for maybe two years. I remember going to another office during the winter and I had on a flannel "over shirt". Someone came up behind me and started giving me a hard time for not wearing an aloha shirt. I turned around and displayed the aloha shirt I was wearing under the (unbuttoned) flannel shirt. I got a big laugh out of the person who had asked.

I don't mind if people think I'm "old" for wearing them. I don't mind if they don't "get" it in a fashion sense. I just really get annoyed when people denigrate me or others for wearing them.

Having said the above I probably should disclose that I do have my own "fashion faux pas" issues. I hate pants that sag and show your butt or underwear. I don't want to see either of these. I don't want to sit in a restaurant and see some woman's "whale tail" because she is wearing thong underwear with low-rise pants. I am old enough that I would never wear a hat or cap at dinner. I don't understand pants that you have to clutch with one hand so you can walk without them falling down. These may be "old man prejudices" and may lend ammunition to those who despise aloha shirts. To these people I say, "Phhhhhbbbbbtttttttt...."

I've actually never heard/read anyone who denigrated Hawaiian shirts nor the person wearing them. If I did, I'd just ignore them. My husband was born in Hawaii and his family has strong roots in Hawaii even though his family is Chinese :)

He's had a few in his closet for many years. One or two have "shrunk" but he attends events with his mom a few times a year and she would feel heartbroken if he didn't wear a Hawaiian shirt. He always pack a couple for our cruises. Even though I prefer the feel of the rayon ones, he says they are too warm. A few years back he worked for an IT company where he said many of the techs and engineers wore Hawaiian shirts.

BTW, the next time someone razzes you for wearing a Hawaiian shirt, just tell the person that there is a strong market for "antique" Hawaiian shirts. I seriously doubt anyone would be willing to pay top dollar for old polo shirts.:p

It's just one of those stereotypes. I guess "kids" don't wear Aloha shirts much so men who do are "old farts." Who knows where these silly stereotypes come from. I have no problem with Aloha shirts. I've seen some very attractive ones with beautiful colors. My SIL who is not middle aged loves his.

I've actually never heard/read anyone who denigrated Hawaiian shirts nor the person wearing them.

H

I can't find it but there was a recent post here on CC where someone asked something like "What is it with middle aged men who wear Hawaiian shirts and seem to think it is the height of fashion"

That isn't an exact quote since, as I said, I can't find the post. It may have been deleted by the moderators or the search function here is not sophisticated enough for me to find it. (Or I'm too lame to find it...)

Why is it that, from time to time, I see posts where people denigrate "middle aged men" for wearing aloha shirts? In Hawaii these shirts are acceptable almost anywhere. Where I live (Chico, CA) I can wear a nice aloha shirt to the finest restaurant in town. (No snide remarks about my home town please...)

 

Some people make very snide comments about aloha shirts and snicker about the "old fart losers" and such who wear them. Why?

 

Many of these shirts are pretty costly. Does that make those who wear them "senile" because they pay for a nice silk shirt? I really don't get it when people put down those who wear a nice aloha shirt. I've seen a gazillion people in polo shirts and nobody puts them down. Some of them really shouldn't wear them because they do tend to "show off" man boobs. However, these people are OK because their shirts don't have a floral print. I really don't get it.

 

No, I didn't wear aloha shirts when I was younger. Yes, I sometimes wear them now. I'm somewhat "snobbish" about them and won't wear ones where the pocket doesn't align with the rest of the print. I also don't care for cotton aloha shirts and buy ones made of silk. That doesn't necessarily mean they are all expensive. Jamaica Jaxx makes great aloha shirts that are silk and the pocket matches the rest of the print. These are not expensive but are hard to find. Tommy Bahama makes absolutely wonderful aloha shirts. These are (stupidly) expensive but easy to find. I have to admit I really like the Tommy's best as the cut is perfect.

 

As you may guess, I like my aloha shirts. :)

 

(No, I wouldn't wear one for formal night. Don't go there.)

 

This is not a facetious post. I really am interested in honest answers.

Most are a little loud for my taste but there are some that look just fine no matter what night you wear them. Here in Fl we see them all the time & no one bats an eye. Maybe it's only on cruise ships where people get particular about the way others dress?

There is an aloha shirt that Tom Selleck wore in Magnum PI. It was red with parrots and flowers. Magnum PI was a huge hit in Europe and you see local folks there wearing that particular shirt a lot

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There is an aloha shirt that Tom Selleck wore in Magnum PI. It was red with parrots and flowers. Magnum PI was a huge hit in Europe and you see local folks there wearing that particular shirt a lot

 

How about George Clooney in Descendants? He had some very nice more subtle Aloha shirts. I loved them and found them for DH. Now I tell him to go put on his George Clooney shirt. Need I say more?

 

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I can't find it but there was a recent post here on CC where someone asked something like "What is it with middle aged men who wear Hawaiian shirts and seem to think it is the height of fashion"

 

That isn't an exact quote since, as I said, I can't find the post. It may have been deleted by the moderators or the search function here is not sophisticated enough for me to find it. (Or I'm too lame to find it...)

I've seen those posts as well and ignore them.

What I wear is no one's business but mine and I couldn't care less what the fashion police on Cruise Critic think.

I have always complied with the Princess dress code.

Mike:)

Here in south Florida with a strong Latin influence, Guayabera and Hawaiian shirts are perfectly acceptable. These style shirts are permitted as business attire for most and are perfectly acceptable on a smart dress venue. Perhaps some folks you speak of do not live in warmer climates with Latin or Hawaiian influences just need a little culture! :D

Love my Aloha shirts on cruises. The most comfortable shirts I own. Don't forget, for formal events you need a pair of OluKai sandals as well.:D:D

I think Hawaiian shirts are a great way to:

1. Get a guy to wear some color

2. Let a guy know that an untucked shirt can be a good thing

3. Make a guy feel more like relaxing than working

My workaholic, drab color wearing DH has become a devotee of the Hawaiian shirt. He was pleased to receive his most recent one with cruise ships on it...

:D