Do we need a new “Goa shirt” for men?

From garish and outdated tropical prints to an essentially local yet quirky aesthetic, the Indian holiday shirt is in need of a makeover

If you happen to be at any airport in India that has flights to Goa on its roster, there is a high chance you will spot many a bright floral shirt, with prints of macaws, flamingos or palm trees thrown in for good measure. For how can anything scream “happy holidays” as plainly as a flashy Hawaiian shirt? Or that’s what Indian men seem to believe. Various versions of these “aloha” shirts have become the Goa uniform de rigueur for men across the subcontinent, a default setting that somehow comes into play the minute their plane touches the Dabolim tarmac.

While the history of the aloha shirt is mired in contradiction, with various clothiers claiming credit for creating the first of its kind, the Smithsonian magazine says the hyper-printed shirts “first appeared in Hawaii in the 1920s or ’30s, probably when local Japanese women adapted kimono fabric for use in men’s shirting”. Much like mainland Americans, who found solace in Hawaii post the Great Depression, and appropriated the aloha shirt in the mid-1930s as the height of coolth, Indian men seem to have gained their post-Covid cheer on the beaches of Goa, wrapped in the forgiving folds of garishly coloured shirts.

And who can blame them? While resort wear options for women are many and varied–sarongs and skirts, shorts and co-ords, kaftans and kurtis–our menswear holiday wardrobe has been hitherto lacking in imagination and ingenuity. Floral shirts are as far as Indian men are prepared to go when it comes to dressing down for a resort romp. The ubiquitous Hawaiian shirt, found on every website, displayed at every street corner, and sold at most tourist tack shops from Panjim to Pernem, has become a convenient cover-up.

Keeping it local

Cultural appropriation aside, for the sake of making a case for local aesthetics and to spare our senses the assault of lurid prints, maybe it’s time to create our own Namaste shirt (insert Indian language greeting of your choice!). Apurva Kothari of Goa-based label No Nasties agrees: “If we had a dollar for every time we saw someone in Goa wearing an aloha shirt! So yes, for the sake of the sanity for all of us who live in Goa, we absolutely need a new aesthetic for the men’s holiday shirt.”

And like Kothari, a host of young labels are looking at the summer shirt anew, equipped with organic fabrics, indigenous crafts, unique block-prints and handloom textiles, among other creative tricks up their sleeves, literally. On Goan racks, you will find some effortlessly ingenious pieces by SavioJon, where candy stripes and highlighter piping meet the softest fabrics and asymmetric hems, lots of summery savoir-faire from Flame in the form of natty neutrals in stark monochrome, block prints and tropical designs on the softest cotton and muls by labels like Cochin Blue and Ananas. Elsewhere, homegrown labels like Jodi, Kardo, Nicobar, Nida Mahmood and Shivan & Narresh offer options that range from summertime staples, statement pieces to luxe indulgences.

“Holiday dressing is so much more than just vibrant prints and bright colours; I think textiles and silhouettes should be the main focus when putting together a summer holiday wardrobe. Relaxed tailoring in breathable fabrics is a great direction,” says stylist and costume designer Divyak D’Souza. “Exploring and investing in local designers and fabric vendors is a great way to build a holiday wardrobe that’s both functional and personal to your style and aesthetic,” he adds, naming local resort wear brands and stores like Mogachea, SavioJon, Rangeela, Sacha’s Shop, Paper Boat Collective and Flame, among others, as his Goan shopping haunts.

What’s the motif?

While even the Hawaiian shirt eschewed its original Japanese imagery for more locally appropriate Pacific motifs in the ’40s and ’50s–read local flora like bird of paradise, hibiscus and anthurium, along with hula dancers and ukuleles. Why can’t we move to a more homegrown sensibility, asks designer Nida Mahmood? “Of course, the visual aspect should be fun, because you are in a happy and fun space. If you’re on holiday, your shirt should scream out that you’re on holiday. But India has such beautiful imagery; we are about colour and quirky details. An Indian shirt should have imagery we identify with, elements that we encounter every day,” says Mehmood. The New Delhi-based designer launched her shirt brand Suresh Ramesh Shirt Co. in April this year with the aim of creating gender-neutral clothes, while also displaying her tongue-in-cheek and kitschy style sensibility, serving up roosters, fish, sparrows, crows, hearts and marigold flowers, among other recognisable leitmotifs.

Going hyper-local with motifs is Kothari’s No Nasties line-up. “For over 10 years, we have persistently tried to define the Goan vibe through our clothes. Not with the usual beach and palm trees vibe, but the calm and comfort of Goa. Right from mangroves to kingfishers, from local jackfruits and cashews to the fishing boats that dot our horizon, we’ve created a lot of ‘goenchi’ prints,” says Kothari.

Also drawing on the sunshine state as a source of inspiration are labels like Nicobar and Jodi. In fact, the latter, Karuna Laungani and Gauri Verma’s craft-based and print-focused label, recently launched their latest line of men’s shirts, an extension of their womenswear collection ‘Flowers By The Sea,’ replete with Goan and Portuguese references. Vibrant colours and signature prints with flowers, coral reefs, fish and parrots make Jodi shirts wonderful vacation companions. “When we started the label, we noticed a big gap in the market when it came to menswear. The options from mass-produced brands like Marks & Spencer and Zara all looked the same. We wanted to do something that was fun, vibrant and perfect for dressing down stylishly for men. So we decided to take our aesthetic and translate it into a menswear line,” says Laungani, who believes there’s space in menswear wardrobes for vibrant clothes that go beyond the beach and holiday vibe.

Keep your shirt on

For many designers, longevity is key. Perhaps what is needed is a change in perception of the holiday shirt being discardable or transient, only appropriate for tropical getaways. While the cheap Candolim roadside bargain can be cast off as easily as we get rid of our tans, it might be time to invest in quality pieces made with good fabric and handcrafted techniques, ones that transition from a shack sundowner to a weekend brunch or art gallery opening in an urban setting, says Laungani. “It all depends on how you style it. One could wear a shirt with shorts and make it totally Goa, but in the city, one could pair it with chinos or loafers instead.”

In fact, with designers blurring lines between gender-specific clothing–much like Mahmood’s Suresh Ramesh Shirt Co. –these inventive shirt designs are offering both sexes options to experiment. For Sacha Mendes, purveyor of all things cool and founder-curator at Sacha’s Shop, Goa, who stocks shirts from Maku, Lotus Veda and Naushad Ali, it has made the playing field far more interesting. “Whether it’s for myself or for my shop, I tend to lean towards super easy and laidback pieces. Menswear has evolved into such a cool androgynous style that most of my own wardrobe is comprised of men’s shirts now,” says Mendes.

Democratic design

And while Mendes appreciates easy understated pieces, she’s all for individuality: “Everyone should have their own creative expression as far as personal style is concerned. So if someone is rocking that Hawaiian shirt, I appreciate it,” she says. Kothari, too, makes a case for artistic allowance. “We’d hate to prescribe one look for the entire country’s population. If anything, India is diverse and what is basic for one man can be gaudy for another. So, we’d love to see an aesthetic that allows for more individual expression. Your Goa, your shirt. Just no more Hawaiian prints, please!” he says.

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