Small island tailor shops were making custom print shirts for Hawaiian families for special occasions, such as weddings, in the early 1920s. When tourism came to Hawaii in the late 1920s, the Hawaiian shirt literally became a blank canvas for local artists. Designs depicting everything from romantic beaches and erupting volcanoes to exotic, tropical flowers began to appear. It wasn't until 1936 that shirtmaker Ellery J. Chun coined the term "Aloha" shirt. The name stuck. Today, Aloha shirts are considered American folk art. The older shirts are prized collector items.