How to make a grown man (almost) cry!

Recently my husbands’ Hawaiian shirt collection has grown to overflowing one whole closet.  While rifling through his stash I noticed some of the ones he has had 10 or more years are faded and a little ragged so I asked him to weed out the old ones to make room for some new ones and the look on his face made me laugh out loud.  Seriously you would think I had told him the sky was falling.  “But those are my favorite Hawaiian shirts” he said to which I replied so are all 150 or more but we don’t have the room to keep the old ragged ones and as the owner of a Hawaiian shirt apparel company you should be wearing the ones that still look good!  

After bantering and bartering he agreed to give 10 measly shirts to the Goodwill. So then he spent 15 minutes trying to select the ones he could part with and that was hilarious next thing you know he stomps off muttering “just pick the ones I can’t wear any more”  so I agreed and while he was gone I found 15 shirts that had seen their better days years ago. The next morning he came out of the bedroom wearing a t-shirt that had holes in it so can you guys guess what will happen next?


 

Hot New Summer Dresses Under $40

Summer is not all that far off and we wanted to introduce you to 2 really hot Hawaiian print dresses in two popular color combinations. These dresses are one size fits all, also known as smocked dresses, and they are the latest rage at the beach and casual Hawaiian themed events such as luaus. These Hawaiian dresses are very comfortable to wear and the elastic top means you don’t have to worry about obtaining a good fit.


First in line is this beautiful black Hawaiian tube top dress with red hibiscus flowers, which is going to be a big seller this year.

Priced at just $38.95 you can afford to get more than one.

Next up is another black Hawaiian dress with turquoise hibiscus flowers. We introduced this color combo last summer and it sold out in less than 2 months, nuff said. Psst this is also priced at $38.95

While you are at it, take a moment to check out the many new designs we have added to our line of Hawaiian shirts for men (men like gifts too) as well as new additions to our lineup of authentic muumuu dresses (think Mothers Day), styled after the most popular designs worn in Hawaii.

Mahalo from all of us at Wave Shoppe Hawaiian Shirts and Apparel

One Turtle Two Turtle Green Turtle Blue Turtle

As much as we would like to tempt you with a freewheeling plot about a boy and a girl, and the many amazing creatures they have for friends, we cant.

But what we can do is show you a picture of our new blue Hawaiian shirt with turtles in which we have in 2 wonderful colors. Of course we are just going to show you the blue one and ask you go look at the green Hawaiian shirt with turtles, for which we also provided a convenient link.

These hawaiian shirts are made from cotton poplin (which has a high thread count) and are priced at just $45.95 and like all Wave Shoppe apparel, made in the USA. By the way, that $45.95 price point is well under the price of most imported shirts, which are clearly of lesser quality.

Honu Honu or is that Nanu Nanu?

What’s Behind Your Clothing Label?

What’s Behind Your Clothing Label?

Over the years the apparel industry in the United States has taken a pretty severe beating, much of that can be attributed to the cheap foreign labor and government trade agreements that reward businesses for taking their apparel manufacturing out of the country. Personally I think it’s just plain sad that companies like Wal-Mart and Kohl’s have set up camp in places like Vietnam (actually whole cities), where the average monthly wage is about $45 USD a month and then have the balls to further leverage that by bringing the cheaply made garments back to the USA for sale and distribution.

We are sure that you noticed during the holidays that those stores were selling shirts and outfits for as low as $5, but have you really thought about the real story behind those clothing labels with crafty designer names that for the most part do not even exist? Probably not, but envision yourself as a seamstress that works in often appalling conditions with a sign above the room that counts down the daily quota that needs to be met before your shift can go home, you have to endure that 6 long days a week and for just a couple of bucks a day. I call that corporate exploitation of human species.

So you think that couldn’t possibly be the case with companies that make Hawaiian shirts and apparel? Wrong, while you may see the name of some person that rings a bell like Tori Richard etc. or a label that says Aloha Island or something, you probably don’t think about where it was actually made and by whom. Looks can be deceiving and that applies to clothing labels. While Reyn Spooner may state to operate out of Hawaii, the fact of the matter is that the colorful silk garments are 100% made overseas, as are all other shirts made from silk. No aloha there folks.

Then we have the shell game called re-labeling which is rampant throughout the apparel industry and not just limited to Hawaiian apparel manufacturers and distributers. Put it this way, there are over 100 Hawaiian and tropical themed clothing labels and just a handful of actual manufactures in the USA; you can see how it’s hard to keep track of who makes what.

Your best bet is taking a moment to turn over the label and look. If you can’t find a country of origin then we strongly suggest you take a pass on buying the garment. Secondly give thought to whether or not you will be able to sleep at night knowing that a human being was exploited to offer you a Hawaiian shirt for $14.95

Ok it says made in the USA or Hawaii or San Diego, it must be ok to buy. Not necessarily because while a company may say that it makes something in the USA isn’t always as straight forward as it appears. Case in point, a company named American apparel that on numerous occasions has used workers that are here illegally to manufacture their products, is that what you would call American made? Source

So what do we do now? Be assured that any Hawaiian shirts that carry the Wave Shoppe label are actually made by Wave Shoppe. We do not have any distributers, do not practice re-labeling, nor do we employ any workers or seamstresses that do not have legal residency in San Diego, California or Hawaii. The Wave Shoppe label is also proudly sewn on our muumuu and Hawaiian dresses.

But let it be told that cotton Hawaiian fabrics of any quality are almost exclusively printed overseas with cotton imported from the USA. While we are aware of a couple U.S. based textile printers the quality of the fabric and dyes used is beyond atrocious and at nearly $25 a yard you can hardly justify using it to cover a chair not alone produce apparel. So when you factor in that our branded clothing utilizes cotton from the U.S. and all of the cutting and sewing and distribution are done on American soil with American workers its about as close as you are going to get for being American made Hawaiian clothing.

Clothing label images courtesy of Clothing Labels 4 U

Don’t be Hawaiian shirt ‘less

Don’t be Hawaiian shirt ‘less, many people wear them, more than a few people collect them, and a few people (in Hawaii and the mainland) consider them cultural artwork. I consider them my shirts of choice. There are multiple forms of Hawaiian shirts, some that came about from rebellion, from hardship, and of course born from meeting a personal need to wear vivid color. Some are even worn as island symbolism while shooting at bad guys in other countries. Run Forest run!

When the Hawaiian shirt was first being born in the late 1920’s/early 1930’s, the beachwear of the day was white. White pants, white hat, white shirt, white shoes. Before that evolution occurred and probably the beginning of the origins of the Hawaiian shirt, the shirts were mostly worn by vast numbers of Hawaiian field laborers from China and Japan. The early plantation workers shirts were often made from checkered designs (a woven checkered pattern of dark blue and off white like their summer kata’s were made of back home) at times called palaka shirts. But many very early field shirts were just bits and pieces made from parts of other garments. What mattered most was that they kept the hot sun off the workers backs.

You could keep them clean by washing them in a lake or a bucket of water by hand, and then letting them simply air dry on the branch of a tree, regardless of how you washed them they would keep you cool in the hot fields. Whatever the benefits, the dull checkered patterns were too much like a uniform for many, but with the introduction of colorful Asian fabrics, Hawaiian shirts of bright patterns and colors were most widely adopted for sales to eager to shop tourists.

Celebrities of the day such as Bing Crosby, Elvis etc. wore them (celebrities were probably the few that could afford to travel to the Hawaiian Islands at that time), and their popularity became more mainstream once their fans saw their favorite celebrities wearing one.

During times of hardship such as World War II and the depression, petroleum based fabrics became scarce. To make ends meet and keep business coming in, some merchants ingeniously used upholstery and curtain fabrics in their shirts and it wasn’t uncommon to see other shirts cut up and recycled into a Hawaiian style cut shirt.

In the late 1960s (after the royal Hawaiian females no longer dominated surfing) when the world was in the grip of the first surfing craze, the beach boys and other gnarly surfer dudes wore their shirts in the salt and sun so much the shirts would be sun faded and have a natural washed out look. This was a badge of honor among some male surfers (go figure), and as you can guess some of the entrepreneurial island shirt makers emulated it by making shirts with the patterns inside out! God even wears one!

Wave Shoppe - 15% Off Sale - Coupon Code: NOEL

Wave Shoppe is the place to shop if you’re looking to save money on Hawaiian shirts and apparel this holiday season. We offer a great selection of popular designs in sizing that will actually fit you.

Take advantage of free Priority Mail Shipping with any $75 purchase and for a limited time if you use coupon code NOEL during checkout you will also receive 15% off your entire order!

Shopping for aloha in southern California? Swing by and visit our showroom, here are the directions to the store, we would love to meet you in person! Childrens clothes available in-store

From all of us at Wave Shoppe, mahalo and have a wonderfull Christmas.

Look at what's new at Wave Shoppe Hawaiian Shirts

Aloha to all our customers and ohana, we hope you are having a marvelous summer and eating loads of good grinds. This is the time of year that we are doing all we can do to keep up with orders for our lines of Hawaiian apparel, especially our line of Hawaiian shirts for men, which are made in the USA with the finest materials and craftsmanship available.

And then we have our Hawaiian store in San Diego, which carries the largest selection of Hawaiian apparel this side of the Hawaiian Islands. When you see all that’s behind this operation you cant help but wonder how we manage to keep it all together, we ask ourselves the same thing at times.

But the show must go on, including producing new and exciting designs. Without further ado we would like to offer you a preview of things to come.

First in the lineup is a design we call Maui Hawaiian shirts. This uniquely colored shirt has a black background with goldenrod colored plumeria and mango hibiscus flowers that really make the shirt pop.

While these mens shirts are not yet ready for distribution, but you may pre-order this shirt today from the Website.

We expect sewing to be completed by 8/18/2010 or sooner.

Next up is a beautiful Polynesian block print that we call Hilo Bay Hawaiian shirts which is a blend of Hawaiian nostalgia and Polynesian culture. Hmmm could that be a Tiki statue integrated into the design?

As with the Maui shirts, these mens shirts are not yet ready for distribution, but you may pre-order this shirt today from the Website.

We expect sewing to be completed by 8/18/2010 or sooner.

Well that’s it for now, keep an eye out for more exciting designs that will be released in the upcoming months. We are also near the end of our journey with an all new apparel design that will put this line far ahead of the pack. Pre-production garments will be distributed to our focus groups in the upcoming weeks, stay tuned!

Mahalo from the fine folks at Wave Shoppe Hawaiian Shirts

Top 5 Things I Spill On My Hawaiian Shirts

We have all been there, your eating something and not paying attention and bam, its all over the front of your shirt. The beauty in spilling things on your Hawaiian shirts is that they tend to act as a sort of “camouflage” for the alien substance now intertwined and seemingly married to the front of your shirt.

I wont go as far as saying that I have a 5 second rule if the spill looks like it is salvageable, but I will list the top 5 things I frequently spill down the front of my Hawaiian shirts.

1. 711 Slurpee’s Why just the other day I was walking out to the patio and I was stricken with a with a major slurpee throat freeze, at the same time my flip-flop caught the lip of one of the paving stones. I somehow managed to squeeze the cup just hard enough to cause the lid to pop off at the exact time I was trying to regain my footing. Nothing like dumping 64 ounces of colored slush down the front of your shirt! (My dogs were happy)

2. McDonalds egg mcmuffin’s. McDonalds is my first pick when I am starving to death and in my car, there is one conveniently placed between my house and the Wave Shoppe Store. Normally their egg mcmuffins are pretty easy to eat, but every once in a while they throw in a few that are juicier than others, and you can guess what happens next.









3. Chocolate fudge ice cream. I am mot sure what it is about me and ice cream, but when I am eating it I become oblivious to everything around me. And that includes when its dripping off the spoon onto my shirt












4. Taco Hell. By far one of the most gut wrenching menus on the planet. Nothing like a hibiscus flower Hawaiian shirt with dollop of sour cream and a river of taco grease running through it.












5. Anything with BBQ sauce on it. My main downfall is smoked baby back ribs dripping with sauce, enough said.

Food stained shirts may be the international symbol for a satisfied man, but I am sure glad that I have a nearly endless supply of Hawaiian shirts for men. You never know when you are going to have a long string of those bad shirt days.

Happy Aloha Friday

Happy Aloha Friday everyone! Yep, Aloha Friday is my favorite day of the week, and a perfect excuse for all lovers of Hawaiian shirts to sport their favorite aloha wear for at least one day of the week. At the time of writing this I am thinking that I should be working on getting new products online, helping out at the San Diego Showroom, getting ready for the Friday night cruising Grand event (a 400+ classic car show where most participants wear car shirts that represent their automobiles), finalizing plans for the upcoming May 10th hula show etc. but to be honest I am just plain lazy today.

Maybe my laziness is attributed to the warm sunny weather and lack of supervision, I just don’t know and I really don’t care because its Aloha Friday. But then does anyone actually get much accomplished on Fridays?

Mahalo and happy Aloha Friday!

Hawaiian Shirts, Cool Summer Clothing

Do you really think this “Hawaiian” look is so last season? Think again! Hawaiian shirts are a great way to make a unique summer fashion statement, especially if you’re going for that classic summer look with a pair of your favorite sunglasses, cargo shorts and and optional sandals. Hawaiian shirts are the perfect outdoor apparel to don for summer events like backyard parties and picnics at your favorite beach; Hawaiian print shirts lend a sort of colorful playfulness to any look and leave a lasting impression with all whom gaze upon you.

Bold, loud Hawaiian prints work best in this style, especially in 5-panel or allover floral print and Hawaiian pineapple shirts, which make for fun beach wear.

Cotton Hawaiian shirts are a good way to keep cool in the hot and frequently muggy summer months, whether at home or on the sands of Hawaii.

Imported polyester and other synthetic materials are an option when choosing material for shirts, but they do not breath well and you may find yourself feeling quite sticky in the summer heat. Cotton Hawaiian shirts are best.

Worn with a silly hat, board shorts, beach sandals (optional) and vintage sunglasses, Hawaiian shirts are an affordable way to stay in style as well as fill out your summer wardrobe. If your local Aloha shirt shop is only carries a limited supply of designs, check out some of the online stores, the patterns and colors are almost limitless and you can get some great on-line deals on this summer’s hottest Hawaiian apparel.

10% Online Discount for all Holiday Shoppers

Aloha from the Wave Shoppe,
Have you made your list and checked it twice? Don't forget to add some of our beautiful Hawaiian shirts and dresses to your holiday shopping list.

Take advantage of our special offer while it lasts!

Order now and receive a 10% discount on any item in our store

Enter Coupon code: DAKINE2007 during checkout to receive your 10% discount. Offer expires December 10, 2007

You'll love all of the great money saving services and discounts we have to offer. Upon request you can get your purchase shipped in a holiday gift box, or gift-wrapped for free. Of course you can still get free Priority Mail Shipping and a free Hawaiian lei when your order tops $75.

There's never been a better deal . . . you don't want to miss it!

Shop at Wave Shoppe