Hawaiian shirts in the Workplace
Due to the casual atmosphere and tropical
climate of Hawaii, the conservative business
attire often gives way to the more informal
attire of the Hawaiian shirts and dressesduring
the summer months. The post-World War II era in
Hawaii, brought with it a degree of casual
office attire. In the late 1940's the city of
Honolulu started to encourage people to wear
Hawaiian shirts and dresses to work from June
through August in order to cope with the summer
heat. (Remember this was before the days when
businesses and homes were air conditioned.) This
was also a way in which to promote the tourism
industry after the war. Since that time, aloha
wear has evolved from summer wear to Friday wear
to everyday wear in Hawaii.
Aloha Fridays have worked their way over to the
mainland in recent decades. Many businesses
promote Aloha Casual Fridays or Aloha Fridays
into their work force. It is not uncommon to
find conservative bankers and other businessmen
wearing their casual Hawaiian shirts on Fridays
during the hot summer months. It usually starts
with one or two people in the office brave
enough to wear a casual Hawaiian shirt on a
Friday. Maybe one of them has just returned from
a Hawaiian vacation. But soon the entire office
staff is dressed in casual wear on Fridays.
It is not unusual to notice a change in the
entire staff when all are dressed in casual
colorful Hawaiian apparel so that they can get a
head start on the weekend. In fact, by putting
on a Hawaiian shirt, you may find that it is
like putting on a different attitude. People may
tend to relax a bit more and put things into
perspective; and the vibrant tropical prints can
put a smile on even the most serious face.
Office personnel all over the country have come
to realize that Hawaiian shirts can ease the
tension that can abound after a grueling week at
the office. Instead, the end of the week can be
celebrated as can the beginning of the weekend.
After all, the work will still get done; you can
still be productive even while wearing Hawaiian
prints (maybe even more productive).
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