How did those big Hawaiian shirts get to be known as “muumuus”?

Answer 1

The Hawaiian muumuu started out as a loose-fitting dress designed for women of all sizes. It was the result of missionaries who sought to cover the bodies of Hawaiian women, who traditionally wore nothing more than a skirt. As the muumuu morphed and mated with traditional Asian designs, a unique series of women's garments emerged. For informal entertaining, the pake muu featured long, wing-like sleeves based on a Chinese design. The popular tea-timer was a tight-fitting, tailored, sleeveless top with a short mandarin collar. The holomu was a fitted garment for more formal evening wear while the holoku was a full-length dress for formal affairs. Over the years, women's Hawaiian clothing has tended to feature floral designs: ginger blossoms, plumeria, hibiscus, orchids and birds-of-paradise.

Answer 2

After western fashion was introduced by the missionaries, the highwaisted dress style was adapted for the hot, humid weather and to fit the size of the women (some royal women weighed 300+ lbs). In order to produce a more becoming line, the missionary women replaced the high waistline of Western fashion with an above the bust yoke . The end result was a basic design (referred to as a "Mother Hubbard" or a Holoku) which was simply a full, straight skirt attached to a yoke with a high neck and tight sleeves.

Mu`umu`u in the Hawaiian language means to "cut-off" or "shorten." The dress now known as the mu`umu`u earned its name because the yoke of the holoku was omitted and the sleeves were sometimes cut short.

Answer 3

I didn't know that was a shirt. Most likely it is the proper word for the garment in the language of the islands, which is not and never was English.

Answer 4

ever look at the people who wear them? moo moo