Shopping for Hawaiian Clothing

On a recent trip to Kauai, I wanted to find a shop to purchase good quality Hawaiian clothing. Visiting any of the Hawaiian Islands will get you searching for Hawaiian clothing quickly as tropical clothing is the norm. Hawaii is like visiting a huge English garden with tropical flowers and the show is fantastic. The residents of Hawaii reflect their flora and fauna by wearing bright or subdued Hawaiian clothing with prints of flowers, turtles, ferns, or fish. While on vacation there, it’s no wonder that we “mainlanders” want to become a part of Hawaii by wearing nice Hawaiian clothing too.

Clothing that is made on one of the Hawaiian Islands or is designed by a Hawaiian is how I define Hawaiian clothing. I wanted Hawaiian clothing that is made of quality material, not something flimsy or something made from scratchy material that I’d regret purchasing later. Tropical clothing should be fun and comfortable.

I found that shopping for quality Hawaiian clothing can be a challenge. A lot of the inexpensive souvenir stores sell tee shirts or cheaply made Hawaiian clothing. To find good quality Hawaiian clothing, I had to ask some of the residents where they shop for their Hawaiian clothing. Then I visited those shops and was pleasantly surprised at the selection of tropical clothing.

The first place I visited for Hawaiian clothing was Tropical Tantrum. The unfortunate thing about this retailer, is that it’s only on the island of Kauai. You can, however, shop online, but if you’re going to Kauai, wait until you get there and then go to one of their shops. This is a really fun store to be in for tropical clothing and Tropical Tantrum has many different colors to choose from. You’ll be overwhelmed with the styles and colors.

The neat thing about Tropical Tantrum is that each piece of clothing is hand painted so there are no two alike anywhere. If you see something you like, buy it because other shops will not have the same thing. Their colors are fantastic! You can purchase soft hues of your favorite colors, or you can go wild and crazy. They have everything from sarongs to custom-made wedding dresses. There’s nothing but tropical clothing in this shop, so you’re bound to find something.

Tropical Tantrum clothing is made from 100% rayon so it’s cool in a hot, humid climate. The designs are by a Hawaiian and the clothing is made in Indonesia.

Their men’s shirts are especially attractive and every guy should have one of Tropical Tantrum’s unique shirts in their closet. Nice colors of blues and greens along with ferns or turtles make these men’s shirts appealing. They’re great to wear at barbecues, parties, or a summer evening out. You can visit Tropical Tantrum online at www.tropicaltantrum.com

Another favorite shop for Hawaiian clothing is Blue Ginger. If you like the color blue, this is a definite place to check out, although not everything is made in blue. The blues are in the shade of the Blue Ginger plant which is soft and striking. Blue Ginger advertises itself as “Tropical Resortwear from Hawaii”. Their clothing is also 100% rayon and very soft and cool for the warm Hawaiian weather. At their stores, you can find tropical clothing for all members of the family as well as clothing accessories such as hair tiebacks, pocketbooks, and scarves.

Blue Ginger has been in business for over 25 years on the Hawaiian Islands and they use a hand-stamped batik method for their Hawaiian clothing. Their tropical clothing is less expensive than Tropical Tantrum’s and they have some really nice looking men’s Aloha (tropical) shirts.

If you sew or quilt, you can purchase their fabric on their website. Their fabric is expensive by the yard ($16), but the colors are beautiful! Blue Ginger has shops on the four major islands of Hawaii: Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the big island of Hawaii. Their main offices are on Maui, and their website is www.blueginger.com.

If you’re searching for men’s Hawaiian clothing, the best tropical or Aloha shirts are made by Tori Richard. Tori Richard is a family owned business that’s been operating out of Honolulu since 1956. Their Hawaiian clothing is designed and made in Honolulu. If you like “green” businesses, in 2008 Tori Richard became one of the first solar powered apparel manufacturers and retailers in the world. In 2006, Tori Richard won the “Resort Retailer of the Year” award from the Hawaiian Merchants Association.

Their patterns and colors are very classy and elegant for men’s tropical shirts. The colors are not loud, but subdued in rich earthy tones. If you’re planning a visit to Hawaii, you’ll easily find Tori Richard’s shirts in many stores as they’re very popular.

Tori Richard Aloha shirts are made from what they call “cotton lawn” or Egyptian Cotton. Their Hawaiian clothing is described as a “delight to the eye, a pleasure to the skin, and a joy to the spirit”. Their shirts are soft and comfortable to the touch, and very cool for tropical or hot climates. For men’s wear, this is the best Hawaiian clothing that I found on Kauai. Check out their tropical clothing on www.toririchard.com.

Searching for Hawaiian clothing is much easier with the above retailer’s websites and all three of these retailer’s offer quality Hawaiian clothing that you’ll enjoy wearing. You don’t have to be in Hawaii to wear Hawaiian clothing.