As usual, this season’s collections are rife with Aloha shirts of varying levels of intensity, from the approachable to the ultra out-there. Wallflowers will feel most at ease in the shallow end where lightly decorated iterations offered by Gap and Ralph Lauren exist; live wires, on the other hand, should dive into high-risk territory where punchy takes from the likes of Amiri, Aries and AllSaints prevail. Hollywood's unwavering support for the Hawaiian shirt – or the Aloha shirt, if we’re to go by its original name – should be respected. It has long espoused the divisive, striking, holiday-ready layer, reminding audiences that although it isn’t easy to pull off the shirt style, it isn't impossible, either. Hawaiian shirts don’t have to be teamed up with board shorts and flip-flops. Sure, you can wear one on the beach while parading around in your trunks, but they can also be teamed up with tailoring to put some spring in a formal outfit’s step, styled smart-casual for summer dates or dressed down with sportier pieces. In the world of classic menswear, the Hawaiian shirt is the eccentric outlier. Unapologetically wild and rambunctious, it flies in the face of conservative style with its loose fit, vibrant colours and tropical patterns. It’s arguably the original statement garment– something that can bring a pedestrian look to life with one snap of its floral fingers – and it’s actually a hell of a lot more versatile than you might first assume.

So what exactly makes a shirt ‘Hawaiian’? Well it doesn’t have to be from Hawaii for a start. Also known as ‘Aloha’ shirts, they’re now made all over the world. The thing that unites them is a comfortable fit (never too tight or fitted), shorts sleeves and a colourful all-over print, which is usually floral or tropical in its design.Nobody can pinpoint the exact moment at which Hawaiian shirts came into existence, but it’s theorised that it could have happened when a Japanese tailor living in Hawaii cut a shirt from kimono cloth. Others suggest the style may have its roots in the Philippines, or possibly Tahiti, where cloth was often printed with colourful images of hibiscus, fruit and other exotic motifs. The most outlandish designs have been replaced by ones more subtle, more intricate, and more wearable than their predecessors. The fits haven't been trimmed down to #menswear slimness, but the best Hawaiian shirts on the market right now flutter in the breeze with a certain aplomb instead of billowing out like a parachute. They're light. They're interesting. And, yeah, they're cool. In fact, the right Hawaiian shirt is the answer to at least 53 percent of your summer style queries. Our Hawaiian shirts are ideal for casual wear, holidays, corporate events, stag nights, parties etc

Oh, and if you're wondering what exactly makes a shirt a Hawaiian shirt, well, the answer to that one is a bit more amorphous. There's a lot of "I'll know it when I see it" that goes into the calculations. But broadly, it should feature an open—or camp, or Cuban; again with the terminology—collar, plus a pattern or print inspired by the Hawaiian landscape or culture. If you see Japanese motifs arise, that's fair game too, thanks to that cultural interplay I was talking about earlier. And, of course, flowers and leaves are a pretty sure bet. Still wondering what to look for? Just keep scrolling for stylish examples. Then get shopping.