When people think of Hawaiʻi, their minds often go to the stunning landscapes, beautiful beaches, volcanic islands, and delicious Hawaiian cuisine. However another tradition, Hawaiian textile culture, carries an immense and rich history surrounding Hawaiian identity, tradition, and resistance. Through a blend of various colors, patterns, and textures, these textiles represent a uniqueness to Hawaiian identity, and exemplify the intermingling of Hawaiian craftsmanship with global influences across centuries. In the following blog, we’ll highlight the history of Hawaiian textile culture, and give the reader insight about different techniques and styles; and the occasions of which you would wear each form of dress. Follow along to learn more about Hawaiʻi’s textile culture: a living archive.

History and Overview of Hawaiʻi’s Textile Culture

Before Westerners settled and colonized the islands, Native Hawaiians created and used a fabric known as kapa, made from the inner bark of the wauke plant. This bark-based cloth took on different names in different parts of Polynesia, with some communities referring to the cloth as “tapa” instead. Regardless of its title, this unique cloth was worn by both chiefs and commoners for centuries. The process for making kapa was extremely intricate and sacred, often taking days or weeks to complete. Women were the primary craftsmen of kapa fabric, and the process for making this cloth wasn’t easy. To create kapa, the bark was first removed from the wauke plant, and then pounded into thin sheets using wooden beaters. Next, the fabric was dyed and decorated with natural pigments derived from plants, earth, and charcoal. Kapa was used for everything from clothing to bed covers to ceremonial wear. Patterns, often stamped or printed using carved bamboo or wood tools, conveyed symbolic meanings. Waves, stars, plants, and other natural elements were often beautifully displayed on kapa, reflecting Hawaiʻi’s deep connection to the land and cosmos. As contact with the Western world grew over the 18th and 19th centuries, kapa making declined. Western textiles such as cotton and wool became more accessible and eventually replaced traditional garments, threatening to wipe out the kapa textile culture altogether. However, kapa never truly disappeared. In recent decades, Native Hawaiian artists have led a powerful resurgence, reclaiming kapa not only as an art form but as an expression of cultural pride and identity.

Materials, Techniques, Colors, and More

Materials

Kapa, Cotton, and contemporary fabrics such as Batik fabrics, hand-dyed fabrics, and printed cotton, are among the most popular cloth used in Hawaiian textile manufacturing.

Techniques

Hawaiian textile culture is extremely diverse, and encompasses many unique techniques and styles. In addition to Kapa, the traditional fabric used in Polynesian cultures, Hawaiʻi is also known for its stunning quilting and contemporary aloha shirts.

Colors

Popular Hawaiian textiles generally feature bright and vibrant colors. These represent a connection and respect to the Hawaiian islands. Hawaiʻi is home to lush rainforests, vivid flowers, turquoise waters, and fiery volcanoes, an environment filled with color. Traditional Hawaiian textiles, whether kapa or modern aloha prints, draw directly from this natural palette of the Hawaiian islands.

The Aloha Shirt

No discussion of Hawaiian textiles would be complete without mentioning the iconic aloha shirt. Known for its colorful patterns featuring tropical prints, the aloha shirt is a global symbol of island life, but its roots are woven from multiple cultures. Emerging around the early 20th century, aloha shirts blended Japanese kimono fabrics, Chinese silks, Western tailoring, and Filipino barong styles to create what would become one of the most iconic and identifiable pieces of clothing of the modern era. While the aloha shirt is extremely versatile, these casual garments often feature tropical themes, including prints of palm trees, hula dancers, marine and wildlife, and more! See these traditional motifs celebrated in authentic performances at our Honolulu hula show at our lūʻau. As the aloha shirt grew in popularity, so did the desire to reinterpret the fabrics as more than just a fashion statement. Today, Native Hawaiian fashion designers are challenging the commercialization of the aloha shirt, and reclaiming the designs to showcase traditional Hawaiian motifs with contemporary aesthetics. These designers also stress the importance of environmental awareness, as well as their unwavering respect for sustainability.

Hawaiian Quilting

One of the most beloved textile traditions in Hawaiʻi is kapa kuiki, or Hawaiian quilting. The craft, introduced in the early 19th century by Western missionaries, taught Western-style quilting to Native Hawaiian women. An artform that would quickly take on a new life of its own in Hawaiian culture. Hawaiʻi quilts are distinct from other traditional quilting patterns due to their symmetrical, appliqué designs, which often included large stylized designs and symbols of native fruits and vegetation. Some quilts showcase stunning designs of the hibiscus plant, while others carry intricate designs of Hawaiian marine life, plants, and more. In addition to being a hobby and artform in Hawaiian cultures, quilting would also become a powerful act of resistance. After the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893, some quiltmakers began incorporating political symbols and royal imagery into their quilts. Today these treasured heirlooms represent the living history of the Hawaiian people, and serve as a symbol of beauty, perseverance, and resilience.

Traditional Lūʻau Attire

At a traditional Hawaiian lūʻau, the clothing worn is rich in cultural meaning. These designs, which blend elements of traditional Hawaiian styles with influences from Polynesian culture and modern trends, each take on a unique role at a Hawaiian lūʻau.

Below are a few common traditional clothing styles and an explanation of their cultural significance.

The Aloha Shirt

As discussed earlier, the aloha shirt, traditionally worn by men, is a short-sleeved, loose fit button up shirt that features nature-inspired prints and designs. Wearing an aloha shirt is a symbol of respect for Hawaiian customs and their spirit of celebration.

Muʻumuʻu

This long and loose-fitting dress, traditionally worn by women, often features floral prints and other elements of nature. Today, the Muʻumuʻu is widely observed as a traditional dress to be worn for lūʻau and hula performances. Witness these beautiful garments in their proper cultural context at our traditional Oʻahu lūʻau celebrations.

Paʻū Skirt

This wrap skirt worn by female hula dancers is usually made of kapa or cotton. The skirts are often dyed, or stamped with various patterns to reflect the stories being honored in the dance.

Malo

The traditional loin-cloth worn by male performers during a hula dance. These garments represent a connection between Hawaiians and their ancestors.

Lei

Most people have heard of this garment. The Lei, a floral, shell, or feathered necklace, often symbolizes celebration and the spirit of aloha.

These are just a few of the many traditional garments and clothing worn during a traditional lūʻau. Other pieces of clothing, including the Haku Lei (Floral Crown,) Kīhei (Shoulder Cape or Shawl,) and more, represent the deep and thoughtful culture that is Hawaiian lūʻau and hula performing.

Hawaiian Cultural Influence

As you can see, Hawaiian textile culture represents the living history of ancient Hawaiian traditions and practices. Today, traditional cloth-making techniques have blended with western and global influence to create the Hawaiian textile industry we see today. Experience the living continuation of these textile traditions at our Waikīkī lūʻaus, where traditional attire is worn with cultural respect and authenticity. If you would like to learn more about Hawaiian culture, and how it has been shaped by ancient and modern traditions, be sure to check out our website.