hawaiian shirts

[SJD117]

When one is under Covid quarantine, as I am, the mind tends to wander -- and mine wandered all the way to Honolulu, Hawaii. I was curious whether fancy restaurants in that international city permit gentlemen diners to wear Hawaiian shirts (or in the local vernacular, Aloha shirts). 

 

Enter La Mer, a swanky French joint and Hawaii's only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes 5 star restaurant. (For the Brits on CC, these designations mean it's a nice place.) La Mer's dress code allows Aloha shirts under the umbrella "elegant evening attire." Now, these shirts do have to be long-sleeved, but that's a small price to pay (and the only small price!) for eating great French food high above the shores of Waikiki Beach.

 

If an upscale French restaurant in Honolulu is cool with Hawaiian/Aloha shirts, I see no reason why the more modest restaurants on Viking ships can't do the same.

 

https://www.halekulani.com/dining/la-mer/

[CurlerRob]

1 hour ago, SJD117 said:

When one is under Covid quarantine, as I am, the mind tends to wander -- and mine wandered all the way to Honolulu, Hawaii. I was curious whether fancy restaurants in that international city permit gentlemen diners to wear Hawaiian shirts (or in the local vernacular, Aloha shirts). 

 

Enter La Mer, a swanky French joint and Hawaii's only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes 5 star restaurant. (For the Brits on CC, these designations mean it's a nice place.) La Mer's dress code allows Aloha shirts under the umbrella "elegant evening attire." Now, these shirts do have to be long-sleeved, but that's a small price to pay (and the only small price!) for eating great French food high above the shores of Waikiki Beach.

 

If an upscale French restaurant in Honolulu is cool with Hawaiian/Aloha shirts, I see no reason why the more modest restaurants on Viking ships can't do the same.

 

https://www.halekulani.com/dining/la-mer/

 

Thanks for the link - I've saved it for our next Oahu visit. I was curious, as it appears they also require a "dinner jacket" - I presume that's what I'd call a sports jacket versus a white tuxedo jacket (and the trimmings)?

 

That aside, at least La Mer has a reasonable description in "elegant evening attire" as opposed to Viking's silly oxymoron "elegant casual" (a quick dictionary look up will make it clear that it was an advertising flak who coined that phrase, not a linguist).

 

Fortunately, Viking has also defined that bizarre reference to mean "for ladies includes a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse; for gentlemen, trousers and a collared shirt. A tie and jacket are optional; jeans are not permitted" (other than in the World Café). 

 

I'm a big believer is adhering to stated rules in any establishment - or going elsewhere. I can't for the life of me see how an aloha shirt, especially one as nice as the pictured example, would in any way be outside Viking's policy.

 

It fascinates me how these threads take on such a life when it's so easy to meet Viking's dress requirement. 🍺🥌 

[Peregrina651]

35 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

an advertising flak

 

Is that "flak" or "flake" -- or should I just take my choice?

[KBs mum]

I would understand 'evening attire' to be black tie. Viking's policy is basically   'collared shirt', in the past a tie would have been worn, jacket optional. Dates from the time when shirts had detachable collars, if being worn casually the collar would be left off. 

 

As I was thinking about dress codes I looked around the pub (no dress code, it's a dogs and wellies farmers beer pub) last night, out of around 20 people there at the time only four didn't meet Viking's dress code me, a plumber (both in jeans) a young bloke in a t shirt and a tractor mechanic in overalls. No hats or hawiian shirts

[DGHOC]

7 hours ago, SJD117 said:

When one is under Covid quarantine, as I am, the mind tends to wander -- and mine wandered all the way to Honolulu, Hawaii. I was curious whether fancy restaurants in that international city permit gentlemen diners to wear Hawaiian shirts (or in the local vernacular, Aloha shirts). 

 

Enter La Mer, a swanky French joint and Hawaii's only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes 5 star restaurant. (For the Brits on CC, these designations mean it's a nice place.) La Mer's dress code allows Aloha shirts under the umbrella "elegant evening attire." Now, these shirts do have to be long-sleeved, but that's a small price to pay (and the only small price!) for eating great French food high above the shores of Waikiki Beach.

 

If an upscale French restaurant in Honolulu is cool with Hawaiian/Aloha shirts, I see no reason why the more modest restaurants on Viking ships can't do the same.

 

https://www.halekulani.com/dining/la-mer/

In the UK, 'Book 'em Danno' shirts! (Hawaii 5 O)

Showing my age!

[uktog]

I’m thinking @KBs mum is Jacob Rees-Mogg in disguise 😂😂 (US readers Google him, a UK politician often called the Minister for the 19th century). Evening attire has never meant black tie in parts of the UK, speaking from the part of the world where a kilt is equally the appropriate attire at a sports game or a wedding. The phrase black tie more often is used to refer to funeral dress than evening dress.  However, as they usually want the last word, I’m sure they will be back to disagree based on the lense they look at the world through 😜

 

I don’t think what people are wearing in a venue at a moment in times tells you much about them, it tells me as much about the prevailing climate as it does the individual.  
I like to see book em Danno patch me through to McGarrit shirts at dinner on a cruise, often they are smarter than the old collared golf shirts some wear however to be honest, I don’t care what anyone other than my other half is wearing at dinner, it has zero impact on my enjoyment. 

[claranda]

41 minutes ago, uktog said:

‘the old collared golf shirts’

I’m afraid MOH thinks these are fine, but since we’re long retired and his main occupation is golf, I despair of him reaching any level of sartorial elegance now….

[KBs mum]

23 minutes ago, uktog said:

I’m thinking @KBs mum is Jacob Rees-Mogg in disguise 😂😂 (US readers Google him, a UK politician often called the Minister for the 19th century). Evening attire has never meant black tie in parts of the UK, speaking from the part of the world where a kilt is equally the appropriate attire at a sports game or a wedding. The phrase black tie more often is used to refer to funeral dress than evening dress.  However, as they usually want the last word, I’m sure they will be back to disagree based on the lense they look at the world through 😜

 

 

Jacob Rees Mogg is a rather common person. One believes his money derives from trade, egad! 😁

 

When last in Scotland we were invited to a Burns Night do, the invitation specified black tie, obviously this means service dress uniform or kilts can be worn as equivilent. 

 

As an aside about regional customs differences, I've lived in areas of England where unless immediate family of the deceased, wearing black at a funeral was considered a bit naff, dark blue or grey being preferred.

 

I've never heard of black tie used as a dress code for funerals, usually round here everyone goes by whatever the deceased thought appropriate or likely wanted for such events, sometimes it's suit and tie, sometimes it's jeans. One time a keen football fan requested everyone show up in replica kit. Caused a bit of a stir at the crem. He disappeared to the mourners doing the 'Match of the Day' theme. There was some rule in place that meant the crem couldn't play said music, so we did it.

 

I don't care if I have the last word or not. If somebody thinks etiquette and manners are unnecessary then I simply do my best to avoid that person

[Mrs Miggins]

Very educational thread - Jacob Rees Mogg is the son of William Rees Mogg who was the Editor of The Times.  He made a fortune in the City initially managing a Hedge Fund. He is a very divisive figure.

 

As an aside, detachable collars were already going out of fashion in the 1960's when I worked in the City of London in an American Bank.  All senior men and and the cashiers wore Bowlers and stiff white collars.  I wore a mini skirt - times were changing.

If you are from the UK you are unlikely to have a wide selection of Hawaiian shirts in the wardrobe so wearing them or not is a moot point. My husband has one just in case we are invited to a suitable gathering - 

 

I am happy if those who are near me at dinner are clean and they look as if they have showered recently rather than if they have spent the day working in the garden.

 

Good manners might include being non judgemental about others.

[DGHOC]

Sensible response Mrs M. It's behaviour that is important.

 

We had two couples on our previous two cruises who were really badly dressed, day and night BUT it was their loud, boorish, really ill-mannered behaviour which made them stand out like a Belisha beacon. It was like watching characters from Deliverance move through the ship. That is just not typical on a Viking ship and most folk recognise the Viking rules for dinner and are respectfully attired and behaved. Jeez, we're not talking about the Ritz here, smart casual is really not rocket science. All Viking are suggesting is that you don't turn up in a wife beater t shirt and oil covered jeans.

[longterm]

OMG.

 

Now we're discussing what shirt designs are acceptable; some people have way too much time on their hands.

 

Here's the thing: when I spend my dinner annoyed because someone at another table is wearing a shirt I don't like, that's the night that I'm not paying enough attention to my sweet wife, not enjoying my meal, not savoring my time on a great vacation, and missing the whole point of being on a cruise. 

 

Nowhere in Viking's literature does it prohibit certain fabric patterns; if it did, we probably would have chosen another cruise line long ago. 

 

 

[SJD117]

13 minutes ago, longterm said:

OMG.

 

Now we're discussing what shirt designs are acceptable; some people have way too much time on their hands.

 

Here's the thing: when I spend my dinner annoyed because someone at another table is wearing a shirt I don't like, that's the night that I'm not paying enough attention to my sweet wife, not enjoying my meal, not savoring my time on a great vacation, and missing the whole point of being on a cruise. 

 

Nowhere in Viking's literature does it prohibit certain fabric patterns; if it did, we probably would have chosen another cruise line long ago. 

 

 

Touring musicians of a certain vintage — know any? — could ransack their closets for their favorite tie-dye patterns. Those would shock the conscience even more than a Hawaiian shirt!!

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, Mrs Miggins said:

I wore a mini skirt - times were changing

Do you still wear it @Mrs Miggins? 🫣

[longterm]

21 minutes ago, SJD117 said:

Touring musicians of a certain vintage — know any? — could ransack their closets for their favorite tie-dye patterns. Those would shock the conscience even more than a Hawaiian shirt!!

I was one for many years, but I played the best casino venues (Desert Inn, Orleans, MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Harrah's Tahoe and Atlantic City) with symphonies (Houston, Atlanta, Nashville, San Francisco, North Carolina, to name a few) and wore a tux. I would venture to guess that I've worn a tux, and owned more of them, than almost anyone on this forum. 

 

Haven't ever owned any tie-dye shirts since I was about 16.

 

These days, however, I don't own a tux and certainly wouldn't think of wearing a jacket and tie on an ocean cruise. 

 

We go to the symphony on a regular basis; twenty years ago, it was expected that men wore jackets. These days, you see everything--jackets, evening gowns, polo shirts, even the odd t-shirt from time to time--and here's the thing: symphonies all over the US are struggling to survive, so they're happy to have ANY warm bodies in the seats.

 

Travel sales are up, but I'm guessing that Viking is glad to have full passenger lists, rather than people who are still wishing for the 40s, when coat and tie were de rigeur on the few cruise lines plying the oceans.

 

So long as diners are quiet and respectful, I'm good to go; I don't care what they wear. If it's ugly, it just gives us something funny to talk about.

[lackcreativity]

I am pretty much a rule follower, always have been. However, in my years on this thread, I have eased my standards of what distracts me about the dress of others in the dining venues. Bathrobes in the World Cafe remains my line in the sand, and unless my mental faculties desert me, that will never change!

[KBs mum]

Main thing is if there is a dress code in/for an establishment or occasion  follow the spirit as well as the letter of it. It's easy and good manners to your hosts and fellow guests. 

Lost luggage being the exception, the guest can only do their best, the hosts and other guests should be understanding

 

[MadMarine]

5 hours ago, KBs mum said:

Main thing is if there is a dress code in/for an establishment or occasion  follow the spirit as well as the letter of it. It's easy and good manners to your hosts and fellow guests. 

Lost luggage being the exception, the guest can only do their best, the hosts and other guests should be understanding

 

So, I’m guessing my silk Tommy Bahama aloha shirt somehow offends the spirit because it doesn’t break the rules?

[SJD117]

3 minutes ago, MadMarine said:

So, I’m guessing my silk Tommy Bahama aloha shirt somehow offends the spirit because it doesn’t break the rules?

An aloha shirt certainly doesn't offend my spirit. Besides being a simple greeting in Polynesian cultures, the word "aloha" can signify love, peace, affection, compassion, and/or mercy depending on the context. The concept is welcoming, not exclusionary.

[CILCIANRQTS]

So there are no rules - just wear your best Walmart attire.

That sure enhances my travel experience!! 🙄🙄

[KBs mum]

On 3/26/2023 at 3:17 AM, SJD117 said:

When one is under Covid quarantine, as I am, the mind tends to wander -- and mine wandered all the way to Honolulu, Hawaii. I was curious whether fancy restaurants in that international city permit gentlemen diners to wear Hawaiian shirts (or in the local vernacular, Aloha shirts). 

 

Enter La Mer, a swanky French joint and Hawaii's only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes 5 star restaurant. (For the Brits on CC, these designations mean it's a nice place.) La Mer's dress code allows Aloha shirts under the umbrella "elegant evening attire." Now, these shirts do have to be long-sleeved, but that's a small price to pay (and the only small price!) for eating great French food high above the shores of Waikiki Beach.

 

If an upscale French restaurant in Honolulu is cool with Hawaiian/Aloha shirts, I see no reason why the more modest restaurants on Viking ships can't do the same.

 

https://www.halekulani.com/dining/la-mer/

All depends on how an individual classifies French cooking. In the UK Michelin star (1,2,3, of whichever country's style of cuisine, we have many authentic here) can have a formal or casual dress code, as can anywhere serving food or drink. It's up to the establishment

 

[KBs mum]

On 3/26/2023 at 11:48 PM, MadMarine said:

So, I’m guessing my silk Tommy Bahama aloha shirt somehow offends the spirit because it doesn’t break the rules?

Depends where you are, in Hawai they are apparently considered smart casual, but in Europe similar very colourful patterned shirts are considered very casual, and often worn for comic effect. Haven't seen them worn in a smart casual setting anywhere, even in US

[SantaFe1]

Then welcome to Los Angeles!

[Vineyard View]

Tommy Bahama silk shirts are not all made with Hawaiian themes. They make beautiful silk shirts in long and short sleeves that are without all the flowers and surfers. The quality is lovely and worn without ‘comic relief’, but rather acceptable in elegant settings. 

[MadMarine]

9 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Tommy Bahama silk shirts are not all made with Hawaiian themes. They make beautiful silk shirts in long and short sleeves that are without all the flowers and surfers. The quality is lovely and worn without ‘comic relief’, but rather acceptable in elegant settings. 

My description was perhaps a little misleading, well maybe a lot! 😬. Mine are very muted without the “loud” displays of flora and fauna or surfers.  I’ve worn them on Regent and Silver Seas cruises with nary an evident frown.  Perhaps I was simply delusional and the nice folks were laughing behind my back enjoying my contribution to comic relief?

[Vineyard View]

4 minutes ago, MadMarine said:

My description was perhaps a little misleading, well maybe a lot! 😬. Mine are very muted without the “loud” displays of flora and fauna or surfers.  I’ve worn them on Regent and Silver Seas cruises with nary an evident frown.  Perhaps I was simply delusional and the nice folks were laughing behind my back enjoying my contribution to comic relief?

Nah. They are beautiful shirts!  I am sure you looked very well put together!  I know that DH does when he wears his. 
 And in the ‘appropriate’ setting some of the floral designs are also beautiful. There are a lot of ‘appropriate’ settings that they work well in. I think when some think of TB shirts, they only picture the look in the post earlier in this thread.