The History of Hawai‘i From Our Files: Chic ’50s-Style High-Waist Swimwear is a Beach Staple Once Again

For 133 years HONOLULU Magazine has kept its readers and advertisers at the vanguard of fashion, insight and fun. Starting out as Paradise of the Pacific in 1888 with a commission from King Kalākaua, we’re the oldest continually publishing magazine west of the Mississippi. Here is a look into our archives.

September 10, 2020

Brie Thalmann,

Street style in the ’50s: As part of its People in Paradise section, Paradise spotlights a beachgoer sporting a swimwear look from Shaheen of Honolulu’s summer collection. Note the abstract tapa print by Surf ’n Sand (Shaheen’s textile design label) and chic high-waist bottom, a silhouette that’s once again a staple on Island beaches, popping up in collections from Acacia, Gillia and Fighting Eel.

The Way We Wore

Signaling the start of fall (and the much-anticipated release of designers’ new fall/winter collections), September is traditionally one of our big fashion issues. With that in mind, we devoted the September 2020 edition of From Our Files to stylish blasts from our past.