Aloha shirts, that is.

My aloha shirt of choice is the Reyn Spooner. Timeless, classic, and part of the fabric (no pun intended) of our local culture.

Reyn McCullough set up shop at Ala Moana Center back in 1959. He later partnered with Ruth Spooner in 1961, and the rest is history. I’m a big fan of the Spooner Kloth™ (55% cotton / 45% polyester) since it requires no ironing. (I don’t own an iron.)

Some people have amassed huge closet collections. Me? Small kine…

In Hawai’i, aloha shirts are your daily standard work attire. And especially at my school, aloha wear is part of our work culture. Imua💪

But I’m especially fond of Christmas Spooners. They’re fun, unique, and a big part of our local Christmas tradition. I always wear one to Honolulu City Lights each December. Mele Kalikimaka🎄

Spooners are also released in limited editions to commemorate special occasions, places, and sometimes people. This one is for Chinese New Year🧨

OK, OK, but these shirts are premium and can get a bit pricey. How can anyone possibly afford them?

Well, here’s the secret… Shhhh🤫

eBay.

There are great deals to be had! I limit my purchases to around $25. With shipping + tax, it comes out to around $34. The $128 price tag for brand new is way too rich for me🤪

Another option is the Reyn’s Again program where you can trade in gently used shirts for store credit. You can get $20 credit for Spooner Kloth and $15 for 100% cotton. Make sure that there is no fading and that all of the tags are intact. I traded in a few shirts (that I hardly wore or fit funny) and picked up Kikaida👊

Finally, at the end of the day, you just sometimes need to treat yourself to a little “liquid aloha.” And you know what? Somehow, someway, it always tastes best in a Spooner aloha shirt🤙