The Aloha Shirt

In those days, writes Dale Hope in "The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands," a lovely $60 hardcover to be published next month by Patagonia, the flowered garments were "bright badges of good fortune, like stamps on a passport." --The New York Times Cultural icon and bon vivant Homer Simpson has opined that the only people who wear Hawaiian shirts are gay guys and big, fat party animals. Hope and Tozian put the lie to Homer in a lush, loving look at aloha shirts and the industry that provides them. Part fashion history, part cultural exploration, the marvelously well-illustrated tome examines the rise of Hawaii's image as a tourist's paradise, a perception engineered by far-sighted folks intent on making a buck. After reviewing competing claims as to who "invented" the aloha shirt, Hope and Tozian delve into the manufacturers that made it a perdurable icon of carefree relaxation. Amidst all the knockout threads on display, they sprinkle color pictures of vintage labels and the coconut buttons the authentic shirts sported. Languidly informative and pretty as a hula dancer, this is a book to please anyone interested in Hawaiian tourism and culture, in fashion, or in big, gorgeous picture books. Booklist "The Aloha Shirt" is a work of art. -- Surfertoday.com "Don't judge a book by its cover. Unless that cover looks like this book's cover." --Urbandaddy.com Dale Hope's timely opus may well be the definitive book on the aloha shirt...It is a delightful and informative read... -- Punahou Bulletin Fall Hope has blended his love of Hawaii and knowledge of textiles into a coffee-table book that appeals to anyone who's ever worn a Hawaiian shirt. -- Santa Cruz Sentinel If you think of Hawaiian shirts as gaudy garb for a luau, take a peek at author Dale Hope's gorgeous new book. -- Willamette Week Prior efforts include The Hawaiian Shirt by Tommy Steele, and now Dale's The Aloha Shirt takes it further to become the final and complete word on the topic. -- Surfer's Journal