The eternal return of the Hawaiian shirt

An appeal to all those who have never known anything about fashion, trend or hype, it is time to take your revenge because in 2018 you will be the most fashionable, you will have the style to be copied, and the most desired item of the latest season: the Hawaiian shirt, or rather, the Aloha shirt.

We have been used to seeing this garment as a typical souvenir, the garment that dad could not live without and that was proudly worn and paired with a waist belt and chunky shoes. What (probably) no one expected was that his FILA baby carrier today is considered a must have and currently repeatedly seen on the major catwalks: from Gucci to Alyx, everyone must have one. Likewise, it is useless to remark on the importance of chunky in recent years. Sneakers that giants such as Nike and Puma have reinterpreted without a doubt in their minds, updating '80s and' 90s silhouette and re-launching them on the market at the speed of light. The result? Sold-out. The Hawaiian shirt, finally, has set itself on the catwalks thanks to the help of designers who, invested with nostalgia, have seen something special in it: a white canvas on which to have fun with graphics, drawings and colors according to the seasonal trends.

The history of the Aloha shirt takes us directly back in the 30s, when Hawaii began to be the meeting point for different ethnic groups that, working and living together, began to influence each other and this mix of cultures gave life to the item. Indeed, this shirt is the perfect result of the fusion between a Japanese kimono, the precious Chinese material of silk, and the strong colors of the traditional Hawaiian Kapa. In the 1950, the Hawaiian industrialist Alfred Shaheen started this trend, enlisting some graphs and giving them the task of creating iconographies and prints that were inspired by the different traditions of these people.

In more recent years we have become accustomed to seeing the Aloha shirts at the cinema, worn by Hollywood stars like Al Pacino in Scarface or Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, crossing the various continents and arriving in Italy (how can we forget the shirt of Roberto Benigni in Non ci resta che piangere), becoming a trend, but outlining a very specific human and cinematographic profile: the average man who goes on vacation.

In 2018 things have changed, the Aloha shirt is the new in-focus-item of the summer and brands such as Prada or Maison Margiela reimagine a interpretation of the garment in a contemporary key. Maintaining its classic design, the shapes and the bright colors, it is revolutionized via the prints and being set free for personalization and creative looks, preserving (or not) the typical floral motif but without renouncing its identity.

The Hawaiian shirt, tightly buttoned, appears under and over blazers, under the dungarees and for either him or her, coordinated or not, blends with what any customer would want: softness, ability to adapt to different styles and recognizability.