American Kitsch: Hawaiian Shirts

Kitsch describes things that are considered unsophisticated but are also amusing and enjoyable. Menswear in the US contains an iconic piece of clothing that is sometimes kitschy but timeless as well: the Hawaiian shirt.

Originally called an Aloha shirt, Hawaiian shirts can be recognized by their colorful patterns, which are often bold designs of flowers, leaves, birds, palm trees, etc. They are a style of dress shirt that has short sleeves, an open collar, and they are traditionally worn untucked.

The Hawaiian shirt is also a style of shirt that’s recognized in nearly every part of the world. If you’re a movie fan, you may have seen Hawaiian shirts worn by many celebrities in their films: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Al Pacino, Jim Carrey, Nicolas Cage, Benicio del Toro, Johnny Depp, and Leonardo DiCaprio. 

The first Hawaiian shirts were designed in the 1930s and became popular with locals, surfers, and tourists, especially as tourism to Hawaii grew in the 1950s. The Hawaiian shirt is considered a symbol of island life, vacations, exotic getaways, and laid-back, relaxed lifestyles. Adding a Hawaiian shirt to your wardrobe may possibly give you that relaxed mood as you dream of tropical places. 

Lazy Susan

Do you know Lazy Susan? 

This is a trick question because Lazy Susan isn’t a person at all. It’s a serving tray with a funny name. 

A Lazy Susan is a circular, revolving tray located in the center of a dining table, used to help pass food more easily to others. 

We in the US sometimes consider Lazy Susans to be kitsch but they are used in many countries. (Kitsch is defined as art, objects, or design considered to be in bad taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic way.)

Lazy Susans date back to the 1700s, so they have been around for a long time! The history of the term Lazy Susan, and who Susan was, is unknown altough the general theory of its creation is probably connected to a reduction of household servants. 

Do you have one in your home?

American Kitsch: ugly Christmas sweaters

Believe it or not, if you do an internet search with the key words “ugly Christmas sweater” you will find pages of results, and you may wonder why so many people want an ugly Christmas sweater. Ironic as it is, this tacky item of clothing is a necessity for many holiday occasions and it’s an example of kitsch.

Kitsch is defined as art, objects, or design considered to be in bad taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic way. Ugly Christams sweaters possess all of those qualities.

There are ugly Christmas sweater contests, ugly Christmas sweater parties, ugly Christmas sweater theme days at work, and ugly sweater runs. December 18 is officially National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day!

In the past, this type of sweater was probably a nostalgic item or a funny gift you received and saved to wear once each year. Designed to be as unattractive as possible and often considered hideous, these awful sweaters have slowly changed from a fashion “don’t” to an ironically cool and trendy holiday necessity.

What is undeniable, the overly-festive, obnoxious Christmas sweater creates laughter and humor while it brings out memories of home and childhood.

The uglier, the better.

American kitsch: vintage motels

Kitsch is defined as art, objects, or design considered to be in bad taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic way. I love the nostalgia and humor of American kitsch and will occasionally share amusing examples of it in this blog. Today's post is dedicated to vintage roadside motels.

Are there vintage motels where you live?

Before corporations dominated the travel industry, there was a time when privately owned motels (first known as motor courts) were the norm. These family owned “mom and pop” lodgings began appearing during the 1930s when more people traveled by car instead of by train or horse. In 1900, there were 8,000 registered automobiles in America. By 1930, that number had dramatically increased to 23 million. People were driving all over the country and they needed places to sleep at night.

First there was roadside camping, then roadside cabins. As competition for tourist dollars increased, the offerings became more sophisticated and comfortable, and so the “motel” was born. With wild and wonderful neon signs, motels sprang up (grew) across the country to entice travelers in for the night with festive names like Siesta Motel, Pink Cloud Motel, Pink Poodle Motel, Sea Shell Motel, Half Moon Motel, and the ever-popular Wigwam Motel.

If you’re lucky enough to come across (find) one of these relics of the golden age of the automobile, immerse yourself in an era of the past, the glory days of the open road, and stay for a night. Because of the interstate highway system that began construction in 1956, the charming motels were often bypassed and, consequently, many of these treasured establishments closed and were overtaken by the corporate chains.

Although the majority of family owned motor courts and motels are long gone, they are not forgotten!

Italian Kitsch?

Do you have any examples of Italian kitsch? I would love to hear about it!