This navy blue and white harlequin woven wicker print one piece swimsuit playsuit by Sun Babies of Hawaii features a brilliant bird novelty print on the center front.
The entire back side is shirred/smocked, the front panel shows as a very short cut skirt.
The front bodice has a darted empire cut with a flattering tapered lapel flap along the front top seam.
This has a center front panel that features a fabulous, brightly colored bird (pheasant, maybe? Bird of paradise?) print, the tail tip extends up onto the (wearer’s) left breast. The bird is in colors of red, yellow and royal blue with gray detailing, all on a white background.
The straps are 5/8” wide and 20.75” long each. There are two buttonholes at the ends to adjust the length.
Depending on how this fits, the straps can be worn straight back up and over the shoulder, or, possibly criss-crossed in back. For sunning, they can be unbuttoned and tucked in.
This is labeled as a Small, please check our measurements below to allow for a best fit.
The seam directly under the bust is only 9” wide; on each side and then extending all the way around and back to the other side it is all smocked/shirred.
The very top has a casing seam with elastic inside to provide a nice fit.
The bust, then is approximate with all that back stretch: 13” across the darted front bust area, plus 18” (laid flat) up to 22” of shirring for an approximate 35” bust.
The waist is 31” and doesn’t have much stretch left in it; the shirring may benefit from being redone along that area.
34” (at rest) up to 40” (measured at bottom of front panel hem,
18” at rest, up to 22” around each leg opening.
The crotch inseam is 1.75” long.
The center front panel is shapely, measuring
9” under the bustline seam tapering to
7” at it’s narrowest (waist) and then curves back out to
10.5” wide at the hem.
Our mannequin is a standard size 6, for visual size comparison’s sake.
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Sun Babies of Hawaii was in business as early as the 40s, but wasn’t incorporated until 1958; then, in 1959 they joined the prestigious Hawaiian Fashion Guild whose membership included Alfred Shaheen, Tori Richard, Kahala Sportswear, Iolani Sportswear, and Kamehameha Garment Company.
They produced mommy and me sets in the 50s and 60s, and then it appears they focused more on children and teen clothing in later years.
We have seen some collectors display their novelty print swimsuits in a shadow box to really show them off best.
We are a member of The VFG, The Vintage Fashion Guild.
