The Man Made The Clothes.

Not a day after my post about hunting for Hawaiian shirts in Value Village, I received an e-mail from a friend, informing me that Alfred Shaheen has passed away.

This was a man I never knew by name, but have known for ages in spirit, for he invented the Hawaiian shirt. A bold man of passion, vision, vibrancy, and above all else, excellent fashion sense. In an attempt to learn more about him, I went to www.alfredshaheen.com , where I saw a few pictures, a few models... and a sidebar labelled, "vintage".

Realistically speaking, I shouldn't spend so much in these recessive times. But who could blame me for wanting to give a little something back?



Voila: the Jade Tapa Medley, a Shaheen original, dating from the late 1950s. Made in Honolulu, shipped from Honolulu. I don't know what I'm going to do to keep busy until it arrives in the mail. Besides double-check all the labels in my closet (and the nearby Value Villages), that is.

It looks like Mr. Denton has a brand new hobby. Thanks again, Mr. Shaheen.