In between a sea of men dressed in suits and dark formal wear, there is always that guy who has a shouting Hawaiian shirt. It is mostly orange with screaming patterns as embellishments. It is never a fitting shirt, mostly oversize and the wearer is usually a rich businessman who doesn’t have to show up at work to answer to anybody.

But as much as they might be a symbol of status, the shirts have been abused lately, mostly worn without paying attention to the occasion.  

The wearers are not the usual 9-5 employees who have to abide by a strict dress code; they are folks who spend hours on phone haggling business deals.

Just because the wearers are beyond abiding by rules of mere 9-5 mortals doesn’t mean that they can get away with wearing the shirts badly.

You may be beyond rules, but for heaven’s sake do not wear the shirt on a Monday morning tucked under official pants. The shirt is meant to be left hanging and worn with baggy pants that do not make it look over size.

Still on pants to be worn with Hawaiian shirts, they should be strictly casual but not denim. Chinos (what is commonly referred to as khakis) are the most ideal.

Wearing a jacket, sweater or jumper is unforgivable, not even when you are home alone with no one to impress. It is called Hawaiian for a reason, it is meant to be worn in sunny beaches where the weather doesn’t call for too much clothing.

Of course the occasion to wear the shirt is where most go wrong. Wearing the shirt on a weekday (even casual Fridays) will cause us to frown upon you. The shirts should be strictly weekend wear and not weekends when you have a wedding or Gusaba to attend (you might get more attention than the groom.)

It is also an unwritten rule that the shirts should be worn after considering one’s complexion; if you are of a dark complexion, it is advisable to go for a bright coloured shirt that brings light to your face and if you are of a lighter complexion, then a less bright one can do. 

However you wear it, just don’t be the guy everyone is staring at wondering who allowed them in wearing that shirt.