Aloha wear. I began my experience with aloha wear as conservatively as possible. I sought out sedate patterns and worried about being out of place when I wore my shirts or dresses.
Once I didn’t have a choice, and the aloha wear was my uniform, I developed a better appreciation. I noticed what other people wore, and more importantly how they wore it. The first lesson I learned: make peace with bold patterns.
An aloha shirt can replace a business shirt. Leaving it untucked is perfectly professional. My family is amassing quite the collection of aloha shirts.
As for me, my work wardrobe while living in Hawaii comprised muumuus and puletasis. Have you worn a muumuu? Oh my heavens the comfort! Unsurpassed! For a more refined look I would don a puletasi. Think business suit, Polynesian-woman-style. My puletasis were my power suits. (I’d say are, as I still have some of them. But it’s been a great many pounds since they’ve fit so let’s keep them in the past tense.)
And of course even Santa dons his aloha wear when he visits the islands.
This post is part of our month-long exploration into Polynesian Christmas traditions and inspirations. See the whole collection of activities and discoveries here.
