Long before "tiki" became a collectible hobby, it was an experience.
The Papeete Room was one of the exotic themed dining spaces inside Stephen Crane's legendary Kon Tiki Ports complex in Chicago, a sprawling Polynesian palace that helped define the golden age of mid-century tropical escapism. Opened in 1961 on North Michigan Avenue, Kon Tiki Ports transported guests thousands of imaginary miles from the Midwest into a world of carved idols, bamboo architecture, rum drinks, and South Seas fantasy.
This shirt celebrates the Papeete Room itself, named after the waterfront capital of Tahiti. The artwork combines vintage tiki iconography, island imagery, and distressed mid-century graphics inspired by the menus, matchbooks, brochures, and souvenir ephemera that made Crane's restaurants famous.
Printed in weathered navy on soft island lavender cotton, it feels like something rescued from a suitcase after a long-forgotten trip through the South Pacific... or at least through downtown Chicago in 1963.
For tiki collectors, Stephen Crane enthusiasts, and anyone fascinated by the grand Polynesian palaces of the postwar era.
A tribute to the room where Chicago disappeared and Tahiti began. 🌴🍹⚓
• 100% ring-spun cotton
• Fabric weight: 6.1 oz/yd² (206.8 g/m²)
• Garment-dyed
• Relaxed fit
• 7/8″ double-needle topstitched collar
• Twill-taped neck and shoulders for extra durability
• Double-needle armhole, sleeve, and bottom hems
• Blank product sourced from Honduras
Size guide
| |
WIDTH (inches) |
LENGTH (inches) |
SLEEVE CENTER BACK (inches) |
| S |
18 ¼ |
26 ⅝ |
16 ¼ |
| M |
20 ¼ |
28 |
17 ¾ |
| L |
22 |
29 ⅜ |
19 |
| XL |
24 |
30 ¾ |
20 ½ |
| 2XL |
26 |
31 ⅝ |
21 ¾ |
| 3XL |
27 ¾ |
32 ½ |
23 ¼ |
| 4XL |
29 ¾ |
33 ½ |
24 ⅝ |
| |
WIDTH (cm) |
LENGTH (cm) |
SLEEVE CENTER BACK (cm) |
| S |
46.4 |
67.6 |
41.3 |
| M |
51.4 |
71.1 |
45 |
| L |
55.9 |
74.6 |
48.3 |
| XL |
61 |
78.1 |
52 |
| 2XL |
66 |
80.3 |
55.3 |
| 3XL |
70.5 |
82.6 |
59 |
| 4XL |
75.6 |
85 |
62.6 |
