9 Best Hawaii Outfits for Your Island Getaway
Are you looking for the best Hawaii outfits for your island vacation? This guide from a Hawaii local has all of the best recommendations!
So you’ve booked your Hawaii vacation and now you’re wondering what to wear when you get there. You’re not just looking for a Hawaii packing list. You’re looking for specific Hawaii outfit ideas. Well, you’re in luck! This guide from a local covers all of the Hawaii outfits you’ll need during your trip – from beach outfits to hiking outfits to luau outfits.
To make things even better, I’ve recommended quite a few Hawaii clothing brands for you to check out. In other words, you can make sure that your wonderful Hawaii vacation outfits have an added touch of island culture.
A Casual Hawaii Outfit: T-Shirt & Shorts
Many people picture themselves dressing up every day during their Hawaii getaway. While you can do that occasionally (and we’ll talk about that later), it’s definitely not going to be your go-to look if you want to explore the beautiful nature of the islands.
Instead, most of your clothes for Hawaii will be casual. A t-shirt and shorts will likely be your most worn outfit – for both women and men. While I’m sure you have plenty of both in your closet, there are still a couple of local brands that deserve to have their time in the spotlight.
Dolkii has some of the best Hawaii-inspired women’s graphic tees around. The Aloooooha shirt, the Hawaii is my happy place shirt, and the Wahine shirt are just a few of my favorites. And for men, there are the earth-toned and neutral tees from Aloha Modern.
As for the shorts, American Eagle, Anthropologie, and Levi’s are all good places to look.
A Hawaii Beach Outfit: Swimsuit
When thinking of what to wear in Hawaii, a swimsuit is likely the first thing that comes to mind. After all, Hawaii beaches are some of the best in the world! So of course, swimwear has to make it onto this list of the best outfits for a Hawaii vacation.
Sundaze Bikinis is my go-to Hawaii swimwear brand. Not only are their pieces cute and functional, but they’re also eco-friendly. To address the ocean plastic pollution problem, Sundaze Bikinis reuses these plastics and abandoned fishnets by turning them into amazing swimwear.
Use the code BORDERS15 on the Sundaze Bikinis website to get 15% off your order!
That said if you’re more of a one piece swimsuit person, you may want to consider purchasing something from Issa de’ Mar or Kalo Kini. And if you’d prefer a custom swimsuit that perfectly matches your measurements, KaiKini Bikinis is here to help!
Men have loads of great Hawaii swimwear options as well. Honolua Surf Co. and Maui and Sons both produce quality products.
Footwear-wise, flip flops (locally known as slippers) are a must. Olukai is one local slippers brand that you won’t want to miss out on.
Last but not least, if you’re looking to accessorize, the sunglasses from Maui Jim are an awesome choice.
A Hawaii Hiking Outfit: Exercise Clothes
One of the best things to do in Hawaii is hike. There are just so many beautiful natural landscapes to see! But it’s important to have a fantastic Hawaii hiking outfit in order to make your hikes as enjoyable as possible.
Kaira Active is an incredible local brand for women’s activewear. With sports bras, biker shorts, and leggings, you’ll find everything you need for your Hawaii hiking adventure.
There aren’t quite as many men’s activewear brands in Hawaii, but Mahiku Hawaii does have a small line of men’s active shorts available for purchase. These active shorts come in both solid colors and Hawaii-inspired patterns.
For most hikes in Hawaii, a typical pair of athletic shoes will do the trick. I’ve been using my Fila Women’s Day Hiker Shoes for years – and there’s a handy men’s version as well. But if you want to take on some of the more challenging hikes, consider investing in a solid pair of hiking boots. Eddie Bauer has some amazing hiking boots for women and men.
A Beach-to-Hike Outfit: Swimsuit & Exercise Clothes
I’ll be upfront and say that this Hawaii outfit idea won’t work for everyone. But I personally wear it all the time. Whenever I plan a dedicated Hawaii adventure day, I’ll hike in the morning and then go to the beach in the afternoon.
That said, I don’t like to change between the hike and the beach. Many times, there just isn’t a great changing spot. So I’ll just wear a comfy bikini underneath my hiking clothes, and I’ll have both situations covered in one outfit!
The same concept can apply to men’s Hawaii outfits too. Boardshorts and a t-shirt may work out well.
A Cold Weather Outfit: Sweatshirt & Jeans
I know what you’re thinking. What do you need a cold weather outfit for in Hawaii? Isn’t it always warm there? Well, there are actually a couple of different scenarios where this will come in handy.
First, nights can get a little chilly sometimes, so it’s nice to have a sweatshirt to throw on. But these cold weather clothes are most important when you’re visiting Hawaii mountaintops.
The tallest mountains in Hawaii, like Haleakala on Maui and Mauna Kea on the Big Island, get very cold. Mauna Kea actually gets a bit of snow each winter! On top of that, people tend to visit these mountain peaks to watch the sunrise or go stargazing, meaning that the temperature is even colder during those times of day. In other words, you’ll be very glad that you made a sweatshirt and jeans one of your Hawaii outfits.
If you’re looking for sweatshirt recommendations, Kahana Clothing (women’s) and Pineapple County are two local brands with great options. As for the jeans, you can’t go wrong with Levi’s.
A Luau Outfit: Aloha Wear
A luau is your chance to wear Hawaii traditional clothing. Most people only know about the bright, exaggerated version of traditional Hawaiian clothing – and they often call it the wrong name: “Hawaiian wear” or “Hawaiian shirt.” (It’s a pretty common mistake to make in Hawaii.) But locals wear a more toned-down version, and we call it aloha wear.
For some reason, men’s aloha wear tends to stick to the more traditional designs. Rix Island Wear and Western Aloha are both fantastic stores for this type of Hawaii attire. Look for shirts with nature- or tribal-inspired prints in more muted colors.
Women’s aloha wear, on the other hand, has taken a more modern turn. Companies like Kahulalea, Lola Miller Designs, and Kamea Designs all create aloha wear with a fun contemporary twist.
A Hawaii Picture-Taking Outfit: Instagram-Worthy Clothes
Now, despite the fact that I run a Hawaii website and its accompanying Instagram page, I’m not much of a picture-taker. That said, I know most people – especially visitors to Hawaii – are, so I had to include a picture-taking outfit.
There are a couple of different ways to do this. You can either pick an outfit that you like best for yourself or you can try to coordinate it with your group. Or you can do both!
For non-coordinated Hawaii outfits for women, Yireh and Mahina are lovely little shops to check out for dresses, jumpsuits, and two piece sets (usually crop top and flowy pants pair). And men can stick with some of their aloha wear from Western Aloha or Rix Island Wear.
Now, if you do want to coordinate, you have two different options. First, you can just coordinate by color. For example, everyone in your group can just wear white in whatever style they’d like.
The second option is for everyone to wear variations of an outfit with the exact same print. While this option can seem difficult to pull off, Pohaku is here to help! As a matter of fact, family aloha wear is their specialty!
A Wedding Outfit: Fancy(ish) Clothes
Given how many people come to Hawaii each year just for weddings, this list of Hawaii outfits wouldn’t be complete without a wedding outfit.
For women, I’d recommend getting your wedding guest outfit (or I suppose wedding outfit, if you’re the bride) from wherever you prefer, whether that be Anthropologie, Lulus, or Nordstrom. While maxi dresses are typically the most popular choice, it’s not unheard of to see wedding guests in fancy midi dresses or stylish two piece sets.
Then, once you’ve chosen your Hawaii wedding outfit, consider styling it with local jewelry, like the beautiful ocean-inspired pieces from Rise Jewelry. After all, there are loads of gorgeous Hawaii jewelry pieces.
Use the code BORDERS15 on the Rise Jewelry website for 15% off your order!
Men might actually have a slightly more complicated situation when it comes to Hawaii wedding outfits. It all depends on the dress code. While some weddings prefer men to wear full suits others are okay with casual aloha wear. Simply put, be sure to read the wedding invitation carefully. Then, you’ll be able to decide whether you need something from Men’s Warehouse or Western Aloha.
A Plane Outfit: Comfy Clothes
At the end of your Hawaii trip, you’ll need to travel back home. Unless you’re taking a long-haul cruise, you’ll likely be flying at least a five-hour flight on a plane. And you’ll want to make sure that you’re wearing a comfy, cozy outfit on your long journey.
Loungewear is your best bet for your flights to and from Hawaii – for both women and men. As far as I know, there aren’t any Hawaii-based companies that specialize in loungewear. (If you know of any please let me know in the comments!). That said, American Eagle is always a great place for loungewear.
Are there any other Hawaii outfits that you think should be on this list? Let me know in the comments!
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