Does anyone wear them? Our friends promote them but my husband is doubtful. What's your take on them? Is it like wearing white trainers in Europe? (or worse?)

Do you mean in Hawaii? My DH and I wouldn't be caught dead in them, but others wear them.

I do mean in Hawaii! I don't want to match my husband or anything, but they look comfortable. Is it just tourists wearing them?

When my son worked in Hawaii, friday was aloha shirt day. Sure, the residents wear them. Flip-flops are also OK. They call them sandals there.

Not only do a variety of people wear them, but they were sold in the department stores (not tourist shops) I was in while on Oahu.

I personally did not bring or buy any Hawaiian clothes.

If you are ambivalent and uncertain about Hawaiian shirts/clothes, your local second hand store might have a special section of them. (Ours does.) If so, and if you find something you wanted to purchase, you could pack that and then not feel as if you wasted $$ should you decide not wear what you brought or if you found something better over there.

Aloha and have fun!

I think they're fun. I'll see how things look when I arrive.

Everybody wears them in Hawaii. No one wears a suit.

Lots of really nice high-end aloha shirts out there- are perfectly acceptable businesswear in Hawaii. Check out George Clooney's wardrobe in The Descendants.

Tori Richard makes some great men's stuff:

http://www.toririchard.com/browse.cf...-mens/2,2.html

Reyn Spooner, Tommy Bahama are all nicer brands, too. Not everything is loud, floral, and ugly colors.

And these:

http://www.reynspooner.com/shop/clas...-SpoonerKloth/

Placename: Fantastic! Where do you buy stuff for the ladies? (my husband isn't going to wear that, but I love it all!)

Lots of beautiful women's clothing. Tori Richards has some beautiful women's wear. Manuheali'i has more bold prints. Blue Ginger makes really comfortable washable clothing:

http://www.blueginger.com/

http://www.toririchard.com/browse.cf...omens/2,3.html

Also:

http://www.manuhealii.com/

Flip flops are also called slippahs.

Local Hawaiians wear "aloha" shirts all time. If you are going to Hawaii and are on vacation wear what is comfortable. FYI, I never wear shoes (including tennis shoes) I always wear flip flops - you have to take your shoes off when you enter people's houses. And I usually stay with relatives.

I'm going to love Hawaii! Mahalo!

I never expected to buy anything by Tommy Bahama but there was the perfect purse in the gift shop at the Four Season on the Big Island that I had to have. Absolutely loved it (now I'm wondering where it is...). Since then I've stopped in to the stores every now and then and still get their emails. Gorgeous stuff that is perfect for the tropics. A step up from the things you can get at Hilo Hattie's but both offer clothes you'll be comfortable in. Aside from that, pack natural fibers.

My husband has purchased great looking (not loud prints, made in Hawaii, nicely sewn--i.e. the pattern on the pocket matched the pattern on the rest of the shirt) aloha shirts at the Wal-Mart in Kailua (so the Walmarts on other islands probably have them too).

Macy's, Sears, all the department stores carry aloha shirts and women's tropical wear. It's daily wear in Hawaii.

I'm a fashion conservative but I love these patterns. I like starrs's idea of a printed purse...it'll brighten up all my 'city black' that I usually wear year round! Don't worry, I'll be bringing very little blackwear to Hawaii!

It wasn't a printed purse. It's a gorgeous straw bucket bag. Need to find it...