In this day when the word "vintage" is overused, abused and has nearly lost all meaning, it's an increasing challenge to be a clothing collector.

Whether shopping on eBay, in a vintage shop or a thrift store, reliable guidelines for determining the correct age and provenance of a garment can be a godsend.

That's why Craig Callaway wrote "Hawai'i Unbuttoned: A Practical Guide to Buying and Selling True-Vintage Hawaiian Shirts."

Although Callaway resides in southern Oregon, he lived in Hawai'i as a child and his wife, Maureen, is a local girl.

While Callaway is a relative newcomer to collecting aloha shirts, he did his homework and talked to many of the world's experts on the subject. His sources include knowledgeable folks such as Dale Hope, author of "The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands" and general manager of Kahala sportswear; Tim McCullough, president of Reyn Spooner and son of its founder, Reyn McCullough; Pua Rochlen, president of Surf Line Hawai'i and son of its founder, Dave Rochlen; and Camille Shaheen-Tunberg, daughter of the late designer Alfred Shaheen.

Callaway made many mistakes in his early days of collecting aloha shirts, and he is not afraid to share embarrassing stories of his misadventures in purchasing frauds. His anecdotes provide a cautionary tale for collectors.

"Hawai'i Unbuttoned" is a practical, useful guide for buyers and sellers of aloha shirts from the 1930s through the 1960s. Callaway describes and illustrates how to identify a true vintage shirt by inspecting it for details that help determine its true age, including such telltales as collar lengths, horizontal button holes, coconut buttons, top stitching and perfectly matched pockets.

Photographs and descriptions of 385 labels take up 100 pages of the book. Callaway writes, "Labels can be your best friends in revealing the age of shirts in 'dating' them."

"Hawai'i Unbuttoned" is sold on Amazon.com or can be purchased by contacting Callaway at ohicc2003@yahoo.com.