HAWAIIAN CLOTHING

Free Jewelry

2010-12-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

Shirts in ministry

2010-09-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

This gentleman is the new proud owner of six Hawaiian shirts.

He is using them in his ministry service...

Love the shirts. We are getting our logo done on the sleeve this week!!!
They look great!!
Thanks!

Aaron VanCampen
Student Minister
Bay Area Christian Church

Aloha is Hawaii

2010-05-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share an experience of a few years ago.

I had a friend help with my online hawaiian shirt store, and he used text from other sites as place holders.

Problem being, he didn't take it all out like he should have.

Fast forward some eight years later, I get a nastygram from some guy out in California. Seems he is not too appreciative of having his store copy used.

And rightfully so. But here is where his lack of character comes forward.

Before I go there, I will go here. I had my entire site for Maui scrapped. It took me three years to get the owner to take it down. Every word, every original image, weeks of work.

I know what it is like, it doesn't feel good at all.

But it is not a license. In all that time, I never once became abusive or insulting. It was within my rights to do so. But I chose not to.

Back to the guy from California. It's all nasty. It's rude. No explanation is accepted, all apologies are replied to with insults, everything I say is a lie (despite the offending text being taken immediately down), he seems thrilled to have an excuse to be abusive. You know the kind, a big man when out of arm's reach. It is without any aloha. Odd for a guy selling aloha shirts to not have any aloha.

But then again, maybe not.

There is something to aloha shirts being from the aloha state. If you run a shirt factory in California, or anywhere that is not Hawaii, YOU ARE RIPPING OFF HAWAIIAN CULTURE. How "without aloha" can you possibly get than that?

If it isn't from Hawaii, it is not an aloha shirt. It is not a Hawaiian shirt. Nuff said.

Opportunity lost/opportunity cost

2010-05-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that there are quite a few suppliers of Hawaiian shirts that are fasing out the old patterns.

I am looking forward to what the new season brings.

I can only hope they have learned their lessons as to what sells and have invested heavily in both specialty and foliage print themes.

On the other hand, someone offered me $400 for my XL day of the dead hawaiian shirt the other day.

Turned him down flat!

Luau, luau... oh baby, we gotta go now.

2010-04-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

What a great idea I had today. The next time we throw a party, it will be a Luau.

We will have everyone wear Hawaiian clothing, edge the furniture in grasses, and possibly hire some dancers.

Add tiki torches and tropical drinks.

Serve shave ice. Give out free leis.

Hawaiian music would be a good touch (I love Hawaiian music anyway), and will set the mood.

Finally food, and lots of it, served barbequed and buffet style.

We even have enough undeveloped wooded area for a pit, about a quarter acre or so.

2010-03-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hi John~

I love the dress and if fit great!

Actually it traveled to Mexico with me and went out to eat

~ Thanks!

Clooney in an aloha shirt

2010-03-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

Today's stargazing found George Clooney filming "The Descendents" in Hawaii this week.

The film is about a descendant of the Hawaiian royalty, and has George in a supporting role.

The picture of him is in a "Postcard" aloha shirt.

On our site, we are running out of the embroidered palm very quickly.

The shirt is only $60, which would be $120 for a Tommy-Bahama ilk.

We do not expect to have them for much longer.

Click image for more information or to purchse.

Top Ten Hawaiian Clothing Tips

2010-03-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Hawaiian Clothing Tips.

10) Rayon, not cotton. People have this illusion that cotton is cooler in hot weather, it's not. That was created by the cotton council in the 1970s. What they actually said was "cotton is more comfortable", which got twisted around.

9) Do bring warm clothes too. Maybe just a pair. It gets colder with elevation, but you are not close enough to the equator for things to never get cool at night.

8) Sunglasses. Tip: Leave yours at home, buy a pair here. It is one less thing to lose and worry about.

7) Flip flops if you have them, bring them. They are mandatory on Maui

6) Hats are nice, but be prepared to have it blown off by the tradewinds. Your choice.

5) Bring low-cut socks if you will be wearing...

4) ... shorts. You will want them, you will wear them.

3) Bring one more set of nice, "evening out" clothes than you think you will need.

2) Buy an aloha shirt while here.

1) Buy quality aloha shirts (men) and/or quality sundresses (women) before you leave. Have them nice and new and fresh for your time in paradise Hawaii!

2010-03-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

Perhaps Hawaii is poised for a comeback, if it really ever left at all. Sure there were layoffs, and 40% occupancy rates in Waikiki, but people can only stand to be cooped up in the snow for so long. Except for Maui, of course, which had a visitor growth rate of 5%.

Continental will be flying four weekly flights out of John Wayne airport to Maui (going to daily this summer) and daily service to Honolulu.

One of the reasons I like this so much is that it is not departing from one of the megahubs. They are congested as they are, and as a nation we need to develop more access to regional hubs.

I understand why, but do not agree with, the idea that I have to fly into Dulles rather than Hagerstown to see relatives in western Maryland. And that if it is available, it is far to expensive.

Now if I could just get the whole of Continental Airlines to see the wisdom of outfitting their staff in Hawaiian shirts, we could all fly happy.

More good news, the whale count this year registered a little over a 20% increase in the number of humpback whales observed.

In news of the weird, the country that brought you knockoffs of everything now has a knockoff of Hawaii. Hainan is the island south of the southernmost province of China, and from the article....

"...In the past two years, the Ritz-Carlton, Le Meridien, the Banyan Tree and the Mandarin Oriental have opened luxurious resorts here, joining the Sheraton, the Hilton and the Marriott, who unleashed the onslaught over the past six years. Anantara will open in early 2011"

And yes, complete with Hawaiian style clothing. But one has to wonder how much Aloha will one find?

Hawaiian Clothing From Africa

2010-02-26T07:19:00.000-08:00

With the recent completion and publication of our newest site, it may come as a surprise that it is not selling anything Hawaiian.

Until you see it's selling dashiki

Brilliantly colored, very comfortable, and exotic. The dashiki is the only thing that can out 'hawaiian shirt' the hawaiian shirt.

Yes, it is from Africa, but it has made huge inroads into the America culture. Anyone can wear one.

Elsewhere in the news, we have two new sundresses, the cala lilly print in black or purple.

The rayon fabric in the sundresses is the same type used for the really good quality hawaiian shirts

So what's next? Either a store for sarongs or Jamaica dresses.

2010-02-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

10 Ways To Beat The Winter Blues

Much of America is slowly emerging from beneath deep layers of snow burying everything recognizable. It is a cold, heavy weight that is going to be everywhere you see for many weeks to come. The winter blahs are here.

Not counting those suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder*, which should be treated professionally, there are a few simple thing that anyone can do that helps banish the blahs. It starts tomorrow morning when you get dressed.

1 - Smile!
Smiling, even when it is not heartfelt, is an effective mood lifter. Smiling works especially well if one deals with other people during their workday. Smiling at others makes others more positive in their interactions, and this creates an uplifting positive feedback loop. The more you smile, the nicer people are to you.

2 - Feel the burn
Exercise is another proven mood enhancer. Physical exertion releases dopamine in the brain. Even if you do not work out to achieve the runner's high, you will feel better and be healthier than if you do not exercise.

Try taking a walking lunch. Brown-bag your food and eat it while walking on your lunch break, you will burn calories and save money.

3 - Brighten up to lighten up
Wearing Hawaiian clothing, which uses uplifting colors and is comfortably cut, can be a huge help. It also has a similar positive feedback loop to smiling, where people are nicer to a person when the like that person's appearance.

You are not limited to shirts, the horizons for Hawaiian clothing have vastly broadened with the advent of online stores. Consider a dashiki instead, or for women a sundress or muu-muu.

4 - Lay off the sugar
A sweet in the middle of the afternoon will pick you up... then dump you hard. Try eating a piece of fruit or even a light serving of a carbohydrate instead. Over the long run, even your waistline will thank you.

5 - Sex!
Consenting adults take heed, good sex will elevate your mood(s), help you sleep and may lead to other benefits like improved communications and a happier partner.

6 - Catch some sleep
Set an exact time for your day to end with one hour to wind down. Ending your day means computers off, kids in bed, and night time chores completed. Give your mind time to disengage from the day. Spend the last hour in bed winding down with a good book or a favorite TV show, and when the hour ends the lights go out.

7 - Kindness in kind
Doing an act of kindness will lift your mood and help others. The American Red Cross is taking $10 donations to help efforts in Haiti. (Even if you are reading this years after publication, they will always welcome your donation!)

8 - Play with your pet
A great excuse to simply play. Play is a mood lifting and mind-expanding activity that lets us express ourselves and enjoy life. Billions of children can't be wrong, and your pet will like you more.

9 - Sing-sing
Seriously, sing. An old song is like an old friend, and singing along as you drive to or from work will whisk you back to happier days. When is the last time you belted out the Star Spangled Banner?

10 - Cry if you have to
If you are feeling down, and just can't seem to shake it off, have a good cry. Find a setting where you will not be disturbed, turn off the phones, and sit in the quiet. Concentrate on what you feel about your troubles more than the troubles themselves. Sometimes a good cry is exactly what you need.

*Shortened to the aptly named "SAD", it effects between 1.5 to 1.9 percent of all Americans according to the CDC in Atlanta.