Hawaii Tiki Polynesia

Hardly nothing is more 50s fun in the sun than all things Hawaiian, all things Tiki, and that palm tree, laying on the beach, drinking a tall cool one, Polynesia style.
Don the Beachcomber built a bar in LA during the 30s and decked it out with Tiki and Hawaiian decor of bamboo, coconuts, wicker baskets and chairs and old fishing nets. He served drinks heavy with rum and fruit. What fun eh? Here's a pic of Bob Hope acting goofy and dancing with a lovely lady in a tropical print dress.

It was an immediate hit with Hollywood types looking for a break from depressing news. Don the Beachcomber helped start a trend of over-the-top theme restaurants with a Polynesian Islander feel and a menu to match.   Lots of pork, and ginger, fish of all kinds, and calamari too. The menu is a blend of Asian, Polynesian, Hawaiian, and other tropical locations cuisine.

take a look at this fun table set for a luau on the patio, right in your own backyard! 

Gorgeous prints from tropical climates, and all those bright colors and big flowers too.
Here's a few in the funkomavintage shop on etsy right now. Shirts for guys and gals, and dresses, and fun 50s Springolators for the ultimate summer sandal.

What's more island, beach, sand and sun than surfin' ?

Vintage Hawaiian shirts often have metal "Chinese coin" buttons. The colors are bright, and often have hibiscus flowers, tiki and other Polynesian motifs. Palm trees, islands, surf and sea, with boats and sunshine and those big big flowers, are often the things you'll find on a Hawaiian shirt.
They are cut to fit looser than a regular short sleeve shirt. Loose and airy, just right for having a good time at the party or the bar, and staying cool in the heat.

Jam's World prints are designed right in Hawaii and always capture the spirit of the islands.

Don't forget a fun pair of shorts too. Pair with a very not-serious tshirt, and you can show up at any backyard luau, ready for fun, and sun, and good times.

How about  a Hawaiian dress or a tropical blouse? 

I just adore this crazy print Tiki set by Tori Richard. It has an Asian-influenced jacket or tunic, with a matching pair of pants.

Or a tunic? Or a caftan? worn to a tropical theme party or a fun island-style night out on the town, adds that dramatic festive feeling.

Vintage 50s Springolators are the  Classic 50s sunny day shoe! You might recognize this as "the Barbie shoe". Her feet were shaped just for this kind of slip-on sandal.

And look! Here they are on the feet of this cutie on the early 60s Ventures album, vintage vinyl my friends.

 Known as mules or sandals, a pair of Springolators will instantly transform you from the daily grind, to the  tropical vacation of your dreams. :-)

Sundress and Sunglasses

Up here in the top of the world it is summer. Hot summer. Swimming. Sunshine. Skimpy clothes and squinty eyes. So for Summer 2015, allow us to present Sundresses and Sunglasses, vintage of course, and cool shorts and tshirt for fashionable summer wearing.
All the dresses are here unless they are sold.
All the sunglasses are here unless they are sold.
All the shorts and shirts are here unless they are sold!
Vintage Tshirts, so American.

this cute vintage 60s Pat Perkins gray and daisy print mod dress is here: 

This vintage 70s maxi dress with poppies and dots is here: 

Lots of vintage sunglasses, are always there for you to seeee at funkomavintage!

Tshirt and shorts is a classic combo, that was good for Dad, and good for you, too!

Bandana crazy.

In a good way. The good ol' American red or blue bandana is now an icon of the working class US. Or what's left of it. When we see that familiar red or blue print with white, on a nice big cotton square we immediately think of....a working man and a working woman. We think of symbols for gangs, we think of cowboys and cowgirls, and we think of pirates that rob I.

this Disney pirate needs no introduction, right Capt. Sparrow! Notice that red silk sash.... a bandana from ancient and old India, the seaport of Bengal.


Since the red or blue handkerchief is so ubiquitous, at least one is probably owned by every American now living, and in the past, every American probably owned quite a few.
First made in India many hundreds of years ago,  as a piece of fabric with tie dye designs, it was called "Bandhani" meaning a style of Indian tie dyed fabric. The tiny little white designs were made by making teeeny tiny little pinches of fabric, dipping it in indigo blue dye or other colors, and then the released ties made a pattern of small white undyed "stars".
Back then, a tribal or cultural affiliation would be known by the color and design of the bandhani, and the scarf or band, the bandana.  From about 1700, bandanas spread from the local textiles of India, away from the port of Bengal  via sailors or pirates to farmers, workers, Rosie the Riveter, the working class, bikers, and fashionable people.

Here's Blair of the blog Atlantic-Pacific.

and Dust Bowl era photographer, Dorothea Lange.

Here's a vintage Levi's advertising display of a cowboy and his blue bandana.

and from a 2014 Milan fashion show, here is a spiffy Italian dude sporting a red bandana.

Here's Rick Jimenez and his headgear, the printed bandana.

R.J. Jimenez

 

They are in tons of colors now, not just red and blue. They most often still have white designs, but black is pretty common as an accent color too.
The names of makers you most likely will see are Elephant trunk up and trunk down, Tiger, Tuside, Hav A Hank,  and many unknown makers but most likely Paris Accessories that began in America in the early 20th century.
You will see more than flowers and paisley, dots and dashes since they can be printed with any message or face or name such as for politicians, business logos, and of course, Willie Nelson and  a few rock stars, too.
Since very little information is required by law to be printed on the bandana, it will only contain a country of origin, or fiber content, washability and maybe an RN number.

 

Bandanas, because of their history, their textile beauty can be framed like a painting and hung on the wall for a big blast of color and texture. This arrangement is from www.apartmenttherapy.com

funkomavintage is always crazy for bandanas. 
Here is a few in the Etsy shop.