Wednesday, April 10, 2013

I is for Individual: or, there's no such thing as too much Hawaiian print...

April A-Z Topic:  Individual

I'm what you'd call an observer of the human species. I love to just watch them, they're absolutely fascinating. The way they act, the things they do, it can keep me amused for hours.  Every now and then, though, you come across a sample of Homo sapien that just blows you out of the water, and the other night I found a new favorite.

 I was having dinner with some friends at a local club (braving the roast beef special) when I saw him from across the room. My heart stood still, my hopes rose and a giggle welled up in my throat.

This man was definitely having a Hawaiian life! He wore a very bright blue Hawaiian shirt with white hibiscuses all over it and an even brighter red Hawaiian pair of shorts with yellow frangipanis.

I instantly went into raptures of delight.

This fellow was embracing his inner hula dancer and I adored him instantly!  I immediately placed him on a pedestal in my mind. The perfect example of a guy dancing to his own tune.

Of course my friends completely failed to understand what he was doing. They laughed at his clothes, ridiculed his sense of fashion. Poor dears, they don't know any better. It's not really their fault.  But I know what he was doing. He was being a figurehead for all of us slightly eccentric folk out there. A neon bright example to us all.

Bless you, Mr Hawaiian Print, you made my day!

84 comments:

  1. It sounds like my man dressed "appropriately" for one of the many cruises we've been on. Cute.

    ReplyDelete
  2. welcome to the club I was glad to see your profile, and currently I'm in love heart with all that you wrote on your blog may still exist Greetings

    ReplyDelete
  3. I bet he was so evolved that he would not judge your friends as they were judging him. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wished you'd been in undercover blogger-mode and had your camera on you....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I should have snuck a picture, but knowing my sneakiness levels I'd probably have been caught.

      Delete
  5. Oh I love an individualist who is individual in their individuality. It's what makes the world go round. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, that and gravity ... but I'm assuming it's mostly individuals ;P

      Delete
  6. Fabulous! You painted a marvellous image in my mind. Fanciful fashion is the very best kind.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love people who take a fashion risk. I especially love people who take a fashion risk that fails, but they just own it.

      Delete
  7. Yay for Mr. Hula Dancer! I love a guy with an individualistic spirit! Long may he wear his brightly patterned clothing. But he needs a grass skirt to complete the look!

    ReplyDelete
  8. So you would not say Hawaiian prints were gaudy? Interesting.

    Blessings and Bear hugs!
    Bears Noting

    ReplyDelete
  9. I thought the same thing a few weeks ago when I saw a student decked out in her vintage best with perfectly styled hair. I LOVED her cause she wasn't a waif of a thing, she had real hips and curves and I was secretly envious I never take that kind of risk with what I'm wearing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love when you find a vintage lifestyler! They always go all out with their fashion!

      Delete
  10. I love your outlook. And yay to Mr. Hawaiian Shirt for embracing his responsibility to be a figurehead for the eccentric. Somebody has to do it!!

    I poked back and peered at a few of your earlier A to Z posts--I'm now your newest follower (via Networked Blogs). You've got style going on there, Kellie Geek Girl. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Go dancing Hawaiian-shirt man!!! Be the beacon of geekdom and individuality for us all!!!! whooooohoooooo! xo!

    ReplyDelete
  12. So, did you get to meet him? where are the photos? LOL - I love this post.

    Thanks for visiting me as it helped me to find you. I am a new follower.
    Rhonda @Laugh-Quotes.com
    AtoZ #41

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I should have gotten some photos, but I wasn't quick enough :(

      Delete
  13. When I taught one of the teacher always wore a Hawaiian shirt and khakis. He totally rocked the Margaritaville look!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Kellie,

    "He was being a figurehead for all of us slightly eccentric folk out there." I wonder what you were wearing!

    ReplyDelete
  15. It takes a special kind of man to pull off the Hawaiian style and dance to his own tune. I bet Dean could pull it off. (;

    ReplyDelete
  16. Nothing better than a fanciful man in Hawaiian garb!

    ReplyDelete
  17. It's all fine and dandy if you aren't the teenaged daughter of Hawaiiman. My dad and stepmom went on vacation one year and came back decked out in the stuff, head to toe. We lived in Ohio, and they looked ridiculous. And it was embarrassing.
    Now you have me thinking, I should probably go buy some Hawaiian garb. My kids could use a dose of embarrassment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is your sworn duty, as a parent, to go and buy yourself a bright orange mumu with hibiscus flowers all over it. And perhaps a few lai to go with it.

      Delete
  18. He didn't care what anyone thought!

    ReplyDelete
  19. you showed them hawaiian shirt,shorts guy...you showed them good. Also he made you happy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He did, it was like a little burst of joy in an otherwise drab room.

      Delete
  20. The great thing about the big, bold and colourful Hawaiian prints is that they look really good on plus-sized people too. Everyone looks great in a Hawaiian shirt! And in Hawaii, they really do wear them everywhere. I saw a TV interview with the governor of Hawaii -- guess what he was wearing? You got it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, how I wish our officials would wear Hawaiian shirts in interviews! I think I'd be much more inclined to watch Question Time if they did.

      Delete
  21. My dad's a big fan of the Hawaiian shirt. But he's never mixed it with pants. Thank goodness!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It takes a certain level of devil-may-care bravado to mix your Hawaiian prints, I think.

      Delete
  22. Bravo Mr. Hawaiian Print Guy! That's hilarious! I wish I'd been there with my ukelele. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Good for him! I think sometimes I care too much about what others think. I admire him for not worrying about that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish I was that brave. There are heaps of things I'd love to wear, but I wouldn't feel comfortable.

      Delete
  24. I love watching people and find great joy in all of the differences among us. I, too would of enjoyed seeing him in all his Hawaiian prints. On the other hand, if my husband so much as walked out of our bedroom in two non-matching prints, I wouldn't be amused. Funny how much more amusing things are from a distance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True, I'm sure it's much more life affirming when it's someone else's husband.

      Delete
  25. Is your love of Hawaiian shirts due to growing up listening to Weird All, or is that my thing that I'm projecting on you?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Good for him! I'm with you sweetie, let that inner hula dancer out. We could all use a little honesty with ourselves. Hugs, Mina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was wonderful to see. I love people who embrace their own styles.

      Delete
  27. Love it. Actually, Mr. M is one of those too. He's an artist and beats to the tune of a different drummer. Never a dull moment!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I like people who aren't afraid to express themselves!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too. They always have so many more facets to their personality.

      Delete
  29. It's important to march to the beat of your own drummer! Sometimes that drummer is Ringo, and sometimes it is Animal.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Ha. You should have taken a picture so we could all enjoy as much as you!

    ReplyDelete
  31. What a beautiful tribute to eccentrics everywhere! I love this post, from the title on!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Please tell me he didn't (or did, I feel conflicted) have on dark socks and sandals as well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! I don't think so, unfortunately. If I remember rightly he was wearing sneakers.

      Delete
  33. Maybe he just got back from Hawaii and was feeing it! I think it's great when people just be themselves"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not likely, given we're in Australia. People here tend to holiday in Bali rather than Hawaii.

      Delete
  34. I do this too! people watching is the best sport in existence!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's always fun, and you never know what you're going to find!

      Delete
  35. He's happy and not self conscious, good for him. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  36. Lol! I love where you are coming from Kellie :)

    My mother is/was always someone who danced to her own music. She taught us never to just follow what the crowd was doing. Not to follow the trends but to be the one to start them instead - to choose for ourselves who to be.

    I don't ever like people being ridiculed. I think of eccentricity as a gift to all of us, that more brightly colours our lives and helps us to see the possibilities of other options.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love eccentric people! They always have such unique views on life. It's always amazing talking to them.

      Delete
  37. Aw, did you tell him he made your day? Sounds like a fun dude, he might have liked that.

    My fiance used to travel a lot for work, and a few times he ended up in Hawaii. No matter what kind of business meeting, setting, or formal fuction, a Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants are considered "business appropriate." That sounds like my kind of place. It might be yours, too :)

    Now that I realized you've made it down to "I" I'm going to read the rest of your alphabet posts.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Oh, me too! I love oddballs. We have a doozy at my office, and it annoys me when people make fun of her. At least she's unique, unlike all of them who all try to look and act the same!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've always gravitated towards the oddballs. Sometimes that's turned out to be a mistake, but most of the time it turns out wonderfully.

      Delete
  39. Sounds like he was a cheerful sight.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, he absolutely was! People like that just warm my heart.

      Delete
  40. Love a good Hawaiian print!

    ReplyDelete
  41. In my first job (a thousand years ago) a young guy in his early 20's came into our office everyday and I used to serve him. He was one of those charming cheeky guys that always had a smile on his face and tried to charm the old ladies in the office who loved him. Despite wearing a suit, he wore the most insane ties ... really bold and some of them even lit up. I LOVED THEM! You reminded me of him because he had a couple with hula dancers on them. Apparently his favourite uncle had died and left them to him and he wore them in his memory. I wonder what ever happened to him ... and his amazing ties!

    ReplyDelete