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Tiki Central / Collecting Tiki

Vintage Trader Vic's Aloha Shirt

Pages: 1 17 replies

FZ
Feelin Zombified posted on 05/02/2009

I found this today. Can anyone shed some (port) light on the date of this shirt? Was this for staff or for sale to the public?

F
Formikahini posted on 05/03/2009

Hey FZ!

If I'm not mistaken, I think this shirt is known as the "Golden Ticket" shirt.
That is, any time you wear it into a Trader Vic's, all your drinks are free.

Or maybe not.
F

T
Tikiwahine posted on 05/03/2009

What a beautiful shirt!
My guess is 60's or very early 70's possibly? Great find!

FZ
Feelin Zombified posted on 05/03/2009

On 2009-05-02 20:28, Formikahini wrote:

all your drinks are free.

Or maybe not.
F

why must you torture me so?

-Z

1
1961surf posted on 05/04/2009

Don't believe I have seen this Trader Vic shirt before...far out print for sure.
Where did you find this gem??

FZ
Feelin Zombified posted on 05/05/2009

Thrift Store. I think it's a size medium... to small for me :(

T
TikiHula posted on 05/06/2009

Since there was no Trader Vic's in the Bahamas, I think Trader Vic's was the name of a shirt company, and does not have anthing to do with the Trader Vic's restaurants.

A
atomictonytiki posted on 05/06/2009

Are you sure, I can't see a corporation like Trader Vic's allowing some clothing company to produce clothing under their name without shutting them down. I've seen knitwear under the same label, perhaps some sort of clothing side project.

L
leleliz posted on 05/06/2009

You could just send an email to TV from their website and ask if there was ever a location there. Or perhaps they planned on having one there and then it didn't work out.

B
bigbrotiki posted on 05/06/2009

On 2009-05-06 11:52, TikiHula wrote:
Since there was no Trader Vic's in the Bahamas, I think Trader Vic's was the name of a shirt company, and does not have anthing to do with the Trader Vic's restaurants.

Aah! An interesting theory! But....how can you be so certain? I have read that from 1954 to 1976 Trader Vic's opened an average of two restaurants a year, that's 44 locations. Do you have all those accounted for?

For example, the T.V. franchise in St.Petersburg, Florida opened in 1972 and closed in 1976. So Nassau might have been even shorter lived. Plus I don't think that anyone in such a tourist mecca such as the Bahamas would dare to steal the name of such a well known giant in the hotel industry at the time.

Wait, seen on KNITWEAR!? I see, the label could be interpreted as "Made in Nassau, Bahamas, expressly for Trader Vic's" ! This might have been manufactured for the Trader Vic's GIFT STORES then. And it makes sense to have that done in the posh Bahamas, it would match the country club clientele of the Trader.

1
1961surf posted on 05/06/2009

I have seen several other Trader Vics shirts in the past with that label.
I believe these shirts were made for Trader Vics by a mfg. located in the
Bahamas in the 60's and 70's .

T
TikiHula posted on 05/07/2009

Looks like I stand corrected...

A
atomictonytiki posted on 05/07/2009

On 2009-05-06 13:30, bigbrotiki wrote:

Wait, seen on KNITWEAR!? I see, the label could be interpreted as "Made in Nassau, Bahamas, expressly for Trader Vic's" ! This might have been manufactured for the Trader Vic's GIFT STORES then. And it makes sense to have that done in the posh Bahamas, it would match the country club clientele of the Trader.

I think your closer with GIFT STORE based in Nassau as the Scots Bonnet I used to own had a label that said "MADE IN ENGLAND EXPRESSLY FOR TRADER VIC'S NASSAU, BAHAMAS". Was Trader Vic's not involved in a Golf Resort in Nassau?

B
bigbrotiki posted on 05/07/2009

This planet's deep mysteries are so perplexing, sometimes!

J
JonPez posted on 06/07/2010

I found this one recently. Any news on whether there was actually a Trader Vic's in Nassau?

B
bigbrotiki posted on 06/07/2010

On 2010-06-06 17:28, JonPez wrote:
I found this one recently. Any news on whether there was actually a Trader Vic's in Nassau?

Well if THIS store can use the name..

....I don't see why a shirt maker in the Bahamas can't. :)

J
JonPez posted on 06/07/2010

On 2010-06-06 20:26, bigbrotiki wrote:

Well if THIS store can use the name..

....I don't see why a shirt maker in the Bahamas can't. :)

I think I had a drink there. Very strong, with too much falernum. The swizzle stick was rusty :wink:

E
ErichTroudt posted on 08/19/2015

Trader Vic's shirt. I guess they sold them in the gift shop? I searched online, found nothing like it. I did find out on a Vintage clothing site that "Paradise Hawaii" used that style tag in the 60's.

I don't wanna assume that just because the tag is made in honolulu that they were automatically sold in the Hawaii location, but...seems likely right?

Pages: 1 17 replies