Feed: Da Kine Hawaiian Aloha - AggScore: 46.8
Summary: Da Kine Hawaiian Aloha
The Official Blog of Wave Shoppe Hawaiian Shirts - Made in the USA
Travel Info for Your Hawaii Vacation
Aloha everyone, with
warm weather and summer fast approaching, it time to start
thinking about summer vacations, as well as getting into the
planning stages for some luaus. But we also know that those are
not always simple tasks and that people may need ideas or basic
advise.
So having said that, we
thought that we would share some of our favorite vacation and
travel articles/references with you. Yes, some of the sites are
ad supported (we get a few cents if a visitor clicks on an ad),
but the information contained on the sites we are suggesting
could prove to be pretty invaluable to many people.
Next on our list is an
article from Shop Hawaiian containing Recommendations
on stores and businesses to shop at in Hawaii
and smart
shoppers know that personalized shopping recommendations are the
way to go. Also on our virtual itinerary is the website Shop
Aloha where you can Learn more
about Hawaii's Culture and Lifestyle, its always good to
have some basic knowledge of the culture, and that applies to
just about any new location you visit.
Now onto our favorite
part of summer, that being PARTIES! Yes, we live for them. But
again many people are at a loss and do not even know where to
start. And of course we are going to hook you up; let’s start
with How to Decorate for a
Luau where you can learn from someone’s first hand
experiences. The writings cover everything you need to know about
luau decorations and more.
And as an added bonus
for our valued readers we offer you tips on How to Dress for a
Luau which is a must read for the party planners as
your guests will all be asking you what’s appropriate luau wear
and what’s not.
Factually speaking, the
most commonly questions asked still, and for some seamingly odd
reason always will, pertain to What to wear
in Hawaii and we think that it’s
because most people simply want to fit in and in a way pay
respect to the Hawaiian culture. If you consider yourself to be a
really geeky Hawaiian apparel person you may enjoy an lengthy yet
detailed article authored by Linda Boynton Arthur, titled
History of
Hawaiian Holoku (Hawaiian dresses). We
hope this helps you have a more enjoyable summer and if you have
a resource you would like to share simply mention it in a comment
and we will check it out. Mahalo everyone!
Date Published: Apr 05, 2012 - 1:39 pm
Charles and the Four Letter Word
I will never forget my first visit to Oahu I was so excited when I was booking the trip one of the things on my wish list was to get a room overlooking the ocean where we could relax and watch those amazing sunsets framed by palm trees. My husband Charles sitting right next to me envisioned a room in the industrial area where we could focus on business, after all, many of the Hawaiian shirts from Wave Shoppe are made in Hawaii (as well as the mainland) and that is where we were going to meet our designers who would help us create our first custom fabric.
Being the wonderful wife that I am and not wanting him to waste too much time on his idea of a cheap room with no view or ocean breezes as soon as he came up with his dream “work” hotel I swiveled in my desk chair leveled him “the stare” and said “We ARE going to have an ocean view”.
My husband pulled his wallet out from his back pocket and pretended to dust it off thought for a moment and said those magic words “Ok Dear”.
I know I heard him mutter under his breath “you own a freaking Hawaiian store” but he denies it to this day, so we decided to check out the shops closest to the hotel. As we walked down the sidewalk of Waikiki we found a little store called the ABC store.
It was filled with cool stuff lots of touristy stuff and of course every family and friend I knew wanted something. We weren’t paying much attention to the names of the stores but after about the fourth store my husband looked at me in horror and said we were in the same store and there was one on every block and you know he was right.
My husband watched a man carve tikis while I looked at each and every booth.
The next day we visited Hilo Hatties and that is one cool store! Then the following day we finished our shopping spree with a trip to the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet with one of my girlfriends who had once said “don’t miss that place it has everything” so we went there and was amazed at everything that was offered and there were great prices too.
It was hot that day and humid as it had rained a little in the am, so after our two hour tour we were ready for an early dinner. Charles decided on going down the strip to an all you can eat crab at a hotel buffet and arrived back to the room just in time to enjoy another sunset in paradise and vegetate for a while.
If anyone know's of some other cool places to shop while on Oahu please hit me up, as we will be going back again this summer and I am sure Charles will appreciate your referral.
Date Published: Mar 30, 2012 - 9:17 am
The Colorful History of Hawaiian Shirts
Hawaiian shirts, most often referred to as Aloha shirts in Hawaii, originated there in the early 1930s, designed and produced by Ellery Chun, a Waikiki merchant. He found himself with a surplus of old kimono fabrics and decided to fashion shirts which could be sold to the tourists. The local newspaper began calling them Aloha shirts, and Chun was quick to trademark the name.
Very soon, Chun had neither shirts nor surplus fabric, as locals
and tourists alike descended upon his store and bought his entire
stock. His unique contribution to Hawaiian apparel was an
immediate hit and its popularity has since spread around the
world. Chun, unfortunately, enjoyed a limited portion of the
success, as within a few years, Aloha shirts were being mass
produced by several major design labels. Most of that production
was marketed as Hawaiian shirts, to avoid trademark
infringement.
When World War II was over, the tourist trade in Hawaii began to
grow rapidly, and by 1959, when Hawaii became a state,
essentially every tourist sported a Hawaiian shirt. As a result,
the shirts’ popularity gradually spread to California, as surfers
quickly embraced them as a part of their own
sub-culture.
Meanwhile, back in the Islands, the Aloha shirt had become
synonymous with Hawaiian in another way. Through common usage,
relaxing business dress standards and organized movements, the
more formal business dress of shirt, tie and jacket were replaced
with this new icon of Hawaiian culture.
“Casual Friday”, a practice in many businesses in the mainland
U.S., actually has its origins in “Aloha Friday”, which was the
day that many Hawaiian businesses and offices allowed Aloha
shirts to be worn by employees. Today, however,
Hawaiian shirts
are considered appropriate dress for all but the most formal of
events, and are considered appropriate business attire for any
setting or day of the week. Client calls, business conferences
and seminars, court appearances, as well as weddings and
funerals… all will see many such shirts in the
crowd.
The average kama`aina (native-Hawaiian or long-time
resident) typically won’t wear the brightly colored shirts that
many of us are used to seeing at the airport. They tend to prefer
somewhat subdued colors and prints, most often either floral or
of a Polynesian motif, and often in a reverse print. Reverse
print is using the fabric in a way that places the prominently
printed side on the inside of the garment, which
gives the impression the shirt is being worn
inside-out.
The typical malihini (newcomer or
visitor) is often to be found wearing the less sedate prints,
which sometimes are comprised of non-traditional images, such as
sea creatures, automobiles or sports team logos - the
possibilities being virtually unlimited. Some companies, both in
the Islands and the mainland U.S., have even commissioned
“uniform” shirts for their employees, sporting the company logo
or products. Trader Joe’s, for instance, has made the Aloha shirt
their dress code for employees.
In addition to the cultural aspect of this relatively new
Hawaiian apparel item (forty years is a very short time, in the
context of Hawaii’s rich history), it is extremely practical
wear. Somewhat similar in concept to the guayabera of Mexico, Cuba, the
Philippines and other countries with heavy Spanish influence,
Hawaiian shirts are especially comfortable in tropical climates,
where loose-fitting clothing is preferable. The Hawaiian version,
however, usually has only pocket on the left breast, while the
guayabera has two or
four pockets, as well as front and back pleats, which the Aloha
shirt doesn’t have.
The mu’umu’u (a long and
loose fitting dress), is another form of popular Hawaiian
apparel, often worn by women, although women often also wear the
shirts. The prints are similar, and it’s not uncommon to see
couples wear matching prints. Some women also opt for the shorter
Hawaiian dresses or tank dresses, both of which are
sleeveless.
While there are many suppliers of Hawaiian apparel, those whose
clothing is made in the Islands or the mainland U.S., rather than
made in Asia, are considered to be “authentic” and are generally
of higher quality. In today’s global market, it’s sometimes
difficult to source authentic products, but if you intend to wear
a
Hawaiian shirt
or any other item of Hawaiian apparel, wouldn’t you rather it
actually be Hawaiian, rather than “Made in China”?
Wave Shoppe, based in
Escondido, is one of the few Hawaiian
shirts manufacturers and retailers based 100% in the United
States. Wave Shoppe is committed to providing the finest American
Made Hawaiian clothing at the price and quality that our
customers deserve.
Date Published: Mar 10, 2012 - 5:20 pm
Tips on Ordering Boys Hawaiian Shirts and Outfits
Its my experience that when it comes to choosing little boys clothing, that men, as well as women, all have a hard time choosing the proper size. To be honest, if I didn’t have a retail store that sold children’s clothes I probably wouldn’t know either. So I will just cut to the chase and give you the guys low down on selecting the correct children’s size each and every time (well most of the time).
For boys Hawaiian cabana outfits all you need to do is know the child’s age, and yes it’s that simple. In example a garment labeled 6M is made for a child that is at least 6 months old, yet younger than the next size up. Let’s say the next size is 2, that would fit a child that is 2 years old, but is under 4 years old, which is size [insert drum roll] size 4!
So while there are some children’s garments in size 1, most children’s outfits are labeled 6M, 2, 4, 6, and 8 (which spans size 8 – 10)
Boys Hawaiian
shirts are an entirely different ballgame though. Most
boys shirts are labeled small, medium, large and XL and they are
probably the most difficult to choose, mainly because a boys
small is not the same size as an adult size small.
So what’s a guy to do? Well
for me its back to the child’s age.
In my opinion a child’s size 8, which is for children 8 – 10 years old could also serve as a size small. So if I made a conversion chart it would look like this. 8 = Small, 10 = Medium, 12 = large, 14 = Children’s XL or adult Small.
While all of this is not
definitive, you’re odds of choosing correctly the first time are
excellent. You may also want to consider whether or not the boy
is active or a video game couch potato (whereas my formulas are
void)
Now that you’re an expert on
children’s clothing, have a look at some of the new boys Hawaiian
clothing from everyone’s favorite Hawaiian store, Wave Shoppe Hawaiian
Shirts.
Date Published: Mar 07, 2012 - 11:55 am
Year Of The Parrot
Since I really don’t see that there is
such a thing as Year Of The Parrot, I have decided
that a few of us at Wave Shoppe will simply create it. My best
guess is that we will start out by re-introducing the parrot
chimes in the downtown showroom. I have to stop here for a moment
and tell you a little more about those parrot wind chimes. You
see once upon a time we had 4 or 5 of them hung throughout the
store, each one had a colorful 12” parrot on a perch that had 6
chimes hanging underneath it. So what’s not to love about that
you say? Let me tell you that when you are trapped in a small
1000 square foot showroom and you spend all day hearing people
bumping into those chimes and dealing with peoples kids
threatening to pull them down, its sometimes takes all you can
muster to keep your sanity. And then there are the countless
times you bump into them yourself.
So a ways back I slapped a price tag
on every one of them and told people that if they made one of
them chime, they had to buy it. In a matter of weeks I sold every
one of them. Now people come into the store and inquire about the
demise of the parrots and are requesting that I re-introduce them
into the store, oh the humanity.
So that brings us to the next task at
hand, how do we raise the bar per se and I am thinking that we
will group them with all of the Hawaiian shirts with parrots that
we have in the store. I believe that right now we have 5 to
choose from, there are our most recent additions, the orange Hawaiian shirt with parrots, the blue Hawaiian shirt with parrots and the crème Hawaiian shirt with parrots.
As I am writing this blog post I
am thinking what a wonderfull addition these chimes would make at
a target range.
Then we have the classic black Hawaiian shirt with parrots as well as the
classic Hawaiian jungle bird shirt manufactured by
Wave Shoppe. I also anticipate dropping a few more new shirts
with parrots before summer and possibly bringing back a design we
retired a few years ago. So there you have it, 2012 will
officially be the year of the parrot.
As our living parrot Coco would say...
Squawk, Squawk
Date Published: Dec 29, 2011 - 12:05 pm
Snakes and Hawaii
Snakes and Hawaii
I have heard it said that
there are no snakes in Hawaii. Since I do not like snakes, Hawaii
could very well be the paradise it is called just for that reason
alone. I am not sure why some people bring their snakes into my
Hawaiian shirt store. They have them
wrapped around their arms, shoulders and neck like a living,
breathing scarf. I never knew so many people owned snakes before
we moved into our downtown Escondido location that is around the
corner and a few doors down from a reptile house. I have seen some huge ugly
lizards, many types of snakes, all sorts of bug eyed lizards,
chameleons etc and one guy even walks some type of baby dragon on
a leash. They all prance around with their reptiles like they are
so proud of them.
You would think they would have the common sense not to bring
them into my store but OH NO they come right on in to show me
their scaly pets.
One day I had an elderly lady
looking over some of our colorful muumuus and I was
helping her find her size. I remember the customer coming into
the store and said “Hi let me know if you need any help” I
glanced his way and smiled but then turned back to speak to the
lady I was helping. I found a couple of muumuus in her size and
was halfway to the dressing room to hang them up when she started
screaming her head off. She had one hand around her throat and
was pointing in the direction of the guy who was the only other
customer in the store.
At this point I am thinking he
must have a gun he is going to rob us but even worse than that
was when I turned to look at him I saw that he had a huge snake
wrapped around his neck that snake was so long it hung down his
back to the backs of his knees and was wrapped around his neck
and down his arm and he was holding the head with his hand. I am
thinking 8 feet for sure and of course those beady black eyes
were looking right at us.
I guess you can tell my level
of comfort with snakes considering I thought a snake was worse
than having a gun wielding robber in my store, so during this
commotion the man was slowly backing away from us trying to
reassure us his snake was harmless. While my customer was doing
some kind of weird dance and hiding behind me while holding onto
me I yelled “Get that snake out of here now!” That man took off
down the street and I have not seen him or his pet since
then.
Really owners of large
reptiles need to have their heads examined in my opinion. Don’t
they watch all those shows that end up with the big snake
overpowering the owner and killing them or the shows where snakes
get out of the enclosures and kill children in the house? Can’t
blame the snake, that’s what they do, they wrap around you and
try to eat you.
So I am now curious how they
can claim there are no snakes in Hawaii, are you telling me that
not one snake lover has ever slipped a snake in a suitcase on
board a plane? So my
question to the readers of this blog is…. Is it true there are no
snakes on the islands? Let me know if you have ever seen or heard
about encounters with snakes in the lush vegetation they have
over there. I did
notice when I visited the island of Oahu there were a lot of
mongooses over there perhaps that is why there are no snakes?
Peggy
Date Published: Oct 07, 2011 - 2:19 pm
Thomas Jefferson died on July 4th
I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to believe that the 4th of July is a little over a week away. I mean what happened to April, May and most of June? There’s even a month long gap in my Blog posts, maybe I have lost track of time or maybe it’s just that I have not had much to say, probably the latter. I was thinking that I might research and write about Hawaiian Independence Day, but I think I will save that for a later post.
For most people the 4th of July means a long weekend, fireworks and lots of BBQ and increased alcohol consumption, for some that is. Myself I relish the patriotic displays but I also have a penchant for history and all the little mysteries that come with it, but don’t lump me in with the confused conspiracy theory people, ok.
So speaking of history… below are a few forgotten or little known facts about the 4th of July that you may not know, courtesy of wikipedia
‘Historians have long disputed whether Congress actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on that day. Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as is commonly believed.
In a remarkable coincidence, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, James Monroe, the Fifth President of the United States, died on July 4, 1831. Calvin Coolidge, the Thirtieth President, was born on July 4, 1872, and thus was the only President to be born on Independence Day’
I would also like to point out that if you’re a superstitious politician, the 4th may not be your luckiest day. Myself I think I am going to keep it simple, though I do have a nifty and quite loud fireworks shirt (shown below) that I am going to wear for the holiday weekend. I also have an additional patriotic shirt that I will be wearing that’s pretty cool but I don’t have a picture of it yet. Maybe I will add it later on, my wife picked out the design and I must say that she has excellent taste.
Before I forget, while Wave Shoppe offers a lot of unique
Hawaiian
shirts in the stores and on the Website, many of the shirts I
wear are “one of a kind shirts’ which are not available for
purchase.
Date Published: Jun 23, 2011 - 1:54 pm
Hot New Summer Dresses Under $40
Summer is not all that far off and we wanted to introduce you to 2 really hot Hawaiian print dresses in two popular color combinations. These dresses are one size fits all, also known as smocked dresses, and they are the latest rage at the beach and casual Hawaiian themed events such as luaus. These Hawaiian dresses are very comfortable to wear and the elastic top means you don’t have to worry about obtaining a good fit.
First in line is this beautiful black Hawaiian tube top dress with red hibiscus flowers, which is going to be a big seller this year.
Priced at just $38.95 you can afford to get more than one.
While you are at it, take a moment to check out the many new designs we have added to our line of Hawaiian shirts for men (men like gifts too) as well as new additions to our lineup of authentic muumuu dresses (think Mothers Day), styled after the most popular designs worn in Hawaii.
Mahalo from all of us at Wave Shoppe Hawaiian Shirts and Apparel
Date Published: Apr 21, 2011 - 3:24 pm
Wave Shoppe in Teen Vogue
These types of trade shows involve a lot of walking and taking lots of breaks, so while on a short break at Teen Vogues booth we grabbed a copy to see if a design we submitted many months ago had made it into the March issue.
While we knew we were being considered there was never an official “yes we choose you for the shoot”, so it was quite cool to be flipping pages and actually seeing one of our Hawaiian shirts on a model in the magazine.
If you can’t guess it’s the
purple Hawaiian shirt with yellow flowers.
Ironically
when we returned to San Diego there was a package and
personalized letter from Vogue congratulating us on our
accomplishment. Its now framed and hanging in the Wave Shoppe
Escondido store.
Ironically
when we returned to San Diego there was a package and
personalized letter from Vogue congratulating us on our
accomplishment. Its now framed and hanging in the Wave Shoppe
Escondido store.
So while at a glance you see that we sell Hawaiian shirts and dresses, we are also heavy into designing textiles and traveling deeper into the fashion jungle with each passing day.
I was just getting ready to
click the “publish post” button and I was thinking that I failed
to mention that for me, making it into Conde Nast’s Vogue
would be like dying and going to heaven. Recently I learned that
I have the dying part all dialed in so now all I need to do
is come up with a design before then.
Date Published: Mar 07, 2011 - 11:22 am
To Whom It May Concern
"To Whom It May Concern:
I don’t think a company gets much feedback or credit when they do something right and I wanted you to know that I couldn’t be more pleased with the merchandise that I received and how quickly I received it. I placed my order on a Friday and received it the following Monday! What great service! I will be in Maui next week wearing my shirt I purchased which, by the way, fit perfectly.
Thank you again for the great product and the outstanding service your company provided. I will definitely recommend you to anyone.
Ken L
South Sioux City, NE"
Date Published: Feb 08, 2011 - 11:50 am
Hawaiian Apparel Wedding Planners
After a lot of years of planning weddings here in San Diego we can tell you that we've had requests for just about every style of Hawaiian wedding attire at our Hawaiian apparel store. If you need help selecting attire fit for a wedding, just stop by the Kalmia St showroom and our expert wedding planner Peggy will help you choose the wedding attire that is appropriate for the two of you.
Pictured above is another
happy couple that had recently utilized our expert wedding
services wearing Wave Shoppe Hawaiian apparel for their
special day.
Date Published: Feb 04, 2011 - 6:15 pm
One Turtle Two Turtle Green Turtle Blue Turtle
As much as we would like to
tempt you with a freewheeling plot about a boy and a girl, and
the many amazing creatures they have for friends, we cant.
But what we can do is show you
a picture of our new blue Hawaiian shirt with
turtles in which we have in 2 wonderful colors. Of
course we are just going to show you the blue one and ask
you go look at the green Hawaiian shirt with
turtles, for which we also provided a convenient
link.
These hawaiian shirts
are made from cotton poplin (which has a high thread count) and
are priced at just $45.95 and like all Wave Shoppe apparel, made
in the USA. By the way, that $45.95 price point is well under the
price of most imported shirts, which are clearly of lesser
quality.
Honu Honu or is that Nanu
Nanu?
Date Published: Jan 24, 2011 - 5:06 pm
Quintinn Piikane Holi and the Hawaiian Trio
Its not often that post many people pictures, but we wanted to
say Mahalo to an awesome friend of Wave Shoppe’s named Quintinn
Piikane Holi. Quintinn is not only a remarkable singer/musician
and story teller, he is also a real Hawaiian (and eats like one)
with lots of Aloha in his heart. He is someone you actually want
to know.
Quintinn plays at a lot of gigs, but in my opinion some of the
most down to earth stuff is performed right in front of our
store, accompanied the local San Diego hula troupe, Tipanie O
Patitifa. If you’re in San Diego during the summer months please
stop by and have a listen. Holy smokes! I almost forgot to tell
you about the picture. Just prior to one of Quintinn’s high sea
adventures, Wave Shoppe released the Indigo Hawaiian
shirts (pictured above) and it wasn’t long before
Quintinn came by to scope them out. Well as fate would have it, a
few of them (almost magically) ended up in brudah Quintinn’s
pickup truck, headed for exciting destinations unknown.
Alas we saw a post on Quintinns
facebook or something, it mentioned the shirts were
spotted in a picture on a cruise ship. Weeks later Q wandered to
the store to play, with picture in hand, and honestly its one of
the nicest things I have received all year.
Mahalo Quintinn!
Wave Shoppe Hawaiian Shirts and Apparel
Date Published: Jan 17, 2011 - 1:22 pm
Ten things you should do while wearing a Hawaiian Shirt
1. Go to a Luau
2. Go to Da Beach to catch Da Local Babes Attention
3. Play your Ukulele... (keep it clean brah)
4. Crash a Wedding
5. Eat Fish & Poi
6. Wear your Hawaiian Shirt on Aloha Friday
7. Take a Trip to Hawaii
8. Hang Loose m/
9. Go Check Out Hula Girls!
10. Cruizing with the Top Down
Ok so you live in a cave and have no idea where to buy a Hawaiian shirt. Here is a hint, check out Wave Shoppe Hawaiian Shirts and Apparel
Post a comment and tell
us what you do in a Hawaiian shirt or post your comment on
http://www.facebook.com/HawaiianShirts and
we will list your FB page right here!
facebook.com/fuzzyape I hold open houses in my Hawaiian shirts
facebook.com/steve.gerencser I meet with clients in my Hawaiian shirts. No suit or tie here!
facebook.com/fuzzyape I hold open houses in my Hawaiian shirts
facebook.com/steve.gerencser I meet with clients in my Hawaiian shirts. No suit or tie here!
facebook.com/sherwood Hamilton
II take a stroll on the beach at
sunset and watch the fireworks after dark on 4th of
july with your toes in the cool sand.
Date Published: Jan 16, 2011 - 11:26 am
Local Church Says Mahalo for Hawaiian Fabric
When you cut Hawaiian apparel not all of the full fabric width is utilized and in a short amount of time a busy shop can generate a sizable amount of odd shaped stacks of fabric. Some are as small as 6 x 6 quilting squares and some are ½ yard or more. So many years ago we concluded that giving the fabric away to good causes was a better alternative than adding more volume to a landfill.
But to whom do we give it to? Well and I kid you not, just a few weeks after making that decision we were approached by a local church that made quilts for some great causes, and the rest is history. Now who says God doesn’t work in mysterious ways?
Date Published: Jan 08, 2011 - 2:53 pm
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