Cool cover-ups
Joe Toro is ready to hit the water in O'Neill boardshorts ($49.50) and Oakley shades ($160) from H.I.C., while Corinne Gold wears a bikini ($105) and denim shorts ($55) from Le Grand Marquet.
Billabong clutch ($41) and Obey amethyst ring ($33) from Blue Hawaii Surf.
Corinne wears Element's Angie dress ($53) with rubber bangles from a $65 set that includes a black watch and chunky bangles. SA change of clothes is packed into her RVCA knapsack ($37). For evening, she swaps out the rubber bangles for the chunkier style, adding an Obey gold-tone fringe bracelet ($127), Billabong clutch ($41) and Obey amethyst ring ($33). All from Blue Hawaii Surf.
After Corinne Gold hits the water in an American Apparel black lame/black stripe bodysuit ($34), she and Joe Toro end up at Jungle Fun. She's added black-and-white seersucker Hampton shorts ($45) and wrapped her damp tresses in a scarf ($12), all from American Apparel. He tops his boardshort ($73), with a collared shirt ($87) over a T-shirt, all from Reyn Spooner.
Dressed for an evening out at Longhi's, Corinne covers her bodysuit with a sheer black chiffon blouse ($48) from American Apparel, adding wedge-heel suede boots ($168) from Le Grand Marquet. Joe swaps his casual shirt for Reyn Spooner's Retro Block ($83) design. They're sipping Longhi's red, white and blue cocktails of Red Violin and Blueberry Drop.
Joe covers up after his trip to the beach in a Rip Curl shirt ($49.50) from H.I.C. over his boardshorts; Corinne covers her bikini with a dress ($167) folded to blouse length, worn over denim shorts ($55), a straw fedora ($50) and sunglasses ($19), all from Le Grand Marquet. For an evening look, she can let out the dress to its proper length and add heels in place of flats.
Fashion rules seem to go out the window during summer months, when the main goal is to beat the heat, rather than impress.
But don’t be lazy. You never know who you will to run into, and dress codes don’t simply disappear. The clue to that are those little signs posted at some businesses that read, "We reserve the right to refuse entry," designed to keep some off private properties.
They never specify who they are trying to keep out, but let us guess. You might be a perfectly upstanding, well-dressed citizen in your workday life, but if you arrive fresh from the beach in a shabby, threadbare T-shirt looking like a wet dog, your mom might not even want you in her house.
Some new threads and cover-ups might be in order.
To give you a few ideas, the photos here, with clothing from Ala Moana Center boutiques, illustrate some ways to make the transition from beach, to casual activities, to a night on the town, without sacrificing comfort. Luckily, fashion rules always have been lax in Hawaii, and all that most establishments ask for is a shirt and footwear, and for many, rubber slippers pass muster.
