5 Boutiques in Kailua

Kailua is a great place to swim and relax. It also happens to be great for shopping. Here are five boutiques specializing in cute outfits, hot swimsuits and hip jewelry.

Kailua Verde

Recycle, reuse, refashion. This is the concept behind the two-year-old Kailua Verde, says owner Lilian McDonnell of the part-boutique, part consignment shop. In addition to selling locally made earrings, necklaces, art and aloha wear, the shop specializes in high-end consignment, such as women’s Chanel suits, Louis Vuitton bags and wallets, and Tiffany diamond jewelry and vintage costume jewelry. “There was no consignment in Kailua, except garage sales,” says McDonnell, who originally hails from El Salvador. She now has to turn potential sellers away because she doesn’t have the space. “I love the surprise of seeing what people bring in.” 111 Hekili St., Suite 101, 261-6190, kailuaverde.com.

Pualani

Why open a boutique in Kailua? “The North Shore was too far away,” says owner Lauren Topham with a laugh. This is the second, three-month-old location for the local swimsuit boutique; the flagship store is in the New Otani Kaimana Hotel. The mix-and-match suits are made to be functional, says Topham: Many Pualani wearers are surfers and paddlers, including Topham herself. The boutique usually rolls out 12 new prints annually, but next year it’ll be introducing 50, she says. Pualani also has an expanding line of logo wear, slippers, cover-ups and local jewelry by Noelani Designs. The most popular styles? “Women love the sport-tie top,” she says. For bottoms, it’s Love Without the Handles, which provides more coverage, and the ruched Scrunch Booty for women with smaller posteriors, says Topham. Even better, this month the boutique is running a Halloween clearance, selling many tops and bottoms for $10 to $25. 111 Hekili St., Suite 102, 262-3830, pualanikailua.com.

Did you know?

One of Kailua’s original boutiques, Global Village, celebrates its 16th anniversary this month. A mother and her two daughters run the eclectic boutique. “We’re all buyers [for the shop] so all our tastes are in here, but we still get along, we still love each other,” laughs co-owner Debbie Ah Chick-Hopkins. The store features items from around the globe, such as beads from Nigeria, recycled glass from Spain and bags from Guatemala, as well as jewelry, hats and clothing from local designers. Global Village was the first Kailua store to carry hemp products, says Ah Chick-Hopkins, and, today, 25 percent of the shop’s items are environmentally conscious. 539 Kailua Road, 262-8183, globalvillage.com.

Mahina

Owners Jody Curtin and Joe Wilmont opened Mahina, a trendy women’s boutique on Maui, in 2006. They’ve since added two additional Maui locations and one in Waikīkī, and, this June, celebrated the shop’s fifth anniversary by opening their fifth store in Kailua. The boutique features women’s lines and accessories from New York and Los Angeles, the merchandise hand-picked in small quantities by Curtin, says Kailua manager Lucy Folkes. “We get a new shipment every week, so when people come back there’s always something new,” she says. Mahina is known for its comfy dresses that you can dress up or down, ranging in price from $19 to $49. Show your state or military I.D. and receive 10 percent off your purchase. 539 Kailua Road, 262-2240, mahinamaui.com.

Philanthropy

Upon walking into the miniature boutique near Kalapawai Market, you’ll notice it’s more than just women’s dresses, clutches and silver earrings. You’ll also find Tahitian Goddess gourmet jam, Moloka‘i Seas Hawaiian salt, men’s hats and children’s books. “When you come in, you don’t just walk away with a dress, but something for children and the home,” says store-partner Paulette Kitchell Fukumoto (pictured above). Philanthropy’s flagship store is in Waipio, but owner Niki Watanabe is a Kailua resident who wanted to work closer to home. “We always try to feature local designers but still be affordable,” says Kitchell Fukumoto. Clothing ranges in price from $30 to $40. The boutique also has an events room where it hosts charity sales and keiki events, catered by neighbor eatery A Cup of Tea. 45 Hoolai St., 266-5000, madisonandcompany808.com.