| We all love looking at Hawaiian shirts. Looking back at | | | | in an advertisement in the Honolulu Adviser on June |
| the history of Hawaiian shirts, also known as the | | | | 28, 1935 with the words "Aloha Shirt" as the title. |
| "Aloha Shirt", we see that it can be traced to the | | | | Hawaiian shirts were improved in the mid 1920's with |
| 19th century and to the early western missionaries. | | | | Rayon. This made the Hawaiian Print Aloha shirt the |
| Those missionaries thought that covering the recent | | | | ultimate souvenir for tourists. |
| Christianized natives would be more appropriate than | | | | Hawaiian shirts were well-known in the 1940's and |
| allowing them to go topless. In the 1930's Hawaiian | | | | 1950's. Even celebrities wore the famous "Aloha |
| shirts started to be produced commercially and | | | | Shirt". In fact, Elvis Presley, who was known as the |
| continue to this day. Some researchers have | | | | undisputed king of rock, had a collection of Hawaiian |
| discovered stories about the pioneer of the Aloha | | | | Shirts that he used in his performances. He was |
| shirt, a Waikiki, Honolulu, Chinese merchant named Mr. | | | | often spotted and photographed wearing Hawaiian |
| Ellery Chun. Mr. Chun was the owner of the | | | | shirts. |
| well-known King Smith Clothiers and dry goods store. | | | | Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United |
| He was born in Honolulu in 1909 and he died at the | | | | States, wore Aloha Shirts. As a matter of fact, he |
| age of 91 on June 16, 2000. | | | | was featured in a 1951 issue of Life Magazine |
| With the help of her sister, Ethel Chun Lum, they | | | | wearing a Hawaiian shirt. Frank Sinatra and |
| started to shape the history of the Hawaiian shirt. | | | | Montgomery Cliff also wore Hawaiian shirts during the |
| Ethel Chun Lum made the first floral, brightly colored, | | | | motion picture "From here to Eternity". |
| short sleeved shirt which is made up of kimono | | | | There are still a lot of celebrities and public figures |
| fabric. On July 15, 1963, Mr. Chun registered his own | | | | who continue to wear and endorse Hawaiian shirts. A |
| business with "Aloha" as the trade name and it was | | | | list of famous people is enough to prove that |
| then that he began generating and advertising | | | | Hawaiian shirts are loved by many. The Hawaiian shirt |
| Hawaiian printed shirts. He placed a sign on his | | | | served as the symbol of the island paradise. It |
| window shop that read, "Aloha Shirt", which ignited | | | | represents the warm and pleasant greeting to people |
| the success of the sales of his business. | | | | who visit the Hawaiian Islands. However, we would |
| The shirts were enormously popular and sold mainly | | | | not have worn the Hawaiian shirts if they were not |
| to the local residents, surfers, tourists and boys who | | | | created at all. Let us pay tribute to the people who |
| loved the beach. The "Aloha Shirt" was first displayed | | | | shaped the history of the Hawaiian shirt. |