Vintage fashion does seem to reoccur in many ways. In the early 80's, there was a strong trend towards 40's and 50's style revivals. Designed by Susie Tompkins for Esprit, this 1981 group of tropical print summer sarongs and sun dresses is from the summer 1981 collection. Adaptions of sarong skirts, fashion bras, and strappy or strapless Hawaiian style beach dresses like these were wildly popular at that time.
Part of a marketing style for Esprit, this group of models was shot on location at Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey, in Florida.
The two Hawaiian print dresses above are from Esprit's summer 1980 collection. They both have a halter tie neckline with shirred elastic back to make the fit better and are styled with a hint at 40's Hollywood glamour.
from: Esprit, the Making of an Image, by Helene Robertson, 1985, with photos by Oliviero Toscani.
also: read more about Esprit in my first blog post last week, August 19, 2015