How to Wear a Hawaiian Shirt

After years of conversation with customers we have determined that for a few men, how to wear a Hawaiian shirt is still one of life’s little mysteries. The good news is that you may now relax and breathe a sigh of relief because we have the answer to your questions.

But first off you need to make sure that you start out with the real deal, which is an authentic Hawaiian shirt. There are typically two different men's shirt shirt styles sold and worn exclusively for use as Hawaiian shirts for men with that being the open collar shirts (also referred to as resort shirts or camp shirts) and shirts with a button-up collar, which is very old school Hawaii. While designs and construction methods vary, both are considered authentic for their periods and application as long as the men’s shirts have full button up closures and short sleeves.

When you select your shirt you want to make sure that you choose a size that feels reasonably loose fitting on you. Reason number one is that as soon as the garment is washed in water it will experience some shrinkage, good quality fabrics may shrink 3% to 5% and lesser quality fabric may shrink more. Reason number two is that when you wear a Hawaiian shirt, it is designed to be loose fitting, which makes them extremely comfortable to wear.

Fit: if it is a button up collar you should be able to button it at the neckline and be able to easily slip 2 fingers between you neck and the shirt collar. Most people leave the top 2 buttons undone which implies you live a carefree lifestyle. The sleeve should come all the way down to the top of your elbow when you arms are in a relaxed position. When standing erect, the drop length for the hem should be 3 1/2" to 4" below your belt line.

Remember that whenever you catch yourself wondering how to wear a Hawaiian shirt, the rule of thumb is that you should always be thinking about your comfort, not someone else's.

But is it acceptable to wear my shirt unbuttoned? Absolutely! These garments are all about having some fun and enjoying the life of Aloha.

Which brings us to our final topic, do you wear a Hawaiian shirt tucked in or not tucked in? The answer is simple, you wear them un-tucked and flying in the breeze, that’s the way of the island locals, plus you really don’t want to anger Pele do you?

We hope that this article offered you enough information on how to wear a Hawaiian shirt. Thank you for buying our American made Hawaiian apparel; we sincerely appreciate your support.

Mahalo!