Hawaiian shirts: the fashion trend taking over the nightclub world. Or is it?
Personally, I’m more partial to a party dress than a party top on a night out, but upon talking to a guy friend (and occasional Hawaiian shirt wearer himself), I realised that there are actually some unspoken rules about when and where it’s appropriate to wear your oh so flamboyant Hawaiian top.
Heading out with the guys and you’re all dressed in Hawaiian shirts because it’s funny? Cool. Heading to a Hawaiian themed party? Cool (and logical). Heading to a sporting event? Cool. When you wear your Hawaiian shirt seriously? Tacky. When it comes to Hawaiian shirt wearers, the general consensus is that when you stop having fun wearing your party attire it becomes, well… lame.
When I see a guy out in a Hawaiian shirt, I usually think it’s cool, but it depends on the setting. If you’re at a casual beachside bar, a Hawaiian top can look effortless and relaxed, but if you’re at a fancy nightclub I’d personally much prefer a more understated button up. If you’re caught wearing a Hawaiian shirt in an upmarket venue (think an expensive, exclusive bar) you risk a) not being let in and b) looking like the King (or Queen) of Tacky.
It’s all about where you wear the Hawaiian shirt that tends to dictate whether you look cool or tacky. You don’t want to be that guy at the bar/club that all the girls think is a tacky dresser with no sense of style. Likewise, if you take the Hawaiian trend a little too seriously and aren’t choosing to wear them for fun with your mates, it can come off a little try-hardish and takes the fun out of the trend.
So there are pros and there are cons when it comes to wearing a Hawaiian shirt on a night out. If you have fun with it it can be ultra cool, but if you’re wearing it at the wrong venue or thinking you are actually really stylish it can come off as a little (okay, a lot) tacky. The key to rocking the Hawaiian shirt is to accept that you look like a 60-year-old grandpa and not take yourself too seriously. Plus, seeing a young person in a loud Hawaiian shirt makes me think that they are a lot of fun and don’t care what anyone else thinks.
That said, if you enjoy standing out from the crowd and couldn’t care less about whether you look cool or tacky, then rock that Hawaiian shirt I say!
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