Wear it untucked, with the top button open, and make it the only loud thing you have on. That is most of it. The difference between a man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a man wearing a costume is almost never the shirt itself, it is that the costume version is tucked in, buttoned up, and paired with three other things competing for attention.
In this article
- The five rules
- What to wear it with
- Where to wear it
- Choosing the print
- Common mistakes
- Frequently asked questions
What are the rules for wearing a Hawaiian shirt?
Five, in order of how much difference they make.
| Rule | Do | Do not |
|---|---|---|
| Untucked | Let the straight hem sit where it was cut to sit | Tuck it. The hem is not shaped for it |
| Collar open | Leave the top one or two buttons undone | Button to the throat, which closes the V |
| One loud thing | Plain chinos, dark shorts, indigo denim | Patterned shorts. Pick a side |
| Fit the shoulders | Seam at the edge of your shoulder, body hangs loose | Size down to make it fitted |
| Plain shoes | Leather sandals, white sneakers, boat shoes | Anything with its own pattern |
If you only take one, take the first. A tucked camp shirt reads as a patterned business shirt that has gone wrong, and no other choice you make will rescue it.
What do you wear with a Hawaiian shirt?
Three combinations cover almost every occasion one is appropriate for.
- Dark shorts and sandals. The default. Summer, barbecue, the beach on the way home
- Plain chinos and white sneakers. Smart enough for dinner, a birthday, a Friday at an office that allows it
- Open over a plain tee. Worn as a light overshirt. Halves how loud the print reads and works on a cool evening
That third one is the underrated move, and it is how most people should wear their first one. It gives you the shirt without committing to being the brightest thing in the room on day one.
Camp collar, relaxed cut, printed collar to cuffs, XS to 2XL. Pacific artwork rather than novelty print.
See the shirts →Where can you actually wear one?
Wider than people assume, and the honest test is whether the event has a dress code you would be breaking.
| Occasion | Works | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Barbecue, party, beach day | Yes | The obvious one |
| Casual Friday at work | Yes | This is literally what Aloha Friday invented |
| Church in the Pacific | Yes | A printed shirt is normal Sunday wear across the islands |
| Dinner out | Yes, with chinos | Plain everything else and it reads as deliberate |
| A wedding | Depends | Fine at a Pacific wedding, ask at anybody else's |
| A funeral | No | White shirt, every time |
The one that surprises people is church. Across Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and the Cook Islands a printed shirt with an ie faitaga or plain trousers is ordinary Sunday dress, not a statement.
Which print will you still wear in three years?
The one you can answer a question about. That is the whole filter, and it is more practical than it sounds: somebody will ask, and a shirt you can say something true about is a shirt you keep reaching for.
A novelty print gives you nothing to say. A Pacific print gives you a place and a tradition. Our colourways are named for Samoan districts, Lalomanu and Falealili, and the artwork is elei, which is Samoan printed cloth rather than a generic tropical motif.
If you want the background before you choose, Samoan patterns and what they mean covers what elei actually is and how it differs from the sacred marks it is often confused with.
What are the most common mistakes people make?
Six, roughly in the order they happen.
- Tucking it in. Covered above and worth repeating, because it is the one that ruins an otherwise good shirt
- Sizing down to make it fitted. The relaxed cut is the garment. A tight aloha shirt is a different shirt that fits badly
- Two patterns. Patterned shirt with patterned shorts is the single fastest way to read as a costume
- Buttoning it to the throat. The collar is built to fold open. Closing it fights the construction
- Saving it for holidays. A shirt you wear twice a year never stops feeling like fancy dress. Wear it to the shops
- Ironing the print directly. Not a style mistake but the only one you cannot undo. Iron inside out
There is a seventh that is more about confidence than clothing. People buy a bold print, wear it once to a party, decide it is too much and never wear it again. The fix is to wear it somewhere completely ordinary on the second outing. After that it is just a shirt you own.
Every shirt here is printed and sewn after the order is placed, so allow about three weeks from order to door for Australia and New Zealand and closer to four across an ocean. Work back from the date you need it, not forward from today. There is more on the model in why made to order is the future of sustainable fashion.
Before the styling comes the buying. How to choose a Hawaiian shirt covers what separates a properly made camp shirt from a patterned business shirt.
Frequently asked questions
Should a Hawaiian shirt be tucked in?
No. The straight hem is cut to be worn untucked, and tucking it in is the single most common mistake.
What shorts go with a Hawaiian shirt?
Plain dark shorts in navy, olive or stone. Avoid patterned shorts: the shirt should be the only loud thing you are wearing.
Can you wear a Hawaiian shirt to work?
On a casual Friday, yes. The tradition of wearing one to the office is where casual Friday came from, starting with Aloha Friday in Hawaii in 1966.
Can you wear a Hawaiian shirt over a t-shirt?
Yes, worn open as a light overshirt. It is the easiest way to wear a bold print without it dominating the outfit.
What size Hawaiian shirt should I buy?
Your normal size. The cut is already relaxed, so fit the shoulders and let the body hang.
One loud thing, and let it be this
Seven camp collar prints, XS to 2XL, made after you order.
Shop Hawaiian shirts →Made to order. Allow three weeks.
Read next: Samoan Patterns and What They Mean · The Complete Guide to Samoan Fashion
