Our Story
Western Aloha makes shirts for life on Hawaii Island, where Paniolo have worked cattle since 1832 and the ocean is never far away. We're based in Waimea, in the upcountry ranch lands of Hawaii Island, and our shirts bring together the two styles people here have always worn: Western and Aloha.
"I grew up wearing Western shirts and Aloha shirts, like many people here. I live in the upcountry town of Waimea, on Hawaii Island. It's a blend of mountain and ocean, of Western and Aloha. Coming up with a name for our brand was pretty easy."
Paul Sullivan, founder
Small world, big island
Western Aloha is inspired by everyday life on Hawaii Island: ranching, rodeos, surfing, paddling and time with family and friends. The island holds jagged lava fields, rainforests, ranch land and everything in between. In under two hours you can drive from a white sand beach to the top of a snow-capped volcano.
So our shirts are made to go the distance too. Sea to snow, paddle to saddle, Waikiki to Waimea.
The Paniolo
Ranching and rodeo may bring up pictures of the American West, but Hawaii's cowboys, the Paniolo, were working cattle here in 1832, before Texas was a state. Paniolo are legendary for their grit and skill. In 1908, Ikua Purdy of Waimea traveled to Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming and won the world steer roping title.
Our shirts pay homage to the Paniolo, who carry the spirit of the West and the spirit of Aloha at the same time. Read more about the shirt they made their own in Palaka, Hawaii's Original Work Shirt.
How Western Aloha started
Paul Sullivan moved to Hawaii Island in 1993. He drove a truck in Kona for Kelly Greenwell at Hawaiian Gardens Nursery, paddled outrigger canoes for Kai ʻOpua Canoe Club, and bought his first palaka at a thrift store to bus tables at the Kona Ranch House. Later he settled in Waimea, next door to one of the largest cattle ranches in the United States.
Around 2013 he started sketching out a brand that combined his two favorite shirts. As he put it, "I wanted an Aloha shirt that fit like my western shirts." A few years in the school of hard knocks of apparel manufacturing later, Western Aloha launched in January 2018 with eight original prints, among them Alenuihaha, Paniolo, Kohala, Ohia and Trisports.
Want the longer version? Read Talk Story with Western Aloha's Founder.
What we make
We make clothes that are both distinctive and functional, built around three shirts.
- The Aloha shirt: a camp collar and coconut buttons, in Aloha Cloth, our four-way stretch fabric that drapes like rayon and dries fast. Shop Aloha shirts
- The Western snap shirt: pearl snaps, shoulder yokes and a Western fit, in Cowboy Cloth, our lightweight, cotton-rich blend that feels as soft as cotton and gets better with wear. Shop Western shirts
- Palaka: Hawaii's original work shirt, yarn-dyed in the traditional plaid. Shop palaka
We don't buy seasonal, off-the-shelf prints. We work with talented graphic and textile artists to create original prints drawn from life here, and we print in small batches, sometimes on the reverse side of the fabric for a softer, sun-faded look. When a print sells out, it may be gone for good.
Take it easy. But take it.
Before Paul's first outrigger canoe race, his coach told the crew, "You take it easy. But you take it." It stuck. It's how we try to work and live: relaxed, but all in.
Meet Humphrey
The boar in our logo is named Humphrey. Our friend Shawn Pila took him in as a stray piglet near Hilo, and Humphrey learned to surf the break at Honoliʻi, shifting his weight on the board like a regular. He is retired from surfing and moved to Shawn's family farm outside Hilo.
In Hawaii the boar, or puaʻa, is known as tough, smart and adaptable. Ours is confident enough to wear a lei and ride a surfboard. He takes it easy. But he takes it.
Where to find us
Besides this site, you'll find Western Aloha at resorts and specialty stores across the Hawaiian Islands and on the mainland.
More from Talk Story: Palaka, Hawaii's Original Work Shirt · The History of the Aloha Shirt · The Story of the Pareu · The Western Snap Shirt