Heaven for Hawaiian Shirts

Venture out on a Friday in Hawaii, and you will undoubtedly see one of the islands’ most iconic products — the aloha shirt. While elsewhere, workers dress down for casual Friday, in Hawaii, they observe “Aloha Friday.” The short-sleeved shirts printed with colorful depictions of island life and Polynesian themes first appeared in the mid-’30s and grew in popularity. GIs traveling through Hawaii on their way home after World War II clamored for these “postcards you can wear” and introduced them on the mainland, where a craze developed. Jumping on the demand, manufacturers created their own Hawaiian shirts (including a line endorsed by singer Bing Crosby). Like any other fad, the mania did not last, and aloha shirts fell out of favor.

But over the past few years, they have made a comeback, and demand for vintage shirts has soared. While you can usually find them at yard sales in Hawaii, the one place that will always guarantee an incredible selection of shirts is Bailey’s Antiques and Aloha Shirts. A real aficionado, David Bailey, opened the shop in 1980 and now presides over a rainbow selection of more than 5,000 aloha shirts, the largest such collection in the world.

To make finding the right shirt easier for customers, Bailey has divided the offerings into four categories: used shirts in good condition priced from as little as $3.99, with most at $19.99; vintage shirts that can fetch eye-popping prices (I asked him how much the most expensive shirt he had at the time of our visit would go for, and he said in excess of $10,000); new shirts, which I had not expected to find, that are replicas of vintage shirts and that I found well-made and visually appealing; and specialty selections from respected manufacturers such as Reyn Spooner, SigZane, Tommy Bahama and Jams World, most at $29.99.

Bailey also carries an extensive array of old Hawaiiana — souvenir ashtrays, dashboard hula dancers, tiki salt and pepper shakers and so on — making rummaging through the store all the more interesting. I found it to be a fascinating concentrated course in this popular art form. And yes, I discovered a couple of shirts that I will make good use of in the warm weather. I might even start my own Aloha Friday tradition.

Bailey’s Antiques and Aloha Shirts, 517 Kapahulu Avenue, Honolulu. Tel. (808) 734-7628.