Posted on June 23, 2022
Collector Mark Suycott and his Summer Commemorative Tradition
The tradition of our Summer Commemorative Aloha shirts goes all the way back to 1998, when we launched our first patriotic print to celebrate the season, originally titled Independence Day. We went through a few name changes before officially landing on Summer Commemorative in 2007. We are proud to continue this tradition that has been a part of our heritage for nearly 25 years.
Each year, our artists capture the feeling of summertime fun and the spirit of Aloha mixed with classic Americana to create a patriotic collector’s item.
While collected by many, there are few as enthusiastic about the print as Mark Suycott of San Diego, who has amassed a collection of nearly every version.
Mark has been a big fan of Spooners since he first discovered them at Navy Exchange in Pearl Harbor in the 1980s, and today he has a collection of over 350 shirts. For Mark, Spooners are the perfect shirts for life in San Diego where business casual is the norm, and he can wear Aloha shirts with his everyday attire.
To Mark, our Summer Commemorative print signals the changing seasons. He likes to kick off the summer season with his stacked lineup of Aloha Shirts – beginning on Memorial Day, Mark wears a Summer Commemorative print every day until the 4th of July. Mark doesn’t play favorites – he looks forward to wearing his vintage prints just as much as he enjoys the tradition of getting the newest release.
A proud Shriner, Mark’s Fourth of July tradition is to walk with his fellow Shriners in the Coronado parade. After that, he runs home and changes into the latest Summer Commemorative Aloha shirt release to enjoy an annual BBQ at his friend’s home.
