Too bright or just cool - Hawaiian shirts are back

But after decades of relegation to the attic, the Hawaiian shirt has hit the high street once more.

And as Britain basks in temperatures of up to 90F (32C) men have been brightening up their wardrobes with short-sleeved shirts covered in birds of paradise, flamingos and palm trees.

They were first found in wardrobes around the globe after being mass-produced for the first time by Hawaiian businessman Ellery Chun in the 1930s.

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Then, in the wake of tourism in the 1950s, Hawaiian shirts started making their way onto the big screen in films including From Here to Eternity in 1953, starring Montgomery Clift, and Elvis Presley was featured wearing one on the album cover of Blue Hawaii.

But they soon fell out of fashion and became associated with party animals and tourists.

Now, as the weather brightens, so have men’s wardrobes and they can be found at men’s clothing outlets up and down the high street.

When the Daily Echo asked men why they were wearing them again, many said it was because they were unusual and comfortable in the heat.

M i t c h e l l Taylor, 51, a shop manager from Eling Hill, Eling, said: “It’s light material so it’s cool.

“ I t ’ s m o r e natural to w e a r colourful clothing in hot weather.

“I always wear fairly loud shirts in the summer but I don’t really call them loud shirts, they’re just something a bit different and colourful I suppose.

“I think people should just wear what they feel comfortable in, and shirts are more comfortable.”

Casey Waters, 20, a student at Southampton Solent University from Wilton Avenue, Polygon, Southampton, said: “I’d wear one because it suits the season we’re in.

“You don’t really get palm trees in England.”

David Matthews, 19, also a Southampton Solent University student from the Polygon, said: “I’d wear one because I think it’s a bit different.

“No one else would wear one and I like to wear something unusual.”

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