The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands, by Dale Hope (Hardcover book)

The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands is the most colorful and complete book published on the most enduring souvenir ever invented: the Hawaiian shirt.

Beautifully illustrated with hundreds of images, this book recounts the colorful stories behind these marvelous shirts: as cultural icons, evocative of the mystery and the allure of the islands, capturing the vibe of the watermen culture and lifestyle -- casual, relaxed, and fun. Valued by professional collectors and by millions of vacationers and servicemen, these shirts are enjoying a fashion revival.

Drawing from hundreds of interviews, newspaper and magazine archives, and personal memorabilia, the author evokes the world of the designers, seamstresses, manufacturers, and retailers of the Golden Age of the Aloha shirt (from the 30s through the 50s), who created the industry and nurtured it from its single-sewing-machine-shop beginnings to an enterprise of international scope and importance. Here, too, are the fun-loving 60s, interviews with collectors who preserve these shirts as fine works of art; and insights into the roles of coconut buttons, matched pockets, woven labels, and exotic fabrics in the evolution of the Aloha shirt.

Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of full color, never-before-published shirt images, vintage black-and-white photographs, and priceless examples of period "Hawaiiana," the book features separate chapters on the innovative artists, risk-taking manufacturers, and silky fabrics behind the success of the world’s most famous shirt.

The Aloha Shirt is both a dazzling, fun-to-browse art book, and a fascinating chronicle of the world’s love affair with Hawaii.

Dale Hope has spent his life in the garment industry in Hawaii. He inherited his parents' clothing business, then bought and served as creative director of the legendary Kahala label. He has also worked with Patagonia on the Pataloha label. Dale is an avid waterman and lives in Honolulu, HI.

Gerry Lopez, author of Surf Is Where You Find It, made his reputation at Pipeline, then went on to a lifelong career in surfing, snowboarding, and stand-up-paddle. He co-founded Lightning Bolt® Maui surfboards, was instrumental in developing the high-performance shortboard, and has appeared in many films. He lives in Bend, OR.

Yvon Chouinard is the founder and owner of Patagonia, Inc., and author of Let My People Go Surfing, The Responsible Company, and Simple Fly Fishing. He lives in Ventura, CA.