{"title":"Phil Sparrow","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"phil-sparrow-hula-flash-swim-shorts","title":"Hula Flash Swimshorts - Phil Sparrow® Collab","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOur tribute to Phil Sparrow - tattooer, author, academic, pornographer, and queer trailblazer who left his mark in more ways than one. Long before tattoo culture hit the mainstream, Sparrow was inking sailors and outcasts in Oakland - while producing groundbreaking gay erotica and documenting queer life in vivid detail.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBy day, he was Samuel Steward, a university professor and close collaborator with sex researcher Alfred Kinsey. By night, he became Phil Sparrow, tattooing bodies, writing under pseudonyms, and building an underground archive of queer desire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSparrow’s tattoo style was unfiltered and deeply personal - rooted in traditional American flash but layered with literary references, sensual motifs, and coded queerness. He tattooed roses, daggers, and hula girls like any dockside shop - but if you knew how to ask, you could get something more secret, more sensual, and much more gay.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese swim shorts flip the pin-up tradition with a hand-drawn hula boy, grass skirt swaying, cock swinging free, vintage charm and modern defiance on full display. And on the rear? A classic hula girl posed in front of her pastel Fiat Jolly - a nod to Sparrow’s bisexuality, and a quiet reclamation of something often overlooked in queer history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the art world, and even within LGBTQ+ circles bisexual artists have too often been erased, miscategorized, or forced into binaries. Sparrow lived in that middle space, and that’s where his work came alive: fluid, intimate, and defiantly his own.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCelebrating bisexual visibility isn’t just about attraction, it’s about honoring full-spectrum identity, creativity, and desire. These shorts stand for all of that: legacy, pleasure, and the freedom to live without compromise; without having to choose sides.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLimited print\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"size-guide-title\"\u003eSize guide\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"table-responsive dynamic\" data-unit-system=\"imperial\"\u003e\n\u003ctable cellpadding=\"5\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWAIST (inches)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHIPS (inches)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eXS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e27 - 29 ⅞\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e37\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e30 - 31 ½\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e38 ⅝\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eM\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e32 - 33 ⅛\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e40 ⅛\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eL\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e34 - 36 ¼\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e43 ¼\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eXL\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e37 - 39 ⅜\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e46 ½\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2XL\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e40 - 42 ½\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e49 ⅝\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3XL\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e43 - 45 ⅝\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e52 ¾\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Boho Boys","offers":[{"title":"XS","offer_id":42000622649392,"sku":"8336169_9804","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"S","offer_id":42000622682160,"sku":"8336169_9805","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"M","offer_id":42000622714928,"sku":"8336169_9806","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"L","offer_id":42000622747696,"sku":"8336169_9807","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"XL","offer_id":42000622780464,"sku":"8336169_9808","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2XL","offer_id":42000622813232,"sku":"8336169_9809","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3XL","offer_id":42000622846000,"sku":"8336169_9810","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3721\/7840\/files\/2_2a82191c-49aa-4766-8bcd-a68fe4655628.jpg?v=1771953668"},{"product_id":"babe-beach-bum-hat","title":"Beach Babe Structured SnapBack - Phil Sparrow® Collaboration","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Beach Bum Babe Structured SnapBack is our second collaboration with Phil Sparrow, following the Hula Flash Swimshorts. With this hat, we wanted to get closer to Sparrow’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eprocess\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e—the quick notebook sketch, the candid moment, the instinct to capture the shape of something before it’s gone. This design is fully embroidered, using a running-stitch pattern that keeps the linework sparing and intentional, like a single-pass drawing translated into thread.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Beach Bum Babe is directly inspired by the notorious business cards Sparrow left behind in bars, bathhouses, and theaters. In queer circles, they were known, kept, and collected - you knew who they came from, and where to go if you wanted something more erotic than the typical parlor would offer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSparrow tattooed in Chicago through the 1950s and 1960s, fully wrapped in the tattoo scene of the time. He wasn’t ahead of it, he was founding it. He moved within a tight, competitive circle of tattooers who knew each other’s work firsthand. Artists like Sailor Jerry were friends as much as peers: trading ideas, watching what others were doing, and pushing each other to sharpen the work. You saw something worth remembering, you held onto it, you reworked it, and you tried to do it better. That constant back-and-forth - part collaboration, part competition - is how the language set. It’s the visual world later artists like Don Ed Hardy would grow up inside and carry forward.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut Sparrow’s work carried a sexual curiosity unseen in his time. He drew women and men with the same attention and seriousness, without sorting desire into clean categories. In a time that demanded uniformity, his work stayed personal, erotic, and risky, living in the gray areas of sexuality and expression.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBecause he moved through queer life firsthand, Sparrow became known in certain lesbian and biker circles as one of the few tattooers willing to draw Sapphic iconography on women when most shops wouldn’t touch it. Simply because he knew what it felt like to want to be seen as who you are. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Beach Bum Babe finds inspiration in those fleeting moments. A woman beneath a palm - relaxed in the moment and free. Just a few lines, to reflect a few moments in time. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLimited Print\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• 65% polyester, 35% cotton for breathability and comfort\u003cbr\u003e• Structured front panel for vibrant designs\u003cbr\u003e• Mid-profile fit for relaxed, comfortable wear\u003cbr\u003e• Adjustable snap closure for a secure fit\u003cbr\u003e• Matching fabric undervisor and sweatband for a polished finish\u003cbr\u003e• Blank product sourced from China and Myanmar\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boho Boys","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42625008336944,"sku":"6324637_24384","price":34.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3721\/7840\/files\/5-panel-mid-profile-baseball-cap-royal-natural-front-6935a9897c4be.jpg?v=1765124513"},{"product_id":"hula-flash-swimshorts-hard","title":"Hula Flash Swimshorts - Phil Sparrow® Collab - Hard","description":"\u003cp\u003eHula Flash Swimshorts Hard Hula Boy version for POPSHOP and In-Store sales only.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"536\" data-end=\"894\"\u003eIn mid-century Chicago, long before tattoo culture entered galleries or magazines, Samuel Steward was inking sailors and outcasts under the name Phil Sparrow. By day he lectured at university and worked alongside Alfred Kinsey. By night he tattooed, wrote under pseudonyms, and documented queer life with a level of honesty few others would risk at the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"896\" data-end=\"1224\"\u003eSparrow worked out of dockside shops and private rooms, blending traditional American flash with literary references and coded imagery that spoke directly to queer clients who knew how to ask. Roses, daggers, hula girls. On the surface, familiar. Underneath, layered with desire and authorship in a world that preferred silence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1226\" data-end=\"1549\"\u003eWe designed these swim shorts in that same spirit. Our collaboration with Phil Sparrow\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e® \u003c\/span\u003efeatures a hand-drawn hula boy in a grass skirt, rendered in vintage-inspired linework. On the back, a classic hula girl stands in front of a pastel Fiat Jolly, referencing Sparrow’s place within bisexual history and the complexity of the world he moved through.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1551\" data-end=\"1764\"\u003eThese shorts are tailored for heat and water. Lightweight, fast-drying fabric. Comfortable elastic waistband with stretch. Linerless construction. Built for swimming, sun, and long afternoons that turn into night.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1766\" data-end=\"1887\"\u003eWe made them to honor artists who worked in the middle spaces and documented lives that were rarely preserved on purpose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1889\" data-end=\"1906\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"1889\" data-end=\"1906\" data-is-last-node=\"\"\u003eLimited edition\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• 91% recycled polyester, 9% spandex\u003cbr\u003e• Fabric weight: 5.13 oz. \/yd. ² (174 g\/m²)\u003cbr\u003e• Four-way stretch moisture-wicking microfiber fabric\u003cbr\u003e• Breathable and fast-drying material\u003cbr\u003e• UPF50+ protection\u003cbr\u003e• Elastic waistband with a flat white drawstring\u003cbr\u003e• Mesh side pockets\u003cbr\u003e• 2.56″ (6.5 cm) inseam\u003cbr\u003e• Blank product components in Mexico sourced from China and Mexico\u003cbr\u003e• Blank product components in the EU sourced from China and Lithuania\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boho Boys","offers":[{"title":"XS","offer_id":42625010401328,"sku":"3571137_9804","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"S","offer_id":42625010434096,"sku":"3571137_9805","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"M","offer_id":42625010466864,"sku":"3571137_9806","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"L","offer_id":42625010499632,"sku":"3571137_9807","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"XL","offer_id":42625010532400,"sku":"3571137_9808","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2XL","offer_id":42625010565168,"sku":"3571137_9809","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3XL","offer_id":42625010597936,"sku":"3571137_9810","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3721\/7840\/files\/all-over-print-unisex-athletic-shorts-white-front-6935ac5d9c49c.jpg?v=1765125228"},{"product_id":"beach-bum-snapback-phil-sparrow®-collab","title":"Beach Bum SnapBack - Phil Sparrow® Collab","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Beach Bum SnapBack is our second collaboration with Phil Sparrow, following the Hula Flash Swimshorts. This time, we looked at the silhouetted, sensual linework of Sparrow’s infamous business cards, the ones you might find tucked into a locker or slipped into a pocket at a bathhouse or bar.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSparrow tattooed in Chicago throughout the late 1940s and 1950s. His influence moved through the same postwar tattoo circles as Sailor Jerry - artists who knew each other’s work, critiqued it, borrowed from it, and helped shape what we now recognize as traditional American tattooing. Flash didn’t come with instructions. You saw something that felt new, you remembered it, you reworked it, and you made it your own. That’s how the language spread. That’s how it stayed alive.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat shared visual world later pulled in artists like Don Ed Hardy, who came up studying the groundwork Sparrow and his peers had already laid.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat separated Sparrow wasn’t style, it was subject. He drew more than women at a time when that was unheard of. Male bodies appeared with the same erotic attention and care as any hula girl or mermaid. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Beach Bum Snapback finds inspiration in those same fleeting moments. A man beneath a palm. Relaxed and free. Drawn fast, in simple lines, the way Sparrow worked when he had a few seconds, a pencil, and just enough time to capture it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-is-only-node=\"\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-end=\"1728\" data-start=\"1711\"\u003e\u003cem data-is-last-node=\"\" data-end=\"1728\" data-start=\"1711\"\u003eLimited Edition\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1899\" data-end=\"1915\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003e• 65% polyester, 35% cotton for breathability and comfort\u003cbr\u003e• Structured front panel for vibrant designs\u003cbr\u003e• Mid-profile fit for relaxed, comfortable wear\u003cbr\u003e• Adjustable snap closure for a secure fit\u003cbr\u003e• Matching fabric undervisor and sweatband for a polished finish\u003cbr\u003e• Blank product sourced from China and Myanmar\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boho Boys","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42696823439408,"sku":"2610597_24381","price":34.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3721\/7840\/files\/E2D1DE0D-1BCC-4F83-8B5C-1BACADA7902A.jpg?v=1770955322"}],"url":"https:\/\/bohoboys.net\/collections\/phil-sparrow.oembed","provider":"Boho Boys","version":"1.0","type":"link"}