Back in the '90s, there was a Hilo Hattie store near my office. I amassed a small collection of aloha shirts. And why not? Southern California is hot. They’re comfortable. Frank Sinatra wore one in From Here To Eternity. Thomas Magnum wore them. Trader Joe’s ‘crew’ wear them. They’re fun. I lost about 70 pounds a couple of years ago. I bought some dress shirts for work, and aloha shirts for casual wear. I don’t really have any other shirts that fit anymore.
Now the Alt Reich have taken to wearing them. I think ANTIFA and other people opposed to the right wing need to start wearing aloha shirts. First, the cool people wore them first. Second, any right-winger wearing one would be pissed off at being taken for a liberal.
I did love Hawaiian shirts back in the day (after I returned from Hawaii, where I actually saw Hilo Hattie perform*). I liked the fact you didn’t have to tuck them in.
However, this would probably backfire, with the right wing people attacking anyone out of their group who wore them.
*Years later, I saw one of the stores and was boggled. I’m betting people remember her for the clothing, just like people forget that Jimmy Dean was a successful performer.
Do everything you can to make sure the bastards don’t win—and maybe wear a Hawaiian shirt while you do it. Symbols matter, even small, seemingly silly ones. Don’t let them have this.
Please yes, I hope the OP starts a highly successfully movement to promote aloha wear among progressives in general. (I get that it would be super annoying for the boogaloo types if aloha shirts became associated with antifa in particular, but let’s expand the net.)
I live on the Big Island and really don’t want to see our go-to clothing co-opted. Plus, tourism isn’t coming back any time soon and it would be great if we could grow local clothing industries. A quick Google suggests that Jams is actually produced in Hawaii, Reyn Spooner is manufactured in Asia, and I’m not sure what the case is with Tori Richards. I’d love to see all of those brands in a position to provide jobs in state. Needless to say, we’re in a mess economically right now as tourism is dead and needs to stay dead until the virus is under control.
