happy hale*days 2011: budget edition

a freelance deadline kept me unexpectedly away this week, but i am delighted to be back to prove that gifting can still be pretty even on a budget!

let's have a peek at 2011's most fabulous presents under $40 . . .

1 - every girl will want to make a date with gypsy's newest underpinning. {$34; save 20% off sitewide with secret code gypsylovesyou. offer ends mon, dec 19th.}

2 - malie organics' roll-on perfumes will delight eco lovelies with scents reminiscent of paradise. {$29; spend $200 and receive a complimentary scent and free shipping with your order. offer ends sat, dec 17th.}

3 - bikini loving beach goddesses will adore a kini pouch by acacia which is sewn of the same gorgeous fabric that lines their flirty collection. {$30; find in-store at i heart hanalei.}

more possibilities for your gift list after the jump!

Click to read more ...

isle style: sea by gypsy

despite my absence on the beach this year, hawaii is all about the endless summer and i could not say goodbye to the season without sharing a peek of gypsy's newest love. with island lovelies coveting the north shore line's pretty underpinnings, it was only a matter of time before designer kate ruggiero turned her attention to transferring those fetching patterns to seaworthy textiles.

sea by gypsy debuted with a single yet becoming handsewn silhouette composed of a flirty bottom paired with a bandeau in either a slip-on or tie-on style. while there are only two colorways to tempt you, will you sigh over the vivid violet reminiscent of sunset slipping beneath the horizon or swoon for the splashy mint awaiting a dip in the pacific?

more peeks of the dreamy lineup after the jump!

luckily, procrastination has a silver lining since both hues have just arrived in the sale section which will save you 25% off on all mix-and-match pieces!

kate mentioned that the sale will go on until the last bikini finds a devoted owner so hele over to the online shop to peek, click and order.

{photo credit: daeja fallas . . . gorgeous as always!}

hello honi honi!

while watching the oprah show finale yesterday, i had an a-ha moment about today's post during lady o's message of finding your calling. readers who have been following the wings hawaii story know how the line started in the mid-aughties with just a handful of screenprinted goods sold at first friday and the occasional craft fair. handmade jewelry soon followed and, after a move from honolulu to maui, their flagship boutique eventually relocated from its upcountry outpost to the buzzy boho charm of paia town.

the stars always have a way of aligning if you are lucky enough to discover and step down the path meant just for you, and it certainly seems like the universe is smiling upon becky, melody and sam with every little expansion of their indie empire. with the ocean only a few blocks from their shop, a swimwear collection seemed to be patiently waiting for a silhouette to be refined and given the wings stamp of approval. lo and behold, sam found a way to combine the effortless prettiness the label is known for while allowing ladies to hit the waves without hesitation.

while the first glimpses of honi honi arrived last year, the mix and match lineup recently welcomed new styles to celebrate its online debut this spring. handmade for mermaids who appreciate playful patterns and the versatility of reversability, racerback and criss cross tops joined the original bandeau offering which coordinate with bottoms cut to flatter yet leave just enough to the imagination . . . happy news if super flirty brazilian styles make you blush.

join me in the cabana for a peek, won't you?

polka dots * houndstooth

riviera * scales

it is so delightful to see three friends start with a small idea, embrace all the possibilities, and find success and lots of goodness along the way!

while you can expect patterns to change with the seasons, honi honi's bikinis and maillots are designed to fit lovelies of many sizes including curvier physiques. (sam noted that a large will fit up to a size 13 or a small d cup.)

meet your favorite swim look in the online shop or say hello to the wings 'ohana at their indie storefront:

• where: 71 baldwin avenue, paia
• shop hours: mon to fri, 9a to 4p & sat/sun, 9a to 1p

are you inspired to listen to those little whispers and say hello to a new adventure?

p.s. in addition to their design and shop duties, the wings 'ohana also publish inspire, a new-ish quarterly read covering local loveliness. find a copy at the shop or click over to facebook to peek pages from the latest issue.

letarte 2011 collection

bermuda sands

as my facebook and twitter friends know, hautelook is in the midst of a letarte flash sale which served up a welcome reminder that a peek at the maui label's 2011 collection was long overdue. with the official lookbook by my side, the task of narrowing down my favorite offerings proved to be a challenge, but a hint of paia town was found in unexpected tropical camoflage, bohemian beadwork, and a blush of rainbow tiers echoing the colors that dance across the hawaiian sky.

aztec paisley

hawaiiana

hawaii five-o

hawaiiana rainbow

bermuda sands tunic

maui lovelies know the way to letarte's flagship boutique, but mainlanders who summer back east will be delighted that the nantucket pop-up just reopened its doors and is filled with island style from hawaii's shores.

• where: 24 baldwin avenue, paia
• shop hours: mon to sat, 9a to 6p & sun, 10a to 6p

p.s. you still have a few hours to hele over to hautelook and save 60% off last season's looks (including the aloha guitar print and feathers pattern featured last year) before the sale ends tomorrow morning.

new peeks: pua jewelry & pareu

 

hello hello! after my mister clocked seven straight 12-hour days, it was hard to resist the chance to spend time together so i hope you will excuse my absence over the past few days. one peek of the gorgeous new goodness by pua jewelry, and you will understand why i could not stay away for too long without sharing all the latest loveliness from one of my favorite local designers.

along with new shimmer, pua designer lauren hewett caldiero is also welcoming a most becoming addition with pretty pareu channeling low-key elegance and pure polynesian grace. inspired by both her own and her mom's extensive stockpile of pareu sourced from around the pacific, lauren enlisted her hubby (who just happens to be one of town's top chefs) to help transform squares of fabric into muted and sunny tie-dye while modern tropical prints taken from her sketchbook round out the offerings.

with so many readers sharing my crush over pua's line of handmade adornment, you will be delighted to learn that lauren and friend & fellow maker meleana have spent the past few months readying their very own atelier stocked with their collections of island girl sparkle, flirty pareu, and homegrown carryalls.

more looks to woo you plus studio details after the jump!

heliconia * shell & seaglass * seabird * skeleton

the online shop is in the midst of a makeover, but until it debuts you can peek all the new pua goodness over on facebook. or, hele over to becca beach at the kahala to scoop up your very own pareu.

and, happy news! lauren and meleana will be welcoming friends and fans during their official studio warming this weekend. say hello to the designers and shop all the latest loveliness while enjoying pupus, sweets and sips!

• when: fri, apr 8th - 5p to 8p & sat, apr 9th - 9a to 12p
• where: 949 mccully avenue, suite 12
• studio hours: by appointment only

p.s. the aloha friday scoop will be on hiatus since i am off to celebrate our dear friends' wedding this weekend. enjoy the april flowers!

tiare hawaii: lost in paradise

jasmine

after catching glimpses of tiare hawaii's lineup of island beauties in shop update after shop update, i finally remembered to dash off a note to find out more about the bohemian collection from the north shore. the tie-dye gowns in sherbert hues are what first caught my eye, and the little gypsy in me who loves to get lost inside anthropologie is swooning over the girly details and whisper-thin fabrics designed to keep you looking pretty even when oppressing humidity and scorching heat arrives on shore.

designer jane hoskins was happy to share the beginnings of tiare which was inspired by the global loveliness encountered while paradise hopping around the world with friends. (oh, the perks of having a flight attendant bff!) while on holiday in bali, jane fell in love with the exotic island and discovered indonesia's striking textiles which have become the gorgeous foundation of every tiare offering.

the beautiful and packable garments are wearable from the beach to town with hand embroidered cotton voile, silk batik prints, and dip-dyed loveliness fulfilling tiare's go anywhere in style philosophy.

more favorites for happy island days after the jump . . .

eyelets & embroidery

crochet * pirate

teeny bikini * tie-dye ruffles

batik shorts

your pocketbook will also be delighted that styles from spring's lost in paradise collection are appealingly priced from $35 to $100.

alas, online ordering is not yet available so your best bet is to pay a visit to your neighborhood stockist (including drift in kaimuki, oskar's in kilauea, pueo in kona, and pink by nature in makawao). jane also kindly shared a tip that aloha 'aina at the royal hawaiian shopping center and san lorenzo in waikiki carry the entire collection in every single springtime color.

do you have a favorite tiare in your closet?

p.s. off island friends are welcome to send jane a note to inquire about placing an order or to locate a retailer near you.

new peeks: malia mills rtw 2010

mui ne

i have been feeling a bit besieged by the online web lately (hooray for path, the new anti-social network. be still my heart), yet, despite intermittent twitter checks, a malia mills sales tweet somehow found me through all the a.m. noise. the new ready-to-wear styles have been languishing on my virtual inspiration board so to make amends for my tardiness, a few of my favorite styles have been gathered up for your viewing pleasure!

asymmetrical hemlines, handy pockets, snaps and ties. further study is required to notice the small yet welcome details incorporated by the island raised, nyc-based designer who turns simple silhouettes into versatile frocks to slip over your swimsuit then styled as you please to explore the city.

who wants to see more?

my woman from tokyo

isabella

hello 40% off!

bianca . . . very bond girl!

getaway bag

with holiday travel upon us, don't you just want to stuff all your carry-on essentials into the generously sized getaway bag?

and, hooray for all the garments being made in the usa. (a detail always noted when saving something to my wishlist. if more peeps made purchases by recognizing american produced goods equals more jobs for fellow citizens perhaps our economy would be in less dire straits.)

oh yes, the sale. 40% off on a handful of past season ready-to-wear styles scattered between the dress and pants departments. email or call to place your order. offer ends sun, dec 5th.

malia's mini style empire can be found in nyc, the hamptons, and along the california coast. island readers are still out of luck but there's always the online shop and the promise of sizing assistance by the in-house fit specialist.

p.s. the official blog has become a favorite read if only for peeks of the company dress code. enjoy!