Aloha, baby!

I love Hawaiian shirts. Always have, always will. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, I will wear a Hawaiian shirt gladly.

But there has long been a problem for me where the Hawaiian shirt is concerned: on the sunniest of days when I want to protect my tattoos and yet still look the shiznit (yes, I wrote shiznit; that's how hip hop I can be at times), the Hawaiian shirt fails me. "What I really need," I used to ponder to myself and anyone unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity, "is a Hawaiian shirt with long sleeves."

Wife thought this was ridiculous. She shared my desire with Mother-in-Law, who said that surely no such thing existed.

"Maybe it doesn't," I replied. "But why not?"

So I looked online. This was about five years ago. And while looking for long-sleeved Hawaiian shirts I came across the website of Alohaland. There they proudly proclaim: "Because we make Hawaiian shirts we can do them any way you want them." And right next to this is a clicky button marked "Long Sleeves".

Every summer since then I have gone back to this website, longing for the day I get my shit in order and buy some of their shirts. That day was yesterday, my friends. I placed an order for three long-sleeves and one short-sleeve. They don't come cheap once you factor in shipping charges to the UK from Oregon and the very high likelihood of having to pay up to 25 per cent on top in import duty on arrival, but the way I figure it, (a) I can't buy the suckers over here anyway, and (b) whenever I see a shirt I like over here they always cost about £80-100 (US$160-200) each, and I just won't pay that kind of money.

With the dollar/sterling exchange rate being what it is, it seemed the right time to order. And I'm told the shirts will be with me in time for my hols, which rocks!