What is an Aloha Shirt?

At the Cutting Edge: Contemporary Hawaiian Quilting By Linda Arthur, Professor, Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles From the publisher: With vivid colors and breathtaking designs, the Hawaiian quilt captures the exotic beauty of the Islands and celebrates Hawaiian culture. The quilt is a tangible reminder of the aloha with which it was made.

An aloha shirt is a particularly brightly patterned and often short sleeved button down cotton shirt. Aloha shirts are closely associated with the American state of Hawaii, where the name “Aloha Shirt” was first trademarked. The shirts can be found all over Hawaii, and are taken home to the mainland by thousands of tourists every year as mementos of their tropical adventures. In Hawaiian, the word aloha is associated with more than just hello and goodbye. Aloha also implies affection, compassion, love, and a sense of welcoming. Many Hawaiians value the “aloha spirit,” a sense of friendly laid back welcome which permeates the entire state. For visitors, the aloha shirt is a brightly colored and fun way of bringing the aloha home, as many shirts incorporate appealing tropical designs and other reminders of Hawaii. Hawaii is steeped in Polynesian culture, which places a high value on brightly colored, beautiful textiles. In the 1920s and 1930s, this translated into handsome casual ...  more