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aloha shirt, in pure cotton, tells a story. No wonder it's the garb of cultural connoisseurs, who
also buy fabrics by the yard for interior accents.
ReynSpooner is another source of attractive aloha shirts and muumuus in traditional and
contemporary styles, with stores in Ala Moana Center and Kahala Mall. Reyn has popularized
the reverse-print aloha shirt—the uniform of downtown boardrooms—and has also jumped
aboard the vintage-look bandwagon with Old Hawaii cotton prints, some of them in attractive
two-color pareu patterns.
Well-known muumuu labels in Hawaii include PrincessKaiulani and Bete for the dressier
muumuus, sold along with many other lines at Macy's and other department stores. HiloHat-
tie's Ala Moana store ( & 808/973-3266 ) is a goldmine for affordable aloha wear. Hilo Hattie
also offers free daily shuttle service from Waikiki to its retail outlet, 700 N. Nimitz Highway
( & 808/535-6500 ). You'll also find macadamia nuts, Hawaiian coffees, and other souvenirs at
these Hilo Hattie's stores, as well as live Hawaiian entertainment. Quality and selection have
improved noticeably in recent years.
Avanti Fashion This leading retro aloha shirt label turns out stunning silk shirts and dresses
in authentic 1930s to 1950s fabric patterns. The shirts, though made of thin silk, are hip and
nostalgic, without the web-thin fragility of authentic antique shirts. The line is distributed in
better boutiques and department stores throughout Hawaii, but the best selections are at its
Waikiki retail store. 2164 Kalakaua Ave. & 808/924-3232. www.avantishirts.com .
Bailey's Antiques & Aloha Shirts A large selection (that is, thousands) of vintage, second-
hand, and nearly new aloha shirts and other collectibles fills this eclectic emporium. It looks
as though the owners regularly scour Hollywood movie costume departments for odd ball
gowns, feather boas, fur stoles, leather jackets, 1930s dresses, and scads of other garments
from periods past. Bailey's has one of the largest vintage aloha-shirt collections in Honolulu,
with prices ranging from inexpensive to sky-high. Old Levi's jeans, mandarin jackets, vintage
vases, household items, shawls, purses, and an eye-popping assortment of bark-cloth fabrics
(the real thing, not repros) are among the other mementos in this monumental collection. 517
Kapahulu Ave. & 808/734-7628.
HiloHattie Hilo Hattie, the largest manufacturer of Hawaiian fashions, attracts more than
a million visitors to its ever-expanding empire throughout the state. Its Ala Moana store is a
leap in image, quality, range of merchandise, and overall shopping options. You can find great
gifts here, from coconut utensils to food products, and aloha shirts in all price ranges and
motifs. There are some inexpensive silk aloha shirts, as well as brand-name aloha shirts from
Tommy Bahama and the store's own Hilo Hattie label, among others. Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala
Moana Blvd. & 808/973-3266. 700 N. Nimitz Hwy. & 808/535-6500.
Macy's If it's aloha wear, Macy's has it. The aloha shirt and muumuu departments here feature
every label you can conjure, with a selection—in all price ranges—that changes with the times.
1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Ala Moana Center. & 808/941-2345.
Reyn's Reyn's used to be a prosaic line but has stepped up its selection of women's and men's
aloha wear with contemporary fabric prints and styles that appeal to a hipper clientele. Ala
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