The Aloha Shirt: Spirit Of The Islands (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Rosemary Wray (Editor), Gregory Tozian (Contributor) "Long before Europeans explored the Pacific, Polynesian explores came to the Hawaiian Islands in double-hulled canoes, powered by the wind in their woven sails..." (more)
Key Phrases: reverse shirt, coconut buttons, aloha shirts, New York, Duke Kahanamoku, World War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

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. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Dale Hope's timely opus may well be the definitive book on the aloha shirt...It is a delightful and informative read... -- Punahou Bulliten Fall 2000

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 October 22, 2000

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 November 2, 2000

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 Vol. 9, No. 4, Fall 2000

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 211 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books/Beyond Words; First Edition edition (September 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582700346
• ISBN-13: 978-1582700342
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 10.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #372,763 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #15 in	Books > Home & Garden > Antiques & Collectibles > Fashion
  #81 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > Hawaii

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Profusely and beautiful illustrated, February 13, 2001

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Dale Hope grew up in the Hawaiian garment industry, taking over his father's clothing business at the age of 26. As the art director of Kahala Sportswear, Hope oversees the creation and manufacturing of 150 new Aloha shirt designs annual. In The Aloha Shirt: Spirit Of The Islands, Hope collaborates with writer Gregory Tozian to offer a magnificent, coffee-table artbook dedicated to the history of the unique and famous Hawaiian shirt style. This impressive treatise covers the history of Hawaiian clothing, the evolution of the tailor shop into the modern clothing factories, the designers, textiles, printmakers, and retailers that made the Hawaiian "aloha shirt" famous around the world. There are chapters focusing on Duke Kahanamoku, celebrities, shirt makers of the 60s, labels and buttons, and aloha shirt collectors. Profusely and beautiful illustrated, the text is informative, at times fascinating, and highly recommended for students of American clothing history and fads in general, and Hawaii's contributions to the garment industry and American popular culture in particular.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands, November 29, 2000

By	Nic Woods (Honolulu, Hawaii) - See all my reviews

The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands is unique, as a historical and artistic book documenting the Aloha shirt, from its historic beginnings as a cottage industry, to the multi-billion dollar industry it is today. This definitive text has been extensively researched, with textile artists, designers, garment manufacturers and their families and friends all contributing to the consistency of the history as researched by Dale Hope. An educational and artistic book bringing over 500 aloha shirts with their Hawaiian inspired origins paralleled with the history and times of Hawaii. For those who have memories of Hawaii, and for those who share their memories to others, this elegant coffee table book is a "must have" for all!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dale Hope:Master of Color and Design, Hawaiian Style, November 4, 2000

By	Emma Howard (Kailua, HI , USA) - See all my reviews

To experience the fragrance,tactile pleasures and balmy breezes of the Hawaiian Islands, I recommend owning The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of The Islands. Dale has magically captured Hawaii's essence with his life long love of the true spirit of aloha ,having lived his entire life in the Islands.This book is a glimpse into an intuitive journey taking 10 years to complete and is now available for all of us to enjoy.The result is fresh,yet ancient and timeless by honoring the Spirit of The Islands. Enjoy the same free falling exhilaration that Dale , surfer and paddler, feels in the warm Pacific Ocean by taking in the colors and perfect design of this book.It is more than words and visuals as you will feel as soon as you open the front cover.

Aloha!