You should wear Polyester! These polyester palms are kind of the bomb - am I right? A little bit Don Knotts circa 1960's (for those of you familiar with the Andy Griffith Show). Keep up with my outfit ideas and inspiration here. #YSW - You Should Wear will bring you all sorts of fun takes on my fave vintage finds, prints, patterns, colors and eccentric outfit choices.
It's my second day back on the Hawaiian islands spending time with my family so it seems apropos to finish posting about this beautiful polynesian piece pictured here.
On my most recent trip to peruse new vintage stock at American Rag on La Brea Ave I saw much of the usual tiki, tapa and tropical motif hanging on the racks. Until I laid my eyes on this this gorgeous 1950's work of art. This shirt almost looked like a watercolor painting on the hanger, full of vibrant yellow, orange and pink florals. The colors jumped out at me. The collar lays open wide which I am usually not a fan of but not EVERY shirt I wear has to be buttoned up to the neck :) The unique gold buttons and thick woven fabric indicate the quality craftsmanship that went into creating this garment. If you don't already know who Alfred Shaheen is click on the link to indulge in the pioneering of the Aloha shirt back in the early 1950's. Though the traditional Hawaiian shirt became common to most Americans as every day wear it was not widely known as a fashion piece until the great Elvis Presley wore a Shaheen designed red Aloha shirt on the cover of the "Blue Hawaii" soundtrack released in 1961. Boom, you've been educated.
ALOHA!
It's no secret that I love prints...especially TROPICAL! Having Hawaiian heritage certainly attributes to my passion (obsession) for these retro Aloha shirts. I remember as a kid having to wear Aloha shirts for family portraits and they never seemed to fit me right, always too boxy. After years of thrifting I've finally found a rhythm in finding the ones that fit me just right - not to mention better, brighter, funkier colors.
For this shirt I thought it would be fun to pair with a beat up pair of denim trousers to really bring out the blue hues all around. The shoes were recently discovered while seeing my parents over the holidays in Washington. I used to frequent a thrift shop called "Treasures" when I was in high school and it is STILL going strong. Hence these lovely brown leather vintage Clarks. A bit worn, but they felt oh-so right. Throw in some blue shoe laces from Aldo and voila - you've got an undeniable Tiki-Urban-Streetwear look.
