Entire books have been written about the origins of the distinctive, playful textile prints featured on Aloha shirts. In brief, the shirt first came into existence sometime in the 1920s in Honolulu, although the identity of its first designer is obscured by the mists of time. One thing that seems clear enough is that some of the first Aloha shirts were made out of colorful, printed cloth imported from Japan and China that typically was used for women's kimonos. Tailors of Japanese heritage who had set up shop in Honolulu discovered a new market for this colorful kimono fabric among Hawaiian locals and tourists alike, who found that the bright, playful textile designs matched the Aloha lifestyle. According to legendary Hawaiian shirtmaker and Aloha shirt historian, Dale Hope, by the 1950s the design of Hawaiian prints had grown into a distinctly Hawaiian art form:

"Artists and designers began to interpret their island surroundings. [Hawaiian designers] started to create their own designs substituting what had traditionally been Japanese styled motifs and prints on the imported fabrics. Diamond Head was substituted for Mt. Fuji, Japanese pine trees changed to coconut trees, and thatched huts with ocean scenes and surfers, canoes on waves, canoes sailing, fish and flowers replaced bamboo, cranes, tigers and shrines that characterized the first prints from the Orient. Romantic island motifs and tropical imagery adorned these new casual shirts that reflected one’s encounters with this new dreamy and spirited tropical Paradise."   -Dale Hope, The Aloha Shirt