To the uninitiated, most shirts are pretty much the same… Short  sleeves, button-up front and a loud pattern. The only perceived  difference is the color.  To the Hawaiian shirt connoisseurs, this is blasphemy. There are so  many elements to a great shirt. A complex mix of precise components that  all compliment each other in perfect balance.
1) Made in Hawaii… There shall be no further discussion of this.  Shirts from Bangladesh, Kenya and China are frauds. These cheap  impersonators, found at the big box stores, can be spotted across a  crowded room. Please, trust me on this, DON’T be that guy (or gal).
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| Made in Kenya...Don't be that guy | 
2) Front pocket… MUST perfectly match the shirt pattern. The elements of  the design (flowers, columns, etc) must be continuous across the chest  pocket. If you aren’t looking for the pocket, you aren’t going to see  it.
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| Pockets made from scraps... Don't be this guy | 
3) Buttons… Some of you are thinking I must be crazy. Who cares about  buttons? Most Hawaiian shirts made in Hawaii use coconut shell for  buttons. I love knowing that I’m wearing them. The reason my favorite  shirt is my favorite is simple… The buttons are coconut shell. It is a  really cool, early 80s RJC, but if the buttons were plastic it wouldn’t  be my favorite.  Other acceptable buttons can be made from bamboo wood and seashells. 
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| Coconut shell buttons... Be this guy! |  
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4) The pattern… The shirt wearer must decide what looks best on him or  her. I’m partial to Hibiscus and Traditional Columns. I like flowers and  column artwork to be white, while the shirt background is a strong base  color (blue, red, green). My wife likes more subtle patterns. Her  favorite is a light orange with fauna. I have a close friend whose wife  always tells me, the louder the shirt the better. We call this Kuby’s  rule.
5). Material … This is another element that the wearer must decide…  Cotton, cotton blend, rayon and silk. Did I miss any? Does anyone know  of a wool Hawaiian shirt? I sure hope not. I know guys that swear by  cotton blends and others that will only wear silk. Being a warm weather  shirt, it must be lightweight.
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| All the elements of a great shirt ... Be this guy! |  |  |  | 
Looking for a great Hawaiian shirt? Check us out at 
Bad Shirt Good Times
Okole maluna,
Tiki Jim