We’ve made no secret of our love for boutique shops selling wares unique to Hawaii. Our argument for frequenting these outlets is simple: You don’t come all the way out here to buy the same things you can at home. Our culture is too rich, too diverse, and too inviting to pass these places by.
Now that we’re all on the same page, allow us to recommend two great Hawaii-centric stores on Maui. The first is called Maui Thing, a clothing and lifestyle brand begun in 2007 and premised on the slogan “Stuck on Good.” Translation: good feeling, good vibes, and good quality.
What Maui Thing has done is put a twist on the staid and, frankly, boring tourist T-shirt. You know, the kind you find at the airport with a picture of the beach and “Hawaii” emblazoned across the top. These aren’t exactly fashion-forward pieces. But, hey, they do go well with hip-packs!
Anyway, Maui Thing’s shirts have a restraint that allows the message to come across loud and clear without beating you over the head. So you’ll see “Have an Aloha Day!” with a neon-lit palm tree, not a cheesy beach scene. That type of personalized touch extends throughout the line, from yoga flow pants ($46) to tote bags ($10 to $20) to lanyards ($5).
We also highly recommend Native Intelligence. Like Honolulu’s Island Keepsakes (which we profiled here), this store is dedicated to selling locally made products. From Indigenous Soap ($8.50) to a coin purse made from Hala tree leaves ($25) to a bamboo kampa stamp ($35.95), the items here are as diverse as they are unique.
Where else can you get a surfboard made on the islands where surfing was invented and drums modeled on those used by ancient Hawaiians? Home Depot it is not.
Maui Thing
7 N. Market St. • Wailuku, HI 96793
(808)249-0215
Native Intelligence
1980 Main St #2 Wailuku, HI 96793
(808) 249-2421
