I Hate People Shirt

In June of 1935, a small tailor in Honolulu, Musa-Shiya Shoten, ran the first newspaper ad for “Aloha Shirt” well-tailored beautiful designs and radiant colors, “ready made or made to order 95 cents up.”In July almost a year later, Musa-Shiya placed another tiny newspaper ad that read “Specials For Tourists! Aloha Shirts made to order or ready made.” View fullsizeKoichiro Miyamoto, known as Musa-Shiya the Shirtmaker, measures out a length of a beautiful lobster print fabric.Koichiro Miyamoto, known as Musa-Shiya the Shirtmaker, measures out a length of a beautiful lobster print fabric.View fullsizeAn original Musa-Shiya The Shirtmaker labelAn original Musa-Shiya The Shirtmaker labelIn downtown Honolulu, Dolores Miyamoto, was the wife and working partner of the tailor, Musa-Shiya the shirtmaker, Koichiro Miyamoto. She remembers making shirts for Shirley Temple in the 1930’s. She recalled John Barrymore coming into the store in the early ‘30’s pointing at the original Japanese Kabe Crepe fabric and ordering a custom shirt for himself, which had never been requested by any other customers. Until that moment, the Musashiya’s had not made a printed shirt.

I Hate People Shirt

One of the most well known stories about the Aloha shirt’s beginnings is certainly the story of the Chun family and King-Smith Clothiers. In a 1964 interview, Ellery Chun recalled that local boys wore casual shirts made of Japanese challis and local Filipino boys wore brilliantly colored shirt-tail-out shirts known as bayau shirts. He recalled having a tailor make his first printed shirts out of brilliant and gaudy Japanese kimono material in 1932 or 1933. Many of the beach boys also went to tailor shops with visitors for custom made shirts, and it was Ellery’s idea to have ready-made shirts hanging in stock at his father’s store, King-Smith Clothiers. In a store window, he placed a small sign, “Hawaiian Shirts.” Ellery was the first to register the trademarks, “Aloha Sportswear” and “Aloha Shirt” in 1936 and 1937.View fullsizeThe there-button pullover shirt was the predecessor to the more relaxed, open-front Aloha shirt. With whimsical outrigger canoes frolicking around a tropical island, this was an early example of a Hawaiian-inspired print.The there-button pullover shirt was the predecessor to the more relaxed, open-front Aloha shirt. With whimsical outrigger canoes frolicking around a tropical island, this was an early example of a Hawaiian-inspired print.