Traditional and Modern Clothing of Hawaiian Men

Traditional Attire

• Malo: A loincloth made from a rectangular piece of tapa cloth (beaten bark of the paper mulberry tree), wrapped around the hips and knotted.
• Poncho (Kihei): A loose, sleeveless shirt or cape of tapa or lightweight fabric, worn in cooler weather or for ceremony.

Contemporary Dress

Today, Hawaiian men dress similarly to the mainland U.S.: shorts, T-shirts, aloha shirts, board shorts, jeans. However, the malo and kihei are still worn for cultural events, hula, ceremonies, and as symbols of heritage.