Frommer's shopping in Oahu

updated 12:26 p.m. ET June 26, 2006

It's a no-brainer: Honolulu is a shopping destination. Shopping competes with golf, surfing, and sightseeing as a bona fide Honolulu attraction. The proliferation of top-notch made-in-Hawaii products, the vitality of the local crafts scene, and the unquenchable thirst for mementos of the islands lend respectability to shopping here. More than 1,000 stores occupy the 11 major shopping centers on this island.

From T-shirts to Versace, posh European to down-home local, avant-garde to unspeakably tacky, Oahu's offerings are wide-ranging indeed. Nestled amid the Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Tiffany boutiques on Waikiki's Kalakaua Avenue are plenty of tacky booths hawking airbrushed T-shirts, gold by the inch, and tasteless aloha shirts.

But this chapter won't help you discover cheap souvenirs or tony items from designer fashion chains; you can find these things on your own. Rather, we offer a guide to finding the special treasures that lie somewhere in between. Be aware that small shops and boutiques have their own hours. Some don't open until 10 a.m., some close for lunch, and some close their doors at 5 p.m., while others are open until 9 p.m. To make sure, call the store before you go.

Aloha Wear

One of Hawaii's lasting afflictions is the penchant tourists have for wearing loud, matching aloha shirts and muumuus. I applaud such visitors' good intentions (to act local), but no local resident would be caught dead in such a get-up. Muumuus and aloha shirts are wonderful, but the real thing is what island folks wear on Aloha Friday (every Fri), to the Brothers Cazimero Lei Day Concert (every May 1), or to work (where allowed). It's what they wear at home and to special parties where the invitation reads "Aloha Attire."

Aside from the vintage Hawaiian wear (1930s-1950s) found in collectibles shops and at swap meets, my favorite contemporary aloha-wear designer is Hawaii's Tori Richards. Tommy Bahama, which never calls its shirts "aloha shirts" but claims, instead, a Caribbean influence, is another Hawaii shirt icon, and so is the up-and-coming Tiki brand, quirky and distinctive, with elements that hark back to 1950s bowling shirts and Jimmy Dean charisma.

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The best aloha shirts are pricey these days, going for $80 to $125. For the vintage look, Avanti has a corner on the market with its stunning line of silk shirts and dresses in authentic 1930s to 1950s patterns. The shirts ($55-$90) boast all the qualities of a vintage silk but without the high price or the web-thin fragility of an authentic antique. The dresses and other styles are the epitome of comfort and nostalgic good looks. The line is distributed in better boutiques and department stores throughout Hawaii. In Waikiki, the major retail outlet is Avanti Fashion, at 2229 Kuhio Ave. (tel. 808/924-1668); Waikiki Shopping Plaza, 2250 Kalakaua Ave. (tel. 808/922-2828); 307 Lewers St. (tel. 808/926-6886); and 2160 Kalakaua Ave. (tel. 808/924-3232). Online, visit www.avantishirts.com.

Kahala Sportswear, a well-known local company established in 1936, is also popular. Kahala has faithfully reproduced, with astounding success, the linoleum-block prints of noted Maui artist Avi Kiriaty and the designs of other contemporary artists. Kahala is sold in department stores, surf shops, and stylish boutiques throughout Hawaii and the mainland.

For the most culturally correct aloha wear, and for a graphic identity that is rare in the aloha shirt realm, check out the shirts, dresses, and pareus of Sig Zane Designs, available at his Hilo (Big Island) and Wailuku (Maui) stores. Zane, an accomplished hula dancer married to one of Hawaii's most revered hula masters, has an unmistakable visual style and a profound knowledge of Hawaiian culture that brings depth and meaning to his boldly styled renditions. Each Sig Zane pareu and aloha shirt, in pure cotton, tells a story. No wonder it's the garb of cultural connoisseurs, who also buy fabrics by the yard for interior accents.

Reyn Spooner is another source of attractive aloha shirts and muumuus in traditional and contemporary styles, with stores in Ala Moana Center, Kahala Mall, and the Sheraton Waikiki. Reyn has popularized the reverse-print aloha shirt -- the uniform of downtown boardrooms -- and has also jumped aboard the vintage-look bandwagon with old-Hawaii cotton prints, some of them in attractive two-color pareu patterns.

Well-known muumuu labels in Hawaii include Mamo Howell, with a boutique in Ward Warehouse, and Princess Kaiulani and Bete for the dressier muumuus, sold along with many other lines at Macy's and other department stores. Hilo Hattie's new Ala Moana store (tel. 808/973-3266) is a gold mine of affordable aloha wear. Hilo Hattie's also offers free daily shuttle service from Waikiki to its retail outlet on Nimitz Highway (tel. 808/537-2926), and to Aloha Tower Marketplace, Ala Moana Center, and Waikiki. You'll also find macadamia nuts, Hawaiian coffees, and other souvenirs at these Hilo Hattie's stores, as well as live Hawaiian entertainment. Quality and selection have improved noticeably in recent years.