Second-hand shopping, better known as thrifting, is one of the ways to save the most while buying incredible items. These stores are found in just about every country across the globe and the Salvation Army chains, in particular, are popular spots for thrifting.
Shannon Hiramoto is one of those people who have an eye for a good sale and she’s essentially a thrift queen. She gets to buy items at incredible discounts and occasionally ends up with treasures. On one of these thrifting trips, her entire outlook on life changed with one particular article of clothing she took home.
Beyond A Hobby
Certain things in life are unexplainable. For instance, a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil and it sends a rainstorm to a different continent. Call it kismet or destiny but some people firmly believe in it, and Shannon Hiramoto is one of them.
In her case, her love for thrifting has helped her fill her wardrobe with amazing finds. The articles' clothing stacked up on racks at thrift stores often have fascinating stories behind them but sadly, these histories stay trapped within the threads of these pieces. For Hiramoto, her frequent trips to the thrift store sparked a series of events that eventually saw her taking home a truly special garment.
Thrift Store Treasures
Hiramoto is a Kauai native and she knows that the true treasures are hidden inside thrift stores. That's where you can find antique furniture and collections of quality outfits at incredible deals. For years she perused these shops looking for muumuus.
A muumuu is a loose flowing traditional garment native to Hawaii. The outfit is essentially a cross between a robe and shirt. The garment typically hangs from the shoulder and features floral/Polynesian motifs. Hiramoto’s search for similar vintage garments was driven by references from her past and the fact that she came from a family of muumuu-lovers.
An Extraordinary Shopping Trip
On one particular occasion, in 2016, when she was digging for finds at a Salvation Army located in Lihue, she wasn't expecting to find anything spectacular. She simply wanted to get a few other vintage pieces to add to her existing collection.
Hiramoto sifted through the items on the racks looking for anything that might catch her eye. Like the best thrifters, she knew that the process is all about patience and taking the time to look through as many racks as possible to end up with the gems. Hiramoto couldn't have expected that one of the items she would come across would leave her floored.
Oddly Familiar
She stumbled on a dress hung up on one of the racks which looked oddly familiar. She couldn't figure out why she felt like the garment had a special significance. Holding up the muumuu to inspect and admire it she couldn't shake off the feeling of familiarity.
The muumuu translates to "cut off" in Hawaiian and it got the reference because the garment lacked a yoke. It evolved from the Holoku apparels that were introduced by Protestant missionaries to the nation in the 1820s. Over the years, the garment went through redesigns to suit changing trends, and the particular one Harimoto found was a spruced-up version of the vintage garment.
Just The Perfect Garment
The particular item of clothing caught her eye because it came in a shorter length which was one of the advanced versions redesigned for everyday wear. It featured a V-neck with intricate frills, purple floral motifs against a pink fabric, and best yet it was a fun mini length.
Beyond meeting all her expectations of an ideal muumuu she couldn’t shake the feeling that she might have encountered the garment at some point. Could she have come across it on a previous thrift trip to the store or had it dredged up some buried memory?
A Deeper Significance
Hiramoto later shared on a TV interview that she was lucky to have found a shorter muumuu because they are a rare find. The Holoku which gave birth to the muumuu featured long sleeves with an unfitted flow and they were typically floor-length.
As the outfits became popular in America and Europe their designs became more elaborate with some incorporating fitted waists and even trains for special occasions. At some point, much like the Aloha shirt, the muumuu was considered an acceptable formal outfit to wear to the office. The shorter ones picked up in popularity as informal options. That’s why the specific piece piqued her interest but its significance went deeper.
The Inscription On The Tag
As she inspected the muumuu, she naturally checked the tag on the outfit. She discovered that it was a piece from Hawaiian manufacturer, Liberty House, and the tag also included a handwritten word. It blew her mind because she was now more than sure that she had come across that garment before.
It isn’t uncommon for people to label their clothes and the tag is one of the best places to make such inscriptions. It works as a security measure to make sure that if your garments end up in someone else’s laundry basket the item can find its way back to you.
A Garment Worth Preserving
The writing on the tag was made in permanent marker explaining how it must have survived several washes over the years. It also sold it for her, she had to take the garment home. The questions about the garment still lingered as she headed to the checkout counter.
In Hawaii, muumuus are no longer popular formal wear options like they were in the past. Hiramoto who runs an apparel business herself decided to revive and raise awareness about the vintage wear which is often regarded as something older women would wear. Throughout 2014 she wore different muumuus and showcased their beauty on her Instagram account using the hashtag #muumuumonth.
A Personal Message
She had a nagging feeling that the writing on the tag meant something great. In fact, she had a hunch that she was the only person who could perhaps understand the writing. That’s why she immediately set out to find out what she could about the history of that particular piece.
Hiramoto launched her business in 2007, working with beautiful fabrics to produce ethical clothing. She also doubled as a seamstress and altered outfits for others by repurposing their old pieces. Her mother’s friend once sent her an old muumuu to spruce up and that’s when she made the resolve to rekindle the appreciation for the vintage garment.
Influencing Others Through Her Passion
Hiramoto is a fashion designer who grew up on the island and it influenced her style aesthetics significantly. Her passion was creating new and imaginative items out of old fabrics. However, it didn’t sit well with her when people brought the occasional traditional vintage apparel, asking her to modernize it.
Her sister suggested that she should showcase her love for the original form of the muumuu. That’s how she ended up launching the month-long muumuu appreciation project on social media. In fact, that’s what sparked her interest in muumuus and saw her visiting as many thrift stores as she could trying to find the vintage pieces.
A Buried Memory
The pieces of memory started coming back once she shut her eyes trying to recall where she had seen the garment before. She visualized a lady full of life who exuded strength in spirit. The woman wore the vibrant pink garment and gave her a warm, sweet smile.
It might all have been in her head but she believed that what he was visualizing was a memory that had been buried deep in her mind. She knew it was as special and dear to her much like her husband Josh, as well as, their daughter Charli. She just had to figure out if it was a true memory of something else.
Trapped In The Past
Hiramoto pieced together the memories of the image of a woman who lived to the ripe age of 108. The woman had a very important message to share with her through the $4 muumuu she bought from the Salvation Army store.
It was unbelievable that she would have ended up with an article of clothing that had profound meaning for her and essentially represented a piece of the past. That's why she felt like she had to figure out if she was right about the slip-on garment because it would help her understand the message behind it all.
Gathering Proof
In her heart, Hiramoto knew that her assumptions about the history of the garment were right. She still wanted concrete proof that she really had a connection with the garment and its previous owner. There was also the question about how the garment ended up at the thrift store.
The answer to where thrift stores get their inventory is simple - they get them from the public. People often donate items they no longer use to these stores. They also receive donations from churches, and retail chain stores. Some also buy lots from online wholesalers, get items from auctions or even go around neighborhoods picking up items people toss out.
A Family Mystery
She had a family mystery that she just had to solve and it was all tied back to the muumuu. The implications were equally huge and before she even thought about telling anyone she had to find the answers herself.
Who knew that a thrift store find would send her down history's path looking for answers to questions she never knew she had. It was more than the curiosity she knew she elicited whenever she went out shopping or even hiking wearing a muumuu. She knew that getting to the bottom of the mystery would bring her joy.
Quelling Suspicions
Hiramoto called on her mother's help because she was the only person who could understand the mystery of the muumuu. They joined efforts trying to make sense of it by tracing evidence that would quell their suspicions. Through her own vintage store called Machinemachine, Hiramoto sells the slip-on dresses for $40.
However, she gives back to the community, donating to the Kauai Historical Society. Besides selling her own creations she also sources for inventory from companies like Liberty House, Mamo Howell, and Princess Kaiulani. During the Muumuu month in 2019, she donated $1,300 to the nonprofit.
An Unbelievable Purchase
When Hiramoto showed her mother the slip-on garment she couldn't believe it. Her mother was equally taken aback by the familiarity and knew that the garment entwined with their family's history. After seeing the inscription on the tag she was more than sure that they were both right.
Hiramoto's resolve to piece things together goes back to her passion for creating fashion out of muumuu garments. She shared during an interview with Hawaii Magazine that wearing the slip-on garment is a personal challenge that requires you to step out of your comfort zone. That's why she had to find out why the particular muumuu meant so much to her.
Striking A Chord
Hiramoto's mother was overcome by emotion because of the single word written on the tag of the muumuu. It conjured up both happy and painful memories. While it wasn't exactly how Hiramoto had expected her mother to react, she knew that they both shared a connection with the particular garment.
The garment served as a great bonding experience for them just like she would strike up conversations with her clients or strangers who met her wearing a muumuu. She explained that she loves how the slip-on dresses strike a chord and bring history back to life.
Kamei
"Kamei" was the word written on the tag, a surname that they were both familiar with. In fact, the name was not a common one in Kauai and they could easily trace it back to one person. The person who the garment once belonged to and it was someone who was dear to them.
Everything was starting to fall into place and Hiramoto knew for sure that there was a reason why she stumbled on that particular piece. However, they still kept searching through their photo albums for a photo that documented what they knew.
The Origins Of The Piece
Her mother recognized both the garment and name and with conviction, she backed up her daughter's beliefs about the origins of the piece. She knew the owner of the muumuu and it just happened that they were both descendants of the woman. In the greater scheme, it also connected with Hiramoto's efforts to preserve the muumuu.
She even hosts a muumuu repair clinic annually at her shop, inviting women to fix or adjust their vintage garments. She explained that it's difficult to even find these pieces at thrift stores but often a few alterations are needed to make them fit properly. However, she's against making adjustments that affect the original integrity of the pieces.
Reference For Future Generations
Hiramoto's mother agreed that the garment held greater meaning, as well as, a message for them. They knew that they were on the right track and just had to find the tangible proof to back their beliefs about the muumuu.
Hiramoto says that the muumuu is an endangered fashion item that deserves preservation and documentation because of its cultural relevance. It's the reason why she's working on documenting her personal collection to create a digital archive that will serve as a source of reference for future generations. She has a goal of launching the digital archive in 2020.
A Picture Tells More Than A Thousand Words
They sat down to look through their massive collections of photo albums trying to find a particular picture. They knew that in one of the albums they would come across a photo of a woman adorning the very same muumuu Hiramoto bought from the thrift store.
As far fetched as it might sound to others, for the two women it essentially meant reclaiming an important part of their history. It's actually what Hiramoto hopes to achieve with the online digital archive and she already has photos depicting her wearing 80 different pieces ready to upload. She will include details about each garment with the photos.
Going Through Memories Of The Past
It sounds stranger than fiction to most people who would just be content with adding a new vintage find to their wardrobe. Hiramoto's passion for the garment wouldn't allow her to settle for that and she had to look beyond the surface of things.
Looking through their photo albums brought back memories of the past which in itself was something special. With each photo they inspected, they hoped to find some answers. After exhausting their search through all the albums they started losing hope. They didn't reach the conclusion they had anticipated but they chose to keep looking for answers.
Hitting A Snag In The Road
Hiramoto couldn't help but feel sad because the mystery stood and she still couldn't shake the feeling that she had a deep connection with the muumuu. That nagging feeling kept lingering but she started feeling defeated when they didn't find the answers from the photo albums.
Fortunately, she had shared the information with someone else who felt a similar connection. Her mother continued the search for answers, holding on to the hope that they had a message woven within the fabrics of the garment. All they had to do was figure out the mystery and it would become clear.
About To Throw In The Towel
The initial search had taken up an entire day, going through the family albums trying to find some semblance of proof about what she wasn't sure was an actual memory. She naturally felt that she had extended efforts to something that didn't yield results.
However, she remembered how her struggle to have the community give muumuus a second life is still ongoing and felt like she should apply the same effort to the search. Every Friday she dons a muumuu and it's helped her make huge strides towards preserving the heritage of the garment. She also knew that the newest piece she had gotten would contribute significantly to her efforts.
Living Out Her Passion
Hiramoti started sewing when she was 14 and she had her grandmother to thank for teaching her the skill. Her first project saw her create a pair of shorts out of some vintage polyester fabric. She couldn't stop sewing since then and she continued honing her skill with a flurry of creations.
Her business also allows her to meet new people and it's something she says she enjoys as much as making new things every day. She also creates using vintage, upcycled fabrics, most of which she gets as donations. Her pieces are also 100% handmade showing all the hard work and passion that goes into them.
Tangible Proof Of The Truth
Finally, Hiranoto's mother found photographic evidence that they were right all along. Just a few days after she had bought the muumuu from the thrift store they finally had proof that it belonged to a member of their family. Hiramoto's mother had kept searching through the albums and found a picture.
Astonishingly, the picture was also placed on the very last page of the album which they later realized was symbolic. They now had tangible proof that the garment belonged to a woman who was very dear to both of them. In fact, she was dear to most people on the island, as a celebrity of sorts.
Pieces Of The Puzzle
Hiramoto's suspicions were now confirmed beyond doubt. She had stumbled on a muumuu that once belonged to her great grandmother at a thrift store. The chances of anything like that happening are slim and it explained why she felt a strong connection to the garment.
It was either a huge coincidence or as Hiramoto and her mother believed, it served as a message. She still had to find out more answers like how the garment ended up at the Salvation Army store and what it meant for her to have ended up taking it back home.
A Great Legacy
Florence Shizuko Kamei was Hiramoto's great grandmother. Kamei grew up in Kekaha where she was born in 1904. She passed away at the age of 108 leaving behind a great legacy. She was recognized as Hawaii's oldest person at the time of her passing in 2011.
Her passing was announced on the radio and TV, and it even made the headlines in newspapers. Kamei is remembered for her love of the muumuu and she had a vast collection of them. However, her family didn't know where her wardrobe went after her passing. That is until five years passed by and her great-granddaughter found one at a thrift store.
Garments That Can Be Loved And Worn For Years
Hiramoto explains that her greatest desire is to limit wastefulness when creating garments. She added that she hopes her pieces can be worn for years and loved for long. That's why she gravitates towards cultural pieces that are more than just articles of clothing that wane in popularity with each passing season.
She even offers a Buy-Back Program, allowing her customers to exchange their gently worn vintage pieces for new garments from her store at a 30% discount. She doesn't discard the items customers bring back to the store and re-sells them as secondhand items at economical prices.
Paying It Forward
Another attribute that she inherited from her grandmother is the art of paying it forward. Through her business, Hiramoto also started the Small Craft Advisory. The Kauai-based initiative focuses on sharing the love Hiramoto has for hand-made items. She conducts the workshops, teaching participants printmaking and sewing techniques on both paper and fabric.
She also works with two seamstresses, as well as, her father who operates a printmaking studio at her storefront location in Lawai. Under Goofy Foot Prints, her father prints cards, as well as, T-shirts and other printed merchandise that the business produces.
The Secret To Longevity
A question Hiramoto has had to answer a lot is about the secret behind her great grandmother's long life. Hiramoto happened to have asked her the same thing and the answer isn't complicated at all. Kamei shared that the secret to living an accomplished and long life was as simple as having hobbies and drinking plenty of green tea.
Everyone who knew Kamei also said that the woman was ever-happy and that might have also contributed to her longevity. After passing, Kamei's ashes were placed at a special location that was special to her and now had even greater meaning to her great-granddaughter.
Inherited Traits
Kamei was a woman who impacted the lives of many, merely by being a part of their lives. Other members of the family remember more about Kamei. They recall her love for flowy dresses and that she always shared her joy with those around her.
It even shone through the photo that they had found of her wearing the very same muumuu Hiramoto bought. She has also been described as a woman who was always laughing and loved to spend her time with family and friends. Hiramoto also remembers that she was a happy, influential, and healthy woman.
A Remarkable Woman
Hiramoto shared a heartfelt tribute to her great-grandmother on Instagram, and those who knew her chimed in, sharing fond memories about her. Friends also recall that Kamei was a dedicated member of her church choir and she loved playing the ukulele.
She didn't miss out on an opportunity to get on her feet and dance to her favorite music. On top of it all, she also loved joking around and enjoying good food. Her fervent zeal for life is something that Hiramoto also inherited from her and she considers her great-grandmother as one of her greatest inspirations in life.
Four Generations Of Exceptional Women
Unraveling the mystery of the muumuu brought the four generations of this group of women to full circle. While they had lost Kamei, as well as, Mildred, Hiramoto's grandmother, the family held on to pieces of Kamei's memories through the photos they had and also by passing on her name down the family tree.
Hiramoto's mother gave her the middle name, Kamei, in honor of their remarkable matriarch. Hiramoto herself also gave her daughter, Charli, the same middle name as her great grandmother - Shizuko. The name Kamei like any other had a meaning and interestingly it didn't quite suit Hiramoto and her great grandmother.
Not So Quiet
Kamei is a Japanese name translating to "quiet child." Hiramoto's family jokes that the irony is that both women who share the name aren't exactly known for having a quiet personality. Kamei is described as having had a soft-spoken and polite temperament while Hiramoto is the happy-go-lucky type who loves a good laugh.
Regardless, it's evident that they shared a deeper connection and some might say that Kamei's spirit lives on through Hiramoto. Kamei also possessed sewing skills and in fact, she made muumuus. She must have passed on the skill to her daughter, Mildred, who then taught Hiramoto the skill.
A New Memory
The other part of the puzzle that Hiramoto hasn't been able to figure out yet is whether or not the memory she first recalled about her great-grandmother is real. She says that she has a feeling that she once saw her wearing the muumuu but she can't be sure if she just conjured up the memory.
The greatest gift was having a new memory created out of the situation, as well as, the opportunity to revisit past ones. The entire ordeal had helped her to see the bigger picture and she knew that there was more she had to do.
Revisiting The Past
When piecing memories of her great grandmother together, Hiramoto recalled that Kamei loved wearing muumuus. Not just any muumuus but the ones that came in red, purple, or pink colored fabrics. She must have studied the particular photo her mother had found of Kamei wearing the specific muumuu she had stumbled upon at the Salvation Army store.
More details caught her attention like the background where the photo was taken. Kamei had spent a significant amount of time at the location throughout her life. She knew precisely where it was because that was the location where her great-grandmother's ashes were interred.
The Special Background
The photo had been zoomed in and anyone who wasn't familiar with the location wouldn't have been able to place it. All that could be seen were a pair of windows but Kamei was the focus of the photograph, so the other elements didn't really matter.
However, it did matter to Hiramoto and her family because they knew that the location is where Kamei's body was laid for eternity. Hiramoto also felt that she had to transform the situation into something even bigger. The location, the muumuu, and her great grandmother's photo were the elements she needed to make it happen.
The United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ, located in Hanapepe, served as the background of the photo Kamei had taken in the special muumuu. That's what gave Hiramoto the idea to channel her late ancestors by recreating the photo her great grandmother had taken in that specific location.
The family added another sentimental photograph to their photo album. The first photo told the story of a woman who loved the church and muumuus taken in front of her final resting place. The second told the story of how one of her beloved articles of clothing found its way back to her family.
Guiding Her Life
Hiramoto also visited her great-grandmother's tomb when she went to the church to recreate the photo. She felt like she had finally gotten closure which made her feel even closer to Kamei than before. She describes the chain of events that led her to the muumuu as magic.
As she thought about it all she firmly believes that it means that her great-grandmother is guiding her life. Her efforts in the apparel industry might see her create pieces that she will also pass on to her own daughter Charli. Who even knows, Charli might someday go back to the church wearing Kamei's muumuu to recreate the same photo.
Sharing Her Story
Hiramoto took to her business' Instagram account @machinemachine to share her incredible story. Her 5k followers were touched by it and her post received more than 1K likes with an outpour of praise comments. Hiramoto also granted interviews to several TV news stations because her story sparked deep emotions across the nation.
Everyone knows that it's sheer luck or perhaps something greater that would lead to a muumuu thrift lover finding an article of clothing that belonged to their family in the past. It wasn't long before the story went viral and it's had the effect of giving the muumuu a renewed interest.
A Family Heirloom
Being a big believer in the recycling and ethical production of garments, Hiramoto intends to leave her collection of muumuus, and specifically her great-grandmother's piece, as an inheritance for her daughter Charli. She explained that even if her daughter grows up to develop a different sense of style she hopes she can appreciate the piece as a family heirloom.
Hiramoto has also kept the tale about her great-grandmother's muumuu as a highlight on her Instagram account, which now has over 6k followers. The photo she recreated wearing the garment might also feature on the digital archive she intends to launch.
Kamei's Final Message
Hiramoto holds on to her belief that it wasn't by chance that she came across her great grandmother's muumuu. She still says that it was Kamei's way of sending her a very specific message which in turn will guide her life in the years to come.
According to her, Kamei is reaffirming that she's on the right path when it comes to preserving the muumuu. She says that she wants to see a day when muumuus will be worn again, proudly, out on the streets and perhaps over the world. It can happen if she continues championing the vintage garment.
Her Personal Mu'useum
Hiramoto's store has a warehouse attached to it where the real magic happens. Besides apparel, she also creates accessories like bags and hats, fashioned out of vintage fabric. She also offers pieces featuring hand-printed art. The warehouse also houses collections of surfboards and tropical plants.
Stemming from her love for the classic garment, Hiramoto has a section set aside in her warehouse dubbed the "Mu'useum." Not to forget that she donates portions of the profits to the charity that's concerned with the very culture that she's working hard to honor.
Resolve To Reclaim The Muumuu
If Hiramoto didn't exactly have a reason driving her efforts to preserve the muumuu, she developed a resolve to continue the work she's been doing. It all started with a trip to the thrift store and now she has reclaimed a piece of her family history.
It only makes sense that she will continue trying to help Hawaii reclaim the muumuu as part of the nation's cultural significance. The biggest lesson we learn from it all is that thrift stores carry hidden treasures but we don't think anything can ever compare to Hiramoto's incredible find.