Thirteen of the best Hawaiian shirts for effortless eccentricity
The Hawaiian shirt still reigns supreme when it comes to laid back summer style. From gaudy florals to abstract artworks, shop GQ's pick of the best
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No item of clothing says “out of office” like a Hawaiian shirt. Despite a brief period in the noughties, where they were more commonly associated with flip flop-and-jeans-wearing uncles at barbecues, designs of recent seasons have catapulted the Hawaiian shirt back to the top of our holiday wardrobe wishlist, elevated by everyone from Paul Smith and JW Anderson to Jacquemus and Gucci.
How to distinguish a Hawaiian shirt? Broadly speaking, you’ll know one when you see one. At a top line, the mix of a louche, camp collar (sometimes referred to as a Cuban collar) combined with a pattern or print inspired by the shirt’s native landscape or culture will do it. Cast that net a little wider and, while this statement wardrobe piece's sometimes checkered history is shrouded in long, artistic traditions, contemporary takes on the Hawaiian shirt tend to be defined by all kinds of gaudy designs, from cartoonish florals to abstract art prints.
With a summer of undisrupted travel on the cards, the appeal of these more garish shirt designs is stronger than ever. Whether buttoned up with shades and gold jewellery or left to hang open with a plain white T-shirt underneath a la off-duty David Beckham, today’s Hawaiian shirts transcend aesthetics, appealing to hypebeasts and menswear’s most discerning gents alike. So, to get you set for the warm weather on its way, here we bring you GQ’s pick of the 13 big mood button-ups to steal the show in this season.
1/13Nudie Jeans
What Nudie Jeans' take on the Hawaiian shirt lacks in a traditional gaudy colour palette, it makes up for with its repeated beachy motifs, from its sun loungers and crashing waves to its ‘Aloha Reveries’ scripture. Muted in a sandy orange hue and given texture through its cotton crepe materialisation, this is a Hawaiian shirt with some considerable rock'n'roll appeal.
3/13Jacquemus
Florals are nothing groundbreaking when it comes to Hawaiian shirting, but the cartoonish stylings of Simon Porte Jacquemus are here to change that. As an arbiter of all things chic, illustrated blooms decorate many a short-sleeve shirt in the French designer's SS22 collection, and this bright blue number is our pick of the bunch.
6/13Reiss
Swapping the usual flora of tropical Hawaii for the most popular houseplant of SW12 postcodes, this bold Reiss shirt will turn you into an extension of your meticulously curated indoor jungle. Style with white jeans and Clubmaster shades, but only if you've committed to not checking your emails for the full two weeks you're on annual leave for…
7/13Kin
This floral-printed shirt by Kin comes in a dark, masculine colour palette that conjures images of a tropical rainstorm, offering a take on the Hawaiian shirt for those less gaudily-inclined. When it comes to styling, we favour colour matching the rich navy base colour with some turned up chinos in a similar shade and a pair of box-fresh white trainers to complete the look.
8/13Gucci
Gucci's take on the Hawaiian shirt draws on the island's cultural motifs with a sunny-but-stormy horizon mixed with an abundance of tropical palms and foliage. Part of the brand's Love Parade edit that draws on typical souvenir designs, it manages to capture the very blueprint of this iconic piece while still somehow feeling elevated above all others.
9/13Bode
Bode's trademark eccentricity has captured the imagination of such style icons as Harry Styles, so it's no wonder that its summer shirting offering takes inspiration from Hawaiian styles. Detailed with animal prints in warm tones of yellow, orange, red and green, like much of the brand's collection, this piece has the feel of that needle-in-a-haystack vintage shop find that you'll call upon summer after summer.
11/13JW Anderson
Surfing is a sport synonymous with Hawaii, but the style needn't have to conjure images of shark-toothed necklaces and shapeless board shorts. JW Anderson uses surfers as the motif of this printed linen shirt, but the vibe is altogether less gnarly thanks to calm, faded tones and a fashion-forward boxy fit.
13/13Casablanca
Silk shirting is one of Casablanca's fortes, offering luxuriously louche resort vibes that don't skimp on a little bit of fun. This season, we're particularly obsessed with this landscape printed design and its smorgasbord of soft pastel tones. As for the coordinating shorts? Well, it'd be rude not to.
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