How To Wear a Hawaiian Shirt This Summer

how to wear a hawaiian shirt

Aloha! If you are looking to complete your summer wardrobe and get the best men’s summer outfit imaginable, then look towards the Hawaiian shirt. This season the Hawaiian shirt is back and like last summer the trend doesn’t seem to be fading but pushing out into the mainstream with ever-greater effect and fashion.

The Hawaiian shirt is not like those of the 80’s ere, instead, they have had a revamp with a modern, updated twist – the latest styles have lost that cringe factor and instead more uber cool. The latest styles typically are more fitting around the waist and more so around the arms. Patterns and colours are different too. Though you can see probably find those awful cheesy floral patterns with flamingos somewhere on the racks, the latest trends see muted and monochromatic hues and modern floral designs.

 

How To Wear a Hawaiian Shirt?

Ignore the outfits from the past. No longer should Hawaiian shirts be paired with shorts and sandals. Times have changed and that questionable trend has moved on.

So, how should you wear a Hawaiian shirt? There are a few great outfits that look great that feature the Hawaiian shirt. The best way to wear a Hawaiian shirt in our opinion is completely different from how you would probably first imagine. Rather than relaxed and casual think sharply dressed, more put-together, essentially smart-casual is what you should be aiming for.

 

The Best Hawaiian Shirt Outfits

Outfit 1: Tailored Trouser with Loafers

For the first outfit style, look towards slim fit or tailored trousers. Combine this with a pair of contemporary style loafers. Finally, finished it off with the Hawaiian shirt. Look for a monochromatic or muted floral pattern design. If the trouser is of a light hue, such as a white tailored trouser, or a white tapered chino, then darker hue shirts are often more pleasing on the eye.

Doing this outfit with tailored white trousers would be great for the day or equally the evening or as a nighttime outfit, as it does look put-together. On a warm summers night, out for drinks, you would look like you really do know how to dress well. However, with it being white trousers, not everyone will be able to pull this look off. It gives a sense of charisma and its somewhat of a bold look that you would need to feel comfortable in.

 

hawaiian shirt with tailored trousers

 

If you are going for an evening or nighttime outfit then we would suggest that you opt for a dark hue loafer over a lighter one. Dark hues are just that bit smarter. If you want a more polished look then this is what you should be going for.

 

Outfit 2: Chino Trouser with Loafers

The tapered chino, equally a great style choice, would be a well-suited as part of your daywear. The chino, though casual compared to the tailored trouser, can be included as part of an evening outfit with the Hawaiian shirt too, however.

For daywear, a white chino trouser could be paired with both dark or light hue Hawaiian shirts. Lighter hues are more casual looking, however. If you are having a casual day out then the lighter hue Hawaiian shirt is a perfect marriage.

How about footwear? If you are combining white tapered chinos, with a light hue shirt for a more casual but still put-together look, then going for light hue loafers would be perfect. However, you can pull this look off with bolder summer colours – our favourite would have to be blue hues with this Hawaiian outfit.

 

hawaiian shirt with chinos

 

If white chino trousers just don’t quite cut it for you and instead you are looking for something a little more toned down on the bottom half, then simply switch up the white chinos for black chino trousers. The look is equally as great with the dark hue chino over the lighter hue. The look may come off a little smarter, if that is what you want, due to the dark hue. In terms of footwear, we suggest a darker loafer style. This outfit style would be suited for the daytime but you could easily pull this look off in the evening or for a night out too.

 

hawaiian shirt with black chino

 

 

Outfit 3: Dark Denim Jeans with Loafers or Sneakers

This outfit swaps out the light hue trouser or chino for a dark one. Black tapered chinos or slim-fit/skinny black denim jeans is perhaps our favourite trouser styles when pairing with a Hawaiian shirt. The very modern slim styles fused with a more retro Hawaiian shirt ensures that the overall look is very modish, up-to-date that is. Also, ripped denim jeans give a more urban quality to your look. So this sort of outfit would be perfect and impressionable on the high-street.

Combine black denim jeans with a dark hue Hawaiian shirt. Finish it off with a pair of dark suede loafers, or for a more urban touch go for a pair of white sneakers.

 

hawaiian shirt with denim jeans

 

Outfit 4: Denim Shorts with Sneakers

It’s a warm summers day. Maybe a little too warm for comfort. You may want to keep up with the latest style trends, but wearing something a little uncomfortable (trousers) isn’t all that great. As the summer Sun bears down on you, at times its best to go for comfort over style. Shorts are going to be more pleasurable to wear when the temperature peaks compared to trousers and especially denim jeans.

Though Hawaiian shirts and shorts go hand-in-hand, the styles of the past belong… just there, in the past. However, you can achieve many great up-to-date looks with the Hawaiian shirt and shorts, if you follow similar guidelines as with pairing the shirts with trousers. You do not have to compromise style for comfort at all when opting for shorts and Hawaiian shirts instead of trousers.

What to look for in a pair of shorts? When selecting hues simply follow the same guidelines as you would for trousers. Darker hues suggest a smarter tone to your appearance, the opposite – lighter hues – suggest a more casual tone.

Though you can get matching shirts and shorts – which happens to be a trend this year – not everyone could pull this look off without looking a bit ridiculous. First, if you were to do this look, go for the up-to-date monochromatic floral pattern design over those ghastly 80’s style vibrant palm trees and flamingo patterns – or any other exotic animal print for that matter! So many people make this mistake. Secondly, we suggest that this look be assigned to your holiday wear. Sat on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean wearing matching floral we think is fine, but wearing this out on the high-street, frankly, we find it a bit much.

Instead, look for modern style shorts. Denim is great. Distressed denim shorts with a Hawaiian shirt will look rather cool and casual. It would work much better to combine these two with a pair of sneakers. This will give you  one of the more casual looks from the Hawaiian shirt whilst still keeping that updated edge to your outfit.

 

hawaiian shirt with denim shorts

 

Outfit 5: Chino Shorts and Loafers

Other great short styles would be the chino short. They offer a look that is smart or smart-casual depending on what other elements of clothing you incorporate them with. A slim fit or skinny chino short will give you a more modern look. Again, you could pair this with white sneakers for a more casual look. However, the chino shorts would look equally superb, perhaps more-so with a pair of loafers. Giving you one of the ultimate smart-casual looks for summer, all while having the comfort and style to match.

 

 

One Comment

  1. Really love these new look/style Hawaiian shirts. Unfortunately I clearly remember the 80s Hawaiian shirts square and shapeless. Thank you for some great style looks.

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