Hawaiian shirts, also known as Aloha shirts on the islands, have a long history stretching back to the early 20th century. First designed in the 1930s by Ellery Chun, a Chinese merchant living in Waikiki, the Hawaiian shirt soon became a popular fashion item amongst US servicemen returning home from World War 2. From there, their popularity snowballed, hastened by the tourist rush to the Hawaiian islands in the 1950s. A number of high profile Hawaiian shirt wearers certainly helped to boost the credibility of the shirts also, as we shall discover.

Elvis Presley – Elvis loved Hawaii and as well as performing a number of legendary shows there, he acted in a number of movies set in and around the islands. He is reputed to have had a large collection of Hawaiian shirts, which he often donned during shows.

Weird Al Yankovic – A performer of a completely different nature, parody creator/singer Weird Al Yankovic has built a successful career out of a kooky and colourful persona, and is regularly featured in videos and on album covers wearing outlandish aloha shirts which match his zany personality.

Hunter S. Thompson - Legendary author of Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas and gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson certainly had a uniquely exuberant dress sense, and would often compliment his aviator style glasses, hats and trademark cigarette holder with a wildly exotic Hawaiian shirt.

Tom Selleck – During the 80s, Tom Selleck popularised the Hawaiian shirt further with his depiction of a private investigator working in Hawaii, in the hit series, Magnum PI. His moustache was an unfortunate addition to the look.