Volume Number: 19 (2003)
Issue Number: 11
Column Tag: Review

Gift Guide for Geeks 2003: Wear

by Sam Crutsinger

Geeks love Hawaiian shirts. I know, I know, you're looking for electronics in this guide, but I've gotta say that in my experience, geeks love funky shirts. And why not close out MacTech's 2003 Gift Guide for Geeks with something a little different than what you'd expect to find here. There are many vendors online that can accommodate wide range of prices and styles, from tasteful to tacky.

Believe it or not there are a few rules to aloha shirts. These are generally ignored by most, but some devout aloha shirt collectors head straight for the pocket and the buttons like a wine taster checking the cork. The pocket should match the background pattern. It should blend in so you can't see the pocket is even there from a distance. The buttons should be made of coconut. That about covers the basic requirements for the snooty shirt collector.

There are many great places to pick up shirts on the web and at a variety of prices.

Reyn's (www.reyns.com) is one of the more stalwart shirt companies out there. They produce over a hundred original designs every year so you should surely be able find something nice at their site. Their shirts averagely priced at about $50-80 depending on the shirt.

If you're shopping with a tighter budget then you might try Lots of Aloha (www.lotsofaloha.com) which has many shirt designs for $17.89-30.00.

A site with a very large catalog of aloha apparel is Paradise on a Hanger (www.hotshirts.com). They have shirts from as little as $20 all the way up to $250 premium, limited edition designs.

You can even get some over at Target where we bought most of our TackyShirt wardrobe. They tend to be seasonal items, however, and December is just about as far out of season as it gets. If you try there, you are likely to find pretty slim pickings.

Typically, I'm against giving clothes for Christmas. You never get the right thing, it's always the wrong size, on and on. However, if it's something with character, then that's a different story. Socks are just socks, but a day-glow, button-down shirt covered with palm trees and hula girls will put everybody around you in a good mood. Just make sure you can get it in XXL, which is the typical size for most of the geeks I know. Oh, and I'm partial to red and black if you're buying for me.

Sam Crutsinger