Making Sartorial Sense of Empire: Contested Meanings of Aloha Shirt Aesthetics

Abstract:As a site of performance, the aloha shirt has been adopted by different social groups and functions as a contested site of meaning and memory, concealing and calling out histories of racial hierarchy, white supremacy, and conquest. This article uses the boogaloo movement's "aloha shirt uniform" as an opportunity to reengage with a discussion about the role the attire plays in popular imagination. An analysis of different uses of aloha wear by Hawaiians, Hawai'i residents, and boogaloo members demonstrates that location and context impact the shirt's distinct visibility and dictate how its contested meanings are understood. It also contends that the distinction between the aloha shirt as a signifier of a multicultural tropical paradise and the boogaloo movement's use of it as a symbol of white nationalism is not as disconnected as some make it out to be.