Hawaii 5-0: Beware the great mens fashion mistakes
photo by Mild Mannered
You are sure to see them anywhere you go in the world and even in commercials (on TV and on the Internet)… those nasty Hawaii 5-0 shirts that were such a fashion icon during the early 1980s and are still worn today by some people from time to time. They can hide stains and can go with any pair of pants that you have in your wardrobe, so surely that’s not so bad, right?? Not correct… Here’s a news flash on Hawaiian shirts: they are an icon, long since forgotten and were designed to be laughed at. They are not meant to represent actual style or quality, no matter how good a designer/tailor is. Do you remember the Baz Luhrmann rendition of the 1990’s Romeo and Juliet starring Leo DiCaprio? If you remember correctly, DiCaprio’s moody teenage character would wear those Hawaiian t-shirts and many people probably thought it was cool to wear those shirts as well. However, here’s something to consider: no matter how hard you try, the shirts don’t look cool, you don’t look cool in them and you’re not Leo DiCaprio… so stop trying to be.
The Hawaiian shirt is a boxy, ill fitting, have short-sleeves and too many patterns that doesn’t work for anyone who tries to wear it. Some people are under the assumption that short sleeves are not the way to go at all; other people would not agree.
If you really want to wear short-sleeve shirts, you need to maintain a simple color and make sure the pattern is small. Some men can pull this off while other men simply cannot do this. You can also choose the slim-style button down shirts that you can wear buttoned high. However, you need to make sure you wear this with some sense of style and hipness.
You also have the option to wear the shirt open or few buttons done. You certainly don’t want it to look oversized or boxy. In fact, you could simply wear tailored shorts/trousers that can give the same silhouette. Don’t wear pleats or full trousers since they can make the whole attire seem absurd. You don’t want to look like Kramer, do you? If you want to have an American 1950’s hot rod look, then consider picking out some dark indigo denim to wear with your short sleeve shirt. Match it with some brown leather shoes or white canvas slip-ons and you have yourself a good-looking, head-turning outfit. If you’d rather have long sleeve shirts, roll the sleeves up; use either light cotton or linen to bring about an air of sophistication. If you desire to do so, you can wear it like a jacket during the cool nights of those warm, sunny days.
At the end of the day, each to their own, but our advice would be to stay away from the Hawaiian shirts. Leave it up to your dad or wacky uncle to wear them, as they’re probably quite happy to be blissfully ignorant of the impact on their personal style!
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