The Aloha.
THE ALOHA.
IN HISTORY.
In the early 1900s, Chinese immigrants played a major role in building Hawai‘i’s plantation railroads. However, with the Chinese Exclusion Act of
1882, immigration patterns shifted, and Japanese laborers became a dominant force in the growing sugar industry. Hawai‘i was a true crossroads. The
Aloha shirt emerged from this mix: Japanese workers brought breathable, cotton yukata fabric, which local tailors repurposed into comfortable shirts
for the island heat. Filipino immigrants added their flair with bayau shirts, bright, untucked, and casual.
Around 1932, Ellery Chun, a Chinese-American entrepreneur, began selling ready-made shirts from kimono fabric at King-Smith Clothiers in Honolulu.
He was the first to trademark “Aloha Shirt” (1937), helping to take the style mainstream. But Chun wasn’t alone. In 1935, the tailor shop Musa-Shiya
Shoten ran the first newspaper ad using the term “Aloha Shirt,” offering radiant designs for 95 cents.
The Aloha shirt emerged from a cultural fusion- Japanese fabric, Filipino style, Chinese entrepreneurship, and Hawaiian spirit. It’s a shirt born of
migration, adaptation, and creativity.
Around 1932, Ellery Chun, a Chinese-American entrepreneur, began selling ready-made shirts from kimono fabric at King-Smith Clothiers in Honolulu.
He was the first to trademark “Aloha Shirt” (1937), helping to take the style mainstream. But Chun wasn’t alone. In 1935, the tailor shop Musa-Shiya
Shoten ran the first newspaper ad using the term “Aloha Shirt,” offering radiant designs for 95 cents.
The Aloha shirt emerged from a cultural fusion- Japanese fabric, Filipino style, Chinese entrepreneurship, and Hawaiian spirit. It’s a shirt born of
migration, adaptation, and creativity.
THE ALOHA.
IN CULTURE.
The Aloha shirt has officially earned staple status in seasonal collections across menswear trends. It’s my favorite example of how consumers sneak color into their closets and give themselves permission to break winter’s grayscale dress code. While florals are a given in womenswear, bold prints still get a tentative side-eye in menswear. That’s why the Aloha shirt feels like a cultural moshpit worth celebrating: a garment that makes vibrancy feel laid-back, not loud.
And it’s not just about surfboards and palm trees anymore. From Louis Vuitton’s snarling, tattoo-flash panthers to Our Legacy’s kitschy, voodoo-rific motifs, the Aloha shirt has been reimagined again and again. Here are a few versions to kick off your summer on a high note whatever your vibe, there’s probably an Aloha shirt that matches it.
Vol. 3 The Aloha.
The Shop.
