Amazing Hawaii Style Dresses & Food: Everything You Need Know

Hawaii Style Clothing

Hawaii is not the place to wear ties and high heels. You don’t need formal wear unless you visit Hawaii on a business trip. Eventually, you will need practical clothing, such as hiking shoes and soft shorts.

In Hawaii, tourists don’t dress differently from the locals. That is the reason why I love Hawaii style. Many locals are almost tourists because Hawaii style is their daily life and your first choice as a casual tourist. You can think of aloha tops, floral shirts, maxi dresses, and flip-flops. The Hawaii style is open-minded, relaxed, and charismatic.

Hawaii Style Top: Aloha Shirt

The Aloha shirt, also known as the Hawaiian shirt, is a dress shirt that the locals can wear casually or smartly for formal events. These shirts feature floral prints, short sleeves, and a collar.

They were traditionally men’s clothes, but they can be worn by women today. There are many options for Hawaiian shirt designs. Florals and printing patterns are countless, which makes each shirt unique.

For Hawaiian shirts, the ancestors of Hawaiian first used silk and cotton. After Ellery Chun, a Chinese merchant, created the first shirt, Japanese influence was evident in the 1930s and 1940s. Silk would have been the preferred material at that time. Rayon, the first synthetic fiber made in mass production, came later.

You can find a variety of fabrics today to match your Aloha shirts, such as silk, cotton, and synthetic. For original designs and authentic clothes, you can also shop for vintage Hawaiian shirts.

Traditional Hawaii Style Dress: Muumuu

A muumuu Hawaii style dress is a kind of loose dress. It originates from the Holoku dress.

The Holoku, a Hawaiian term for Mother Hubbard’s dresses, was introduced to Polynesia by British Protestant missionaries in 1820. At first, British ministers tried to use this to ‘civilize’ the people and let them cover their skin as much as possible. However, it’s hot in South Pacific, and the Holoku dresses had long sleeves and high-neck yoke collars. Although Holoku dresses were loose-fitting, they were very uncomfortable in hot weather.

Therefore, the Hawaiian locals made Holoku a fitted, often collarless, dress with shorter sleeves. The muumuu was born. It is the shorter version of Holoku in brighter colors, intended for casual everyday wear. Muumuu, which in Hawaiian means “cut off,” becomes the Hawaii style dress you often see today.

European and American influences influenced the muumuu’s styles. The muumuu went from being a tropical island style that was loose and trendy out of necessity to becoming a fashion trend in the mid-20th century. Designers such as Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Halston, and Halston incorporated muumuus (also known as caftans) down their runways, bringing these Hawaii style outfits into mainstream fashion. After that, the muumuu dresses frequently appear on television shows such as Dynasty.

Muumuu dresses are a part of both Hawaiian style and America’s Polynesian Pop Culture. It is a fun, relaxed way to dress thanks to its bright colors and simple design.

Hawaii Style Outfit for Luau

When you travel to Hawaii, a Luau outfit is necessary. Luau, a Polynesian traditional celebration party, is where you can enjoy dancing to live music and try different local food. Hawaiians make kalua pork in this celebration. They cook this traditional staple dish underground.

A luxurious Hawaiian resort or beach is usually the best place to hold this exciting party (yeah, it is not a dull ceremony, but a traditional party!). The party usually begins in the evening, and you can expect a lot of fun with entertainment and drinks in the local Hawaii style. What should you bring to the luau? A beautiful muumuu dress, bohemian dress, or maxi dress would be the best.

Maxi dresses are great for travel photography because they make the wearer eye-catching and stand out. Let your dress flow in the tropical wind and floral party. Warm tones are best since luaus are usually in areas where the landscapes are greens and blues. Red or yellow maxi dresses will stand you out against the oceans and trees. For footwear, you can choose from flip-flops or beachy wedges.

Bohemian Dress of Hawaii Style

Boho-chic dresses are light-colored, flowing apparel that give your outfit a dream-like Hawaii style. You can pair light-colored tunics, dresses, or shirts with black jackets or blazers for added contrast. You can also pick denim vests and jackets.

Maxi skirts and dresses can be bohemian fashion, too. These items add color to an outfit and look great when paired with a black vest or a floral crop top. Boho-chic is a fashion trend that’s very open-minded and easy to match with the Hawaii style.

Hawaiian Style Flower Wreath: Lei

The lei is a wreath or garland, one of Hawaii’s most famous symbols, made from fragrant tropical flowers. You can make lei from leaves, seeds, shells, nuts, etc. No matter what material a lei may be made from, they are considered a special gift in Hawaii. A lei is a way to show your love for someone.

Many visitors consider receiving a lei as one of the most memorable parts of their Hawaiian vacation. Since the days of steamships, visitors have received a lei upon their arrival to the islands. A legend says that if visitors tossed the lei in the ocean as they sailed home from Diamond Head, they would return to the islands.

Hawaii Style Food

Hawaii Style Poke

Poke in Hawaiian means chunk. This poke is usually a raw fish chunk of yellowfin or big eye (Ahi tuna), which is marinated and eaten this way.

However, poke includes more than just raw fish. It also has marinated meats and seafood. The people of Hawaii love this comfort food. You can eat poke as an appetizer or rice in a donburi-style bowl called a poke bowl.

Lau Lau

Laulau, another native dish of Hawaii style, is made with pork wrapped in taro leaves. This dish was traditionally prepared by placing several pieces of pork or fish in the center of several luau leaves. Also, it is often steam-cooked over a stove. Today, some cooks use taro leaves instead of luau leaves with salted butterfish, chicken, beef, or pork.

Laulau is a typical lunch of Hawaii style, and people usually enjoy it with rice and macaroni salad.

Hawaiian Kalua Pork

In Hawaiian, “Kalua” means “to cook underground oven.” Chefs prepare Kalua pork in a pit where the pig is. The stones are heated separately with a local kindling fire for several hours. Once the rocks are ready to heat, the pig and traditional foods are lined up in the pit and covered with banana leaves and leaves. Finally, they are buried in the soil until the chef thinks it is time to lift back the dish. After about 6-8 hours of steaming, the pork is seasoned with red salt or Hawaiian salt to enhance the flavor. The pork with other Hawaii-styled food can then be taken out and enjoyed.

Traditional Kalua pork can be challenging to cook underground. That is why chefs only make it for special occasions.

Hawaiian Sweet Potato

The purple sweet potato is also called the Okinawan sweet potato, Hawaiian sweet potato, or Japanese yam. It’s a root vegetable that looks similar to white sweet potatoes but has vibrant, deep purple flesh. Anthocyanins are the same element that gives purple carrots and purple cherries their rich, plummy colors.

The purple sweet potato comes in a few different varieties–Charleston, Murasaki, and Okinawan. You can cook each type of purple sweet potato in different ways, including baking, mashing, and roasting. No matter which way you choose, this Hawaii style lovely food is fantastic to taste.

Hawaii Style BBQ

In Hawaii, you will find they make BBQ differently from the traditionally barbequed ribs, pulled meat, or brisket. They roast various kinds of meat with fruit, among which pineapple is the most famous Hawaiian side dish for BBQ. Ordering BBQ on the island means getting a large platter with grilled meats or chicken. The BBQ sauce, sugar, fresh garlic, ginger, and soy sauce marinade are sweetened to dance in your mouth!

Last Words

You can travel to Hawaii, Maui, Kauai, and Oahu without worrying about what to wear. Hawaii style is a melting pot for many cultures and cuisines. No matter how many times you have visited this island, it is always possible for you to have never tried all the dishes in their local list.

We hope you find this article helpful in your search for Hawaii style inspiration. If you want to get more fashion ideas or relative knowledge, welcome to visit our website!