How to Dress Up a Women's Hawaiian Shirt for a Party

A Hawaiian shirt can feel like the easiest thing in your closet to grab for a backyard party, and also the easiest thing to get wrong. Wear it the same way you wear it to the grocery store, and you will look like you forgot you had somewhere else to be. I have been styling the LILYCHIC women's Hawaiian shirt for about six months now, for church, for birthday luaus in our backyard, and for holiday family photos, and I have learned that the shirt is not the problem. The problem is almost always what you do around it.

The LILYCHIC shirt itself is a soft, relaxed-fit, short-sleeve button-down with coconut-style buttons. It is not a stiff dress shirt and it is not a flimsy beach cover-up. It sits right in the middle, which is exactly why it works for a party if you dress it up a little. In this guide I will walk you through five party-ready ways to wear it, plus the small details that make the difference between looking dressed up and looking like you just came from the beach.

Step 1: Choose the right bottom and tuck it in

The fastest way to dress up a Hawaiian shirt is to take it out of the beach category by what you put on the bottom. For a party, I skip shorts and reach for cream or white wide-leg pants. The wide leg balances the relaxed top, and the light color keeps the whole outfit feeling like a party instead of a uniform. Tuck the LILYCHIC shirt all the way in, then pull it out just a little at the front so it drapes softly instead of looking pulled tight. The first time I wore this shirt to a party, I made the mistake of leaving it with the shorts I had worn to the market that morning. I caught a look at myself in the hall mirror on the way out and turned right back around. The shorts said Saturday errands. The shirt said Saturday errands with a better print. I changed into the cream wide-leg pants I keep in the closet for exactly this, and the difference was immediate. Same shirt, same earrings, completely different message.

A dark trouser also works well. Navy or black pants make the print the star and give the outfit an evening feel. I have worn this shirt to an evening gathering with dark pants and simple sandals, and it read as intentional in a way that surprised me. The key is to commit to the tuck. A half-tucked shirt can look careless, and I learned that one Sunday when I left the back untucked and spent the whole service tugging at my hem. A full tuck with a soft blousy front looks like a choice.

If you do not like tucking, try the shirt unbuttoned over a solid camisole with the same wide-leg pants. That gives you the polish of a jacket without the weight. I wear a plain white camisole under mine when I do this, and it keeps the neckline neat under the open collar. I would still keep the pants, because the pants are what move the shirt from daytime to party time. Shorts with a camisole still read beach. Pants with a camisole read party.

Step 2: Knot it at the waist for a dressier silhouette

The knotted look is my favorite for a party, and it is the easiest one to do. Instead of tucking the LILYCHIC shirt, button it up and tie the two front hem corners together in a loose knot right at your natural waist. The knot gives you shape without needing a belt, and it shows off the coconut-style buttons at the top. I wear it this way with a maxi skirt for birthday luaus in our backyard, and it photographs well because the waistline is clear. I learned the loose-knot lesson at a birthday luau in our backyard last spring. I had buttoned the shirt all the way up and pulled the knot tight, the way you might tie an apron, and the whole front bunched into a stiff roll that made me look like I was wearing a curtain. Kimo did not say anything, which is how I know it looked bad. I loosened the tie, unbuttoned one button at the top, and the shirt settled into soft folds that actually flattered.

The trick is to keep the knot soft. Pull it tight and the shirt bunches up like a curtain; tie it loosely and it lies flat and flattering. If the shirt is a little long on you, the knot also solves that problem without needing a tailor. I have a friend who is shorter than me, and she knots hers with a high-waisted skirt and it looks like the shirt was made for her. The knot held fine through the whole evening, even with me going back and forth to the kitchen. That is the thing about a knot: it does the work of a belt, but it will not pinch or slide, and it stays put when you are moving around.

For a party, pair the knotted shirt with a skirt that has some movement, like a midi or maxi skirt in a solid color. Let the shirt be the print and let the skirt be the calm. That contrast is what makes the outfit look put together instead of busy. I reach for a dark green maxi skirt I have had for years, and it works with every printed shirt I own.

Step 3: Layer it like a jacket over a solid dress

Here is a trick I use when I want to dress up the LILYCHIC shirt without thinking too hard about matching: wear it open over a solid-color dress. A simple sleeveless dress in black, white, or a color pulled from the shirt's print becomes a new outfit the moment the shirt goes over it. Leave the shirt unbuttoned, roll the sleeves once or twice, and let it hang like a lightweight jacket. I roll mine twice so the cuff sits just below the elbow, and that one detail keeps the line clean.

This works for holiday family photos especially. For our family pictures I tried it two ways. First I put the shirt on over a printed dress, because I loved both prints on their own. In the mirror it looked fine. In the photos it looked like a rummage sale, two patterns fighting for the same attention. I switched to a plain black sleeveless dress, the kind I wear to church under a cardigan in winter, and the shirt suddenly had a job to do. The photographer even commented on the outfit, which is not something that happens to me. The shirt adds the Hawaiian touch without covering up the dress. It also works in air conditioning, which matters if your party moves indoors. You get the coverage when you need it and you can take the shirt off when the evening warms up.

One note: keep the dress simple. If the dress already has a print, the shirt on top will fight with it. A solid dress is the whole point of this look. The shirt does the decorating. Black gave the print somewhere to sit, and the photos came out with the Hawaiian touch we wanted without anyone looking like they were wearing a costume. That is the balance I am after: festive, but still us.

Step 4: Add the right accessories, not too many

Accessories are where a Hawaiian shirt outfit either comes together or falls apart. The rule I use is simple: pick one or two things and let the shirt stay the center of attention. A pair of gold or wooden earrings, a simple bracelet, and a small clutch bag are plenty. I skip necklaces with this shirt because the collar and the print already give the eye somewhere to go. I tested this at a friend's anniversary party a few months back. I had the shirt knotted over a maxi skirt, and I added a long pendant necklace because it was hanging right there by the mirror. Within an hour I took it off. The pendant kept catching on the coconut-style buttons every time I leaned forward to talk to someone, and it pulled the eye away from the print. The earrings and a bracelet were enough.

Shoes matter more than people think. Dressy sandals, espadrilles, or low wedges all work. I avoid sneakers with this particular look because they pull the outfit right back to casual. You do not need heels, and honestly I do not wear them anymore, but you do want a shoe that looks like you chose it for the party. I learned that the same way. I wore my plain flat sandals once with the tucked look, the ones I garden in, and the whole outfit sank. Low wedges took the same outfit and made it a party outfit. It is a small swap, but it is the swap that works.

A belt can work if you are tucking the shirt into pants, especially a thin belt in a neutral color. But if you knot the shirt, skip the belt. Two waist details at once is one too many. When I am not sure, I take one thing off before I walk out the door. That advice has never failed me.

Step 5: Finish with hair and a pressed shirt

The last two details are the ones people notice even when they cannot name them. First, the shirt should look freshly pressed. The LILYCHIC shirt is soft and easy to care for, and I wash it at home in the machine on cold and line dry it on the lanai. Line drying leaves it a little wrinkled, so I hang it in the bathroom while I shower before a party and the steam lets the wrinkles fall out. Ten minutes makes the difference between dressed up and rumpled. I learned that the morning of our last family photo session, when I pulled the shirt off the line and it looked like I had slept in it. An hour on a hanger fixed it.

Second, do something with your hair. A Hawaiian shirt reads more dressed up when your hair is off your face or styled in a way that looks deliberate. A low ponytail, a loose bun, or even just brushed and tucked behind the ears changes the whole feel. I wear mine in a low bun for parties, and it keeps the look tidy in photos.

And one small thing: check the buttons. The coconut-style buttons on this shirt are part of its charm, but a missing button or a crooked button placket will undo all your work. Give the front a quick look before you leave. It takes two seconds.

What Else Helps

Beyond the five steps, a few habits make dressing up a Hawaiian shirt even easier. Keep a couple of solid-color bottoms in your closet that you know work with a printed top, and you will never be stuck. I keep cream wide-leg pants, a dark maxi skirt, and a simple black dress ready for exactly this. Also, buy the right size. The LILYCHIC shirt has a relaxed fit, and I chose my usual size. If you are between sizes or you want to knot it at the waist, go up one, because the fit is meant to be easy and a knot gives it shape.

For washing, I have had good luck with the machine on cold and line drying, and the shirt has held its color and shape through about six months of regular wear. I hang it in the bedroom closet on a plain hanger, and when I pack it for a trip I roll it in a carry-on. It comes out ready to wear after a quick steam.

The shirt is not the problem. The problem is almost always what you do around it.