When people talk about Hawaii, the focal point of their conversation is the picturesque scenery and the enthralling beauty of Hawaii. Most of the tales from people when they talk about Hawaii are based around the local food, the ambience and the quality time they spent on the Hawaiian islands during their breaks, whether on a vacation or through a self taken break.
There however is a lot more to this tropical group of islands than just the food, the scenery and the quality of life. One of the underrated aspects of Hawaii which has now started (and rightly) to get the attention it deserves is Hawaiian clothing.
Exploring the often overlooked world of Hawaiian clothing and its growing recognition
Laid-back is the name of the game when it comes to dressing Hawaiian style. Hawaiian clothing is all about being cool and comfortable to fit in with the relaxing and moderate Hawaiian environment. Tropical prints are as common on clothing fabric as they are on furnishings in many hotel rooms in Hawaii.
Living in a benign climate, Hawaiian requirements for shelter and clothing were minimal. The basic garments were a malo, or loincloth, for men, or skirt, for women and a rectangular shawl or kihei for both.
Fashionable Oasis: Plus Size Styles in Hawaiian Wardrobes
All were made of kapa, a barkcloth made from wauke, mamaki, oloa, akala, or hau plant fibers. While kapa is produced throughout Polynesia and the first settlers brought wauke plants (paper mulberry) with them, as Hawaiian kapa evolved, its quality surpassed that of any other region. Kapa in Hawaii displayed a wide variety of textures, weights and designs.
Sarong Shorts and Hawaiian Shirts: A Splash of Tropical Flair
There are a lot of different items of Hawaiian clothing that need your attention. Plus size clothes are also available now that plus size clothing has gained so much prominence since the turn of the decade. Clothing styles for plus size women have undergone a wonderful resurgence with all the different styles and trends of recent times having been incorporated for plus size ladies as well.
When this has happened, it is hard to imagine why Hawaiian clothing will be left behind when it comes to producing clothes for plus size ladies. Here are a few of the styles that plus size ladies can incorporate to their wardrobes from the Hawaiian fashion styles.
Sarong Shorts
Sarongs are a must-have fashion staple when traveling to tropical climates. This colorful, rectangular piece of dyed fabric can be worn a number of ways, making it incredibly versatile and a flashy and flattering option for any look or occasion. It can be worn as a dress, a skirt, a halter top, and more.
Able to transform itself into an accessory or talking piece for any outfit, a sarong is the perfect addition to a fashionable traveler’s suitcase. It can be worn in a multiple number of ways, and that is just one of the biggest advantages that a sarong short holds over many different ways of clothing. Why it is so versatile is because of the amount of clothing styles it can be paired with.
It can be worn as a strapless dress which is one of the most common ways of wearing it. Holding the fabric lengthwise, wrap the sarong from one side of your body to the other. Pull the top corners together tightly and tie or tuck them into the top edge of the dress. One of the other popular ways in which it can be worn be worn is as a triangle skirt.
An easy, flirty skirt that shows off your legs. Fold opposite corners of the sarong together; don’t worry about the edges matching up perfectly, this skirt is meant to be uneven! Then, point down, wrap the longer edge of your triangle around your waist and tie at the hip.
Hawaiian Shirt
The Hawaiian shirt, also referred to as the Aloha shirt is easily the most recognizable piece of Hawaiian clothing going around the market right now. An easy, flirty skirt that shows off your legs. Fold opposite corners of the sarong together; don’t worry about the edges matching up perfectly, this skirt is meant to be uneven! Then, point down, wrap the longer edge of your triangle around your waist and tie at the hip.
The Aloha dress shirts are printed, mostly short-sleeved, and collared. They usually have buttons, sometimes for the entire length of the dress shirt and sometimes just down to the chest (pullover). They usually have a left chest pocket sewn in, often with attention to ensure the printed pattern remains continuous.
Aloha shirts may be worn by men or women; women’s Aloha shirts usually have a lower-cut, v-neck style. One of the best pieces of clothing to have come from the Hawaiian Islands, Aloha shirt has a rich and deeply ingrained history which is central to the popularity of Hawaiian culture and lifestyle.
Over the years, it has become increasingly popular among some companies to have a ‘Hawaiian Friday’, wherein the employees of the firm come in dressed in Hawaiian attire. While the men usually wear the Hawaiian shirts and women opt for the muumuu, we do not see any reason why women cannot choose to sport the Aloha shirt.
After all, there is no restriction about what to wear and not wear. Having discussed muumuu, you might have understood that it will be the next piece of Hawaiian clothing that we will discuss.
Muumuu
The Muumuu is a loose dress that hangs from the shoulder and is like a cross between a shirt and a robe. Like the aloha shirt, muumuu exports are often brilliantly colored with floral patterns of generic Polynesian motifs.
Muumuus for local Hawaiian residents are more subdued in tone. Muumuus are no longer as widely worn at work as the aloha shirt, but continue to be the preferred formal dress for weddings and festivals for the locals.
This has become enough proof as to how highly rated the muumuu is among the Hawaiian people and their community. Originally it was a shorter, informal version of the more formal holoku. The holoku featured long sleeves and a floor-length unfitted dress falling from a high-necked yoke.
Over the years, the holoku approximated more closely to European and American fashions. It might have a fitted waist, and even a train for evening. As the holoku became more elaborate, the muumuu, a shortened version, became popular for informal wear.
The Holoku
The holoku is also referred to as the Mother Hubbard dress. It is a long, wide, loose-fitting gown with long sleeves and a high neck. It is intended to cover as much skin as possible. It was devised in Victorian western societies to free women from the constriction of corsets that fashion imposed on better off women.
Although this Victorian garment has disappeared in most of the world, it is still worn by Pacific women, who have altered it into a brighter and cooler garment, using cotton sheets, often printed in brightly colored floral patterns. It is today seen as smart or formal attire and is often worn to church.
Yes, the disappearance is a cause for concern for plus size ladies for sure, but it also works as a big opportunity to revive a huge piece of Hawaiian dressing history. It is more of an informal attire which goes around various countries and has gained various names on its journey. A holoku can be your way of showing the love to the Hawaiian culture and traditions.
The Hawaiian dressing sense has a very tropical sense to it for the obvious reason of the proximity of the islands to the tropical lifestyle. Over the years, Hawaiian dressing has gone some changes and has become a part of the dressing culture of a lot of countries. It has become popular because of the way they bring freshness and a different variety of style to the usual wardrobe styles of a huge part of the population.
The tropical sense of style also brings zest and is extremely popular among the younger generation. And, when it is popular among the youth, we do not see a reason why it cannot be worn by plus size ladies in style. Hawaiian style is a mix of casual and stylish dressing which can be opted during different times of the year.
