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