north shore swimwear

it's no secret that most women hate shopping for a new swimsuit. the experience is typically filled with bad lighting, endless frustration, and witnessing the deflating of one's ego all helpfully magnified by an unflattering three way mirror.

enter the world of the custom swimsuit. north shore swimwear (which just happens to be a favorite of stacia designer stacy johnson) takes your measurements to customize one of its many patterns to skim your curves in all the right places. the combinations are endless (bond girl, surfer chick, pinup) since you can mix and match tops, bottoms and fabrics to create your perfect swimsuit.

and, no worries if you are unable to stop by their haleiwa shop for a custom fitting since the process can also be done over the phone. simply take a peek at the styles and fabric choices online, call to request swatches to review patterns/colors in person, and when you are ready to order give them a ring to chat with one of their consultants.

don't forget to check out the faq before you order to get the skinny on alterations, options & turnaround time.

{mahalo stacy!}

for the beach boys

ever * j.crew

 the humble board short, a staple of surfers everywhere, has gone designer with a price tag to match.

1 - what appears to be a vintage find is really ever's modern day nod to old school style (perhaps for sunning at queen's beach?).

2 - j.crew has also gone retro with a summer inventory filled with vintage inspired board shorts (vintage hawaiian & maili point patterns shown above). fyi, a hush hush sale is in progress so enter secret code privsale at checkout to save 20% on orders over $175 (expires tomorrow night at 11:59p est).

patagonia * maui rippers

3 - patagonia can always be counted on for patterns not typically found on the beach with their wavefarer II  line (tree people shown above). and if you prefer to hit the surf while staying true to your eco-friendly ways, take a peek at their yard sale shorts made of recycled soda pop bottles then head up to the north shore to pick up a pair at patagonia's haleiwa shop.

4 - it's no surprise that maui ripper's hawaiian ali'i board shorts (shown above) caught my fella's eye with its colorful polynesian tatau pattern. the paia company specializes in board shorts tough enough for island lifeguards and is one to bookmark if you have been hunting for larger sizes (they stock shorts up to size 44).

waves of green

surfing just got a little bit greener with maui's eco-friendly alternative to traditional surf wax. the ingredients of wet women surf wax are 100% biodegradable which means it will completely break down with no worries of harmful toxins being sucked up by the ocean and its inhabitants.

the packaging hits the all important 3 r's and is made of 30% recycled steel and, even though the container can be tossed in the recycling bin, wax refills are available to keep the tin continuously filled for many years to come.

morgan fisher and jordi llore, the socially conscious minds behind the product, jumped through a few extra hoops so that their surf wax could be cradle to cradle certified (which is a movement to promote ecologically intelligent design so once a product is at the end of its lifecycle it does not just get carted off to the landfill to waste away over the centuries).

the online shopping cart is currently being upgraded however wet women surf wax is stocked at a handful of surf shops on maui.

{via treehugger}

super sun protection

ocean warriors looking for a better way to protect their skin from the sun may want to take a peek at vertra, hawaii's very own high performance spf created specifically for the needs of athletes battling the elements during their outdoor adventures.

the formula passed the rigorous testing required to meet the skin cancer foundation's seal of approval and has also received a ringing endorsement from the hawaiian lifeguard association. and, if you have ever wondered if your spf was still working, vertra's shelter tinted formula comes to the rescue with a hint of tint to help you see when it's time to reapply.

the premier line recently made its debut and is available at t&c and local motion (click on the news tab for the entire stockist list) as well as vertra's online shop.

the return of lanikai

the retro styling of 'oiwi's oh so pretty lanikai collection, which is exclusive to athleta, has finally made its long awaited return. in addition to those cute board shorts featured last summer, sophisticated screen printed bikinis and tankinis make their debut this season which can be mixed with lanikai's complimentary floral pattern.