Buying Matching Hawaiian Print clothes for luau - Wasting money?

[maggiew]

Do people wear Hawaiian print summer dresses to luaus in Hawaii? We are probably going to the one at the Polynesian Cultural Center. I want to buy us matching outfits (same design, different styles) so we can get a family picture to use for our Christmas cards. DH says we will look like tourists.

I'm thinking about these in red:
http://www.hawaiianshirtstore.com/print3156.html

It will be me, DH and 2 teen DDs.

Thanks,
Maggie

 

[furb & dez]

I want to buy us matching outfits (same design, different styles) so we can get a family picture to use for our Christmas cards.

You must be from the midwest.

EDIT: Ah, I see... Chicago. Yup!

 

[ekatiel]

Went to Hawaii in Ocotober . Wish I were there again now!! I would NOT buy clothes before you get there. Walmart and the ABC stores (convenience-type stores that are on every corner it seems in Honolulu) all have Hawaiian clothes for really reasonable prices. We bought ours at Walmart. I think the boy's outfits were something like $10 or $12 and my dress wasn't much more. DH's shirt may have been $15. I can't remember exactly, but I know that the prices were much cheaper than anything you could buy on the mainland. Prices for other stuff, though were (ask me about the $10 hot dog!!)!!!

Yes, you will look like a tourist. Frankly, everyone at the PCC is a tourist, so it doesn't really matter. I say go for it , but wait to buy until you are there! --Katie

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I agree - wait until you get to Hawaii. You might want to try the Hilo Hattie store when you get there. You want to find inexpensive clothes, because you will probably never wear these again!

 

[Belle5]

ekatiel,

Love your family pic!! I actually like that you DON'T match.

 

[ekatiel]

ekatiel,

Love your family pic!! I actually like that you DON'T match.

Thanks ! I have been guilty of the matching disease, but I wanted to let everyone choose which outfit they wanted, so I only vetoed outfits that completely clashed with one another !!--Katie

 

[Local_Girl]

Hey Maggie, yep, your DH is right...you will definitely look like tourists! Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you don't want to look like tourists, you should do something different. I was born and raised there, and while it's been a few years since I've been back, the local style has basically remained the same for a long time...basically colorful, but more subdued. If you Google "Reyn Spooner shirts", or "Tori Richard shirts", you'll get an idea of what type of aloha shirts the locals wear. The women's muu muus are similar.

I absolutely agree that you should wait till you get there to buy your Hawaiian wear if possible. Then you can get a feel for what you like. You will likely even find something that you guys can wear back home in the summer...especially your teen DDs. This being the budget board and all, I figure that's a consideration too!

 

[disykat]

Depending on where you go, I would guess Hilo Hattie would be one of your most expensive options! The one I've been to (Kona) was very pricey compared to others around. I second the Walmart suggestion as well as just looking for little shops whose signs advertise the best prices.

 

[maggiew]

Hey Maggie, yep, your DH is right...you will definitely look like tourists! Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you don't want to look like tourists, you should do something different. I was born and raised there, and while it's been a few years since I've been back, the local style has basically remained the same for a long time...basically colorful, but more subdued. If you Google "Reyn Spooner shirts", or "Tori Richard shirts", you'll get an idea of what type of aloha shirts the locals wear. The women's muu muus are similar.

I absolutely agree that you should wait till you get there to buy your Hawaiian wear if possible. Then you can get a feel for what you like. You will likely even find something that you guys can wear back home in the summer...especially your teen DDs. This being the budget board and all, I figure that's a consideration too!

I figure we would look like tourists, but I guess I thought everyone would look like tourists!! What I guess I wanted to know is do many people wear this kind of thing to the luau? I don't mind looking dorky if everyone else does. But if no one else does, I would rather dress differently.

Maggie

 

[MichelleinMaine]

We went to PCC 8 years ago in matching attire. Yes we looked like tourists but we were the only matchy match family there. (OH well!) We put them all back on (with our leis) to take our Christmas card pics the next day near our hotel with DIamond Head in the background.

I will say, if I went to PCC again, we could skip the extra $ for the luau. It was served cafeteria style, I felt like I was going through the line at the college dining hall. Food was't all that great. There was a dance show while you ate that was nice, but we were a little "danced out" after watching the boat parade in the day, the luau show and then the evening show.

I think there was a ticket level that basically got you a counter service meal of some sort. I'd do that- have a little more time to walk around the grounds, and then go to the big show. My two cents anyway!

 

[maggiew]

I will say, if I went to PCC again, we could skip the extra $ for the luau. It was served cafeteria style, I felt like I was going through the line at the college dining hall. Food was't all that great. There was a dance show while you ate that was nice, but we were a little "danced out" after watching the boat parade in the day, the luau show and then the evening show.

Thanks for the info. The website for the PCC is a little confusing. It says the following options: Ali'i luau, Prime Dining and Island Buffet dining.

Maggie

 

[ekatiel]

We went to PCC 8 years ago in matching attire. Yes we looked like tourists but we were the only matchy match family there. (OH well!) We put them all back on (with our leis) to take our Christmas card pics the next day near our hotel with DIamond Head in the background.

I will say, if I went to PCC again, we could skip the extra $ for the luau. It was served cafeteria style, I felt like I was going through the line at the college dining hall. Food was't all that great. There was a dance show while you ate that was nice, but we were a little "danced out" after watching the boat parade in the day, the luau show and then the evening show.

I think there was a ticket level that basically got you a counter service meal of some sort. I'd do that- have a little more time to walk around the grounds, and then go to the big show. My two cents anyway!

We did the luau there, too, and while it wasn't that awesome, I am glad we did it, just because I couldn't go to Hawaii and NOT do a luau! The show after the Luau is a MUST-DO, and you do get better seats if you go to the luau. If you want really good Hawaiian food, head to Helena's Hawaiian Restaurant (it's closed several days a week, though, so check to see if it's open before you go). We ate at Helena's a day or two before the luau, so we were really disappointed with the luau food!! Another place we LOVED eating was a place called "Hot Pot Heaven"-- it's not touristy at all, but SO fun. It's located in a strip center and doesn't look very spectacular, but each table has a hot plate on it, and you order a broth type. They put the broth in a pot on the table, and then you get to select noodles, veggies, and meat that you want to cook in the broth. VERY tasty, and our whole family ate for $25-- unheard of in Honolulu!!! We also ate lunch at a yummy place on the way to the PCC called Papa Ole's. MMMMMMMM!! Also, don't forget about the Shrimp trucks on the Northshore! OK, now it sounds like all we did was eat in Hawaii!!!

I figure we would look like tourists, but I guess I thought everyone would look like tourists!! What I guess I wanted to know is do many people wear this kind of thing to the luau? I don't mind looking dorky if everyone else does. But if no one else does, I would rather dress differently.

Maggie

I don't remember seeing too many people who were matching, but we definitely weren't the only ones in Hawaiian garb. I say do what make you happy !! --Katie

 

[MichelleinMaine]

We did the luau there, too, and while it wasn't that awesome, I am glad we did it, just because I couldn't go to Hawaii and NOT do a luau! The show after the Luau is a MUST-DO, and you do get better seats if you go to the luau.

We had a similar thought when we went- get the luau so we could check that off our "must do" list. To me, though, that wasn't the "luau experience" I was looking for- cafeteria dining with dancers down front. (Our party of 6 didn't even get sat together- whole other story- but they called people down who were celebrating anything. They asked for anniversaries and my parents make their way down- from two tables on opposite sides of the "room"!)

I agree the night show is a must do, though it was not my favorite show in HI. It's an over the top (in a good way) production. My favorite, though, was a little hula club we saw on the Big Island. Little girls, moms, "aunties", all shapes and sizes out there sharing their love for the dance. That was a much different experience from the Broadway-style production at PCC.

I'd forgotten luau gets you better seats at the show. Personally, I'd not pay more even for that- it's a grand scale show and I'd imagine you can see everywhere.

I most definately would not pay more for the personal guide service they advertise. Not only did our guide not enhance our experience- going on his time table only got us through about 1/2 the PCC before it was time to go to the luau (which he got us to late, as well.) Don't do that!! It's not hard to navigate on your own and there are "guides" at every country to tell you about it.

If I had to do again- I would do a more traditional luau on a beach somewhere, and be sure to seek out a local hula club as well.

 

[disykat]

I'll address the "is it a waste of money?" question. For us, Hawaiian print clothes have never been a waste of money. Ours practically get worn out! We wear them sometimes on other vacations - Disney World for example. The kids and I have worn them on "spirit days" at school, to the occasional Luau themed party, for Halloween, etc. DH probably wears his shirts the most. A few years ago as a joke, he started wearing them for casual Friday sometimes. It kind of caught on, so when they're in a mood he and his co-workers all do it.

That said, I've been to Hawaii four times and have never done a luau. We enjoyed the evening show at PCC, but ate on our own prior for a lot less money. We'd rather have "plate lunch" and take advantage of other cultural activities.

I guess my bottom line would be get the clothes, skip the luau!

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

My advice is to skip Hilo Hatties, it's very pricey. Hit the Wal-Mart like others have said.

 

[jsmith]

i dont think the hawaiian print clothes are a waste of money at all-we have tons of "aloha" wear that we wear for all kinds of things. And i have a black silk dress that i purchased on sale at Hilo Hattie that is the single most versatile summer dress i have. its a black lined washable silk with a green, cream and coral lei print and i wear it everywhere-cost me about 40 bucks.
What i would skip is the "luau" at PCC. There shows are amazing-especially the night show but the food at their luau is in a word-mediocre at best and the experience is so so. If you want a better experience go to Germaines or Paradise Cove, the Hilton Hawaiian Village or Royal Hawaiian-none of those will be cheap but they are a better experience. If perchance you have military IDs the best value is the luau at the Hale Koa-it will cost about half of the others and the food is very good-and the show it quiet good too.
If you want good authentic plate lunch for a reasonalbe price-Keniki's barbeque in Waiamanolo-it looks like a hole-its a converted service station -but the food is authentic and awesome.

 

[beachbunny]

I live in Hawaii. Aloha attire is not touristy, but it certainly can be. Walmart and Hilo Hatties are definitely for tourists. And there's nothing bad about that.

A couple of years ago, my extended family took a Christmas photo wearing aloha wear - not matching, but all of us wearing the same color - it was very nice.

FYI, locals wear Sig Zane, Tori Richards, Kahala, and Reyn Spooner. For men, an aloha shirt is considered nice office attire - think attorneys and bankers. Women don't wear muu muus - we haven't in at least at least a decade. However, we do wear aloha print tops and dresses as casual or party wear.

 

[swilshire]

Are your teens willing to dress alike? I took matching t-shirts for our family with us one year to WDW and the teens absolutely refused to dress like the group. They liked the shirts and would wear them individually, but not if the rest of us were wearing them.

They were from our favorite balloon race and a nice bright color, which I thought would make us easy to find in crowds, but I also wanted one family picture with the matching shirts. Never got my picture.

Dress however you like and don't worry about looking like tourists, but make sure everybody is on board before spending money to buy the clothing. Sounds like DH would not be happy.

Sheila

 

[Priorityonecb]

We've been to PCC many times (as residents of Hawaii). I wouldn't go matchy-matchy (just my personal style). But, you will not be out of place in Hawaiian print clothing at all. Even us locals have whole wardrobes of them! We've worn them now that we are back on the mainland as well!

 

[honeydiane1953]

I would not go with matched shirts. It looks hokey to me jmo.