Before the advent of jet travel between Hawaii and the mainland in 1959, Matson Lines, a former division of Matson Navigation Co., transported scores of travelers across the Pacific Ocean on its fleet of luxury liners. Deemed the flagship of those famed “white ships” after a $20 million post-World War II refurbishment, the SS Lurline cruised weekly between Honolulu, Los Angeles and San Francisco — a trip that took five days each way.

Every adult passenger received a generous 350-pound baggage allowance for stays ranging from two weeks to over a month at the Royal Hawaiian hotel, which Matson built in 1927 to provide upscale accommodations for its Hawaii-bound cruisers. Both on ship and shore, fashion was top of mind.

From the late 1950s to early 1960s, Matson distributed a brochure, “What to Pack for Paradise,” to help passengers choose their vacation wardrobes. “Aboard ship, informal dress is the order of the day; for the ladies, casual dresses, suits, blouses — whatever you’d select for a daytime get-together at home,” the brochure reads. “For the gentlemen, this suggests slacks, sport shirts, comfortable shoes.”

Come evening, ladies slipped into their finest cocktail dresses. Coats and ties were mandatory for men in public areas after 6 p.m. If guests had questions about attire, they could meet with the fashion consultant on board.

Lynn Blocker Krantz, Matson’s archivist, has curated an exhibit, “Fashion Aboard Matson’s S.S. Lurline and at the Royal Hawaiian: 1920s–1960s,” which features 52 historic photographs and illustrations spotlighting trends during Matson’s 40-year “cruise-ship era.”

For example, in the 1930s hemlines were well below the knee. In contrast to the bob haircuts and cloche hats that were all the rage in the 1920s, women flaunted longer hairstyles and loose curls beneath wide-brimmed hats.

“Sleek, rubber bathing caps were also fashionable during that time,” Krantz said. “They were practical, too; you could go swimming, and they would preserve your expensive salon hairdo.”

Dress shops at the Royal Hawaiian put on weekly fashion shows, and in the spring of 1941, the hotel and Matson Lines collaborated on one at Liberty House department store in Honolulu. Themed “Aloha Hawaii, A Fabric Fashion Show,” it spotlighted 26 outfits; illustrations of 20 of them are included in the exhibit.

“I love everything in the exhibit,” Krantz said, “but I do have a favorite. It’s a photo of three young women at the Royal Hawaiian during the roaring ’20s. I like to think they’re best friends who’ve just checked in. They’re wearing cloche hats, tunic dresses, saddle shoes and leis — casual chic, the perfect look for their dream vacation in ­Hawaii.”