Hilo Hattie-The Store Of Hawaii

Honeymooning in Hawaii as we recently did in May, we needed a durable beach bag to tote around our beach mat, sunscreen and magazines. When we arrived for our first day in the islands, a day on Oahu, we stopped at what is perhaps the best known store in Hawaii, Hilo Hattie's, to pick up a bag. The selection was plentiful. Did we want one that marked us as tourists, or a plain one that would help us fit in? I decided we were obvious tourists, so we went with a hibiscus print beach bag that would remind us of Hawaii even back here on the East Coast, when at the Jersey Shore. For under $10, this bag was a steal (as far as vacation prices go!). On top of that, Hilo Hattie's has numerous locations on most of the Hawaiian islands and has the best selection around. The aloha spirit you are greeted with is a nice change from mainland retailers, too! Here's the bag we got: http://www.hilohatties.com/showdetl.cfm?catid=22&objectgroup_id=498&prodid=11971 more

It has very typical hawaiian theme stuff. They have everything that one would need to stereotype hawaii. It has all the loud bright hawaiian shirts and has the dashboard hula girl. It also has the typical big hawaiian skirt and all the chocolates. The clothes get kind of expensive. Very few locals I know shop here unless we are looking for something cheesy. However, it is a good place if your looking for things to take back to the mainland. more

Planning to get some outfits for a party or want to buy some souvenirs for your family or friends? Hilo Hattie carries all the major "hawaiian" necessities you want. You can choose matching dresses and dress shirts for couples as well as children. The quality at Hilo Hattie is far superior compared to your average ABC or cheap shops in Waikiki. It is of course, more expensive, but you will definitely come out looking better. more

When my husband and I were looking for mathing outfits for our Christmas pictures, we headed to Hilo Hatties. They have lots of matching outfits for couples so it was nice to be able to pick out a pattern we liked and buy it. The staff was very busy when we went so we had to search ourselves for the sizes we wanted and looked through several styles before we found a pattern in both our sizes. We don't shop there very often because it geared more towards tourists. Sometimes you will see a greeter holding shell leis to pass out to tourist. There are items like Hawaiian lotions and gift sets, Hawaiian themed placemats, Hawaiian ornamaents and more. They even sell Hawaiian chocolate macadamia nuts at prices slightly higher than your local store. So although this is a local store, it is more for the tourist. more

Hilo Hattie is a HUGE store on the islands! There are a ton of gifts, knick knacks, dishes, jewelry and clothing that you can buy here! Everything makes for a great gift! The staff is friendly & very helpful. I have bought a lot of stuff from this store! I cannot get enough! more

Hilo Hattie is a great place for tourists to buy souveniers and gifts from candles to clothing. It is a place that you can shop everything that represent Hawaii within a few hours. (o f course, for tourists only). normally, locals don't really shop from Hilo Hattie except they want to get something nice for thier friends that come visit Hawaii... ( that's just my opinion). I'm not local either.. Actually, i'm a foreign student who live here a few years. but i really feel that Hilo Hattie is for tourists. I'm sure that you can find something similar to what Hilo Hattie has for cheaper price in hawaii.. It's just convenience for tourists that want to go to one place and get things that they all want in one time. However, i still shop over there sometimes , but not for myself. I bought some souveniers for my friends in my home country. For me, Hilo Hattie is a good brand to represent a good hawaiian souveniers for my friends and family. Overall, i like thier customer services though ( ex: free shuttle, welcome "Aloha" drink, shell lei, and so on.) but, i think it's kind of expensive in certain items. Good place for tourists, but maybe not for locals! more

Hilo Hattie - The Store of Hawaii has a very large inventory of Aloha Wear and Hawaiian Accessories. This store is a great place to buy that special Hawaiian muumuu or Hawaiian dress for that special luau that you are planning to go to. They sell matching outfits so you can get a whole set of matching outfits for the entire family. Their designs and prints are very stylish. They also sell Hawaiian gift items such as lotions, bowls, tikis, etc. The Nimitz Hilo Hattie Store is one of the largest stores in the state compared to their other smaller locations on the neighbor islands. more

This store is a great place to bring your friends from the mainland to go shopping for Hawaiian clothing. The material designs are local in flavor and the dresses and shirts are very stylish. This is also a great store to buy Hawaiian gifts and souvenirs for friends on the mainland. Note that the prices are high in this store. more

This store is for tourists. I shop here to buy Kamehameha School uniforms for my kids. I would recommend this store to locals also because the dresses and shirts are very nice and the styles are not old fashioned but tasteful. Be on the lookout for sales throughout the store. more

I remember when I was growing up that Hilo Hattie's was a place that sold Aloha shirts to tourists. Today, they have revamped their marketing schemes and have come out with some very high quality silk Aloha shirts that have a very contemporary look. These shirts are targeted to both the locals and tourists. Muumuus and short blouses available for women also. more

I've been to Hilo Hatties about twice in the past year. That's only because we were looking for matching "Aloha wear" for the family, mom, dad, and two small children. We couldn't find anything that everyone would be happy with (well the mom and kids did, but the dad didn't). I didn't care for the prints they had at the time, very bright colors, something I could wear to a party but not to work. We had to look elsewhere. more

Find a husband and wife with matching aloha shirts in Waikiki and you know they they've gone shopping. Find a family wearing matching aloha print shirts AND shorts, and you know they were shopping at Hilo Hattie. All kidding aside, Hilo Hattie has attempted to reach out to locals, assuring them that they do carry aloha prints that allow you to blend in on Bishop Street. The key is waiting for the factory sales that happen throughout the year, otherwise you might as well visit Macys. more

Hilo Hatties is a must for people visiting the island. You can find tons of aloha shirts and other fun Hawaiian souveniers. I go here often at Christmastime because I like to look at the ornaments and I like to pick up fun stocking stuffers for my family on the mainland. There is plenty of parking here and you get a seashell lei and free juice and coffee. I feel rude not taking the shell lei, but I have so many of them that I save them and use them for crafts. They give a discount for military here, so make sure you ask for it. Beware of the Maui Diver Jewelry people. They are aggresive salespeople! Often you can get a key to open a prize box to win a free pearl. Once you win it, they try to make you buy a piece of jewelry for the pearl. I just ignore them when I am in there, makes for easier shopping. more

Hilo Hattie's it all. If you want a dancing hula doll or a mumu, or a coffee mug they will have it. As long as it is Hawaii. The prices are reasonable & they recently opened another store at Ala Moana Shopping Center. Check out Hilo Hattie's especially if you can't make it to the Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium. more