This button up aloha shirt features our Kai Palaoa print on Coffee Material with Taupe & Doeskin ink. 

Kai Palaoa

At the mouth of the Wailuku River, running east along Hilo One, Kaipalaoa was once a village fronting the black sands.  At the wharf, whaling ships would pull in and drop their cargo. The lighthouse stands where the wharf once stood and the black sands remain.

2008 was the Year of the Coral Reef.  We offered this design to honor place, the importance of the reef, and the Kumulipo, the chant of creation.  The words speak of the building of the reef, one coral at a time, creating the foundation to our islands.

The ʻohe kāpala represent the incoming waves on the shoal, nurturing coral, and all life that depends on the coral reef.

Inspired by the ivy-league shirts of the early 1900s, the fabric designs are pure Hawai‘i, and the look is pleasingly fresh. The Button Up is an open front, tapered shirt with a full length placket. Coconut buttons are featured on the stand-up, button-down collar and on the front placket. Tuck it in or leave it out over the trousers for a more casual look. Either way, it's the perfect touch of crisp aloha!