By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Hilo Hattie will officially seek the world record for the 400XL
aloha shirt it has on display at its Honolulu store. "It's important
to us that those who see it know that it's a valid claim,"
said Chris Resich, presidnet of Hilo Hattie.

Hilo Hattie
says shirt has the
Guinness fit

The isle retailer says its
size 400XL aloha shirt is
a record-breaker

By Rod Ohira
Star-Bulletin

Hilo Hattie, the state's largest retailer of Hawaiian fashions, has created an aloha shirt everyone can see but no one can wear.

Shun Katsuki, Hilo Hattie's vice president of sales and marketing, estimates that 30 average-sized sumo wrestlers could fit into the size 400XL aloha shirt which has been displayed since 1986 at the entrance to its store at 700 N. Nimitz Highway.

At a news conference tomorrow, the company will announce plans to authenticate what it has claimed for years -- that the aloha shirt is the world's largest.

The measurements of the shirt will be disclosed when the record is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

There are authentication procedures that must be followed for Guinness to recognize a world record.

One involves signed statements from "independent persons of some standing in the community or by a representative of a relevant organization of standing."

Hilo Hattie officials have selected Jan Berman, president of the Retail Merchants of Hawaii, and Carol Pregill, president of the Hawaii Fashion Industry Association, to provide authentication statements.

The company must also provide independent corroboration in the form of news coverage and a videotape of the record attempt.

Chris Resich, president of Hilo Hattie, says the company wants an official record since more than 1 million customers a year have seen the shirt at the Nimitz store.

"It's important to us that those who see it know that it's a valid claim," Resich said. "And I think as the largest manufacturer of Hawaiian wear in the world, it's appropriate for us to have the world's largest aloha shirt.

"I think it also recognizes that in Hawaii, what we wear is important." Of the measurements, Resich would only say that it took about 26 yards of material to make the shirt.

"If the record is approved, the shirt will remain where it is," Resich said. "Then the world's second largest shirt will be on display at our first California store, which opened last November in Anaheim."

Hilo Hattie has two stores on Oahu, two on the Big Island, and one each on Maui and Kauai.