The thermometer has already crept up over 90° a few times and, despite the stormy weather we’re having this weekend that might suggest otherwise, Summer is here.   Heck, Dede & I have already gotten – and recovered from – our first sunburns of the year.   (With a little luck, our trusty friend, Coppertone Sport Sunblock Spray will keep us safe for the remainder of the season but oddly enough you’ve gotta be smart enough to use it before it can do its job.)

And what would Summer be without “Hawaiian” shirts?   So as we prepared to go out yesterday, I threw on some comfy cargo shorts, a pair of breezy flip-flops, and a tropical shirt. Dede gave me a hard time about how I’m drawn to these darned things but I pointed out that, “well, its a guy thing.”   Hey, what’s good enough for John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, & Elvis, is good enough for me!   And here’s a few other guys who know a thing or two about fashion…

Rich wearing a Hawaiian shirt Buddy wearing a Hawaiian shirt

Topper wearing a Hawaiian shirt Rob wearing a Hawaiian shirt

And Topper rushed to my defense, “I think it looks comfy casual and smartly dressy depending on the setting.”   So, here’s some info that we assembled on the origin & finer points of Aloha shirts (a.k.a. Hawaiian shirts):

red check mark   History of Hawaiian Shirts & Hawaiian Clothing

red check mark   Hawaiian Shirts – A Colorful History

red check mark   Wikipedia’s take on the Aloha shirt

red check mark   Tommy Bahama – Purveyor of island lifestyles

So, go get yourself a fun tropical shirt or two and make your own fashion statement this Summer!   And if you’ll send me a photo of you sporting a stylish Hawaiian shirt, I’ll post it right here in this blog for all to see & admire!

Mahalo!