Blog / BVI

At HIHO we put a lot effort into our prints. We design most of them right here in Tortola. Our surroundings are our inspiration- the ocean, all the boats & yachts, sea life, plus the mountains and blue sky, and our Caribbean island culture.  And therefore, with some fanfare, we give you our Weekend print, which is the star of our Summer collection.  Designed by our talented friend Laura, the Weekend print features a lovely collection of island life.  You will find the weekend print on our linen dresses & tops and wonderful 100% pima cotton knit dresses. Plus on our men’s linen shirts.

Are you ready to elevate your Spring Break style game? Introducing the brand new Sophia Dress and our best-selling Bananakeet Dress in ALL NEW PRINTS -discover the Palm Print, ZigZag, Fan Print and more!!

Sophia Dress: Effortless Elegance

The Sophia Dress is the epitome of effortless elegance. Its flattering silhouette and lightweight linen fabric make it ideal for beachside strolls or brunch with friends. Available in vibrant new prints inspired by tropical blooms and ocean hues, the Sophia Dress adds a touch of sophistication to your Spring Break look.

Pair it with strappy sandals and a wide-brimmed hat for a chic daytime ensemble, or dress it up with statement earrings and wedges for a night out on the town. However you style it, the Sophia Dress is sure to turn heads wherever you go.

Bananakeet Dress: Island Vibes

If you're dreaming of palm trees swaying in the breeze and crystal-clear waters, the Bananakeet Dress is your go-to choice. Made from breezy linen and featuring playful new prints, this dress exudes laid-back island vibes perfect for your Spring Break getaway.

Whether you're exploring local markets, lounging by the pool, or sipping cocktails at sunset, the Bananakeet Dress keeps you cool and stylish all day long. Its versatile design transitions seamlessly from day to night, making it a suitcase essential for any tropical escape.

Why Choose Linen?

Both the Sophia Dress and Bananakeet Dress are crafted from high-quality linen, a fabric known for its breathability and timeless appeal. Linen keeps you comfortable in warm weather by allowing airflow and wicking away moisture, ensuring you stay cool and fresh under the sun.

Linen also adds a touch of luxury to your Spring Break wardrobe. Its natural texture and relaxed drape give off a casual-chic vibe that's perfect as a beach coverup or a night out!

Shop Now and Embrace Spring Break Style

Ready to dive into Spring Break fashion with the Sophia Dress and Bananakeet Dress? Visit our website to explore the latest prints and get ready to make a splash on your vacation!

SHOP DRESSES NOW

An update to our most popular blog post ever. Our 2022 BVI Travel Guide is here! 

The British Virgin Islands are…. Known as the some of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean, and really the World.  Known for great sailing the islands close proximity is a boaters paradise.  

First time visiting?….  The sailing is excellent.  The BVI also offers great snorkeling, surfing and board sports, like wing foiling and kite surfing.  Or just relax on one of our beautiful beaches.  Grab a cold beer or a rum drink and find a coconut tree.

Casual & easy going…. The BVI vibe is casual and easy going. Shorts and T-shirts rule and linen is a great option to dress up a bit. Shop our HIHO linen styles online here. You may need a light sweater in the winter when nighttime temps drop below 80 degrees! 

Surf or SUP…. Tortola and some of the outer islands feature some of the Caribbean best waves for surfing.  Cane Garden Bay is a World class point break!  If you like to SUP then there are plenty of wonderful spots- our favourites include Little Jost Van Dyke and the South side of Beef Island.  Wing foiling is the new hot Watersport and we offer lots of windy and flat water venues to choose from. Our UPF50 Shirts are perfect for all day sun protection, shop here online. 

Honeymooners…. Nothing better than spending a week in a small private villa or aboard your own yacht.  There are lots of private anchorages and plenty of deserted islands you can call your own.  Check out the tiny beach on the North West corner of Fallen Jerusalem, which is a stone’s throw from the tip of Virgin Gorda.

Best Island Cocktail…. Check out a Painkiller at Hendo’s Hideout on White Bay, Jost Van Dyke.  Or mix your own rum punch- 1 part lime and OJ; 2-parts combined white and dark rum; 3/4 part of simple syrup; generous dash of Angostura bitters.  Shake and enjoy.  If you let this sit overnight it tastes even better!

Best Sunset vantage…. Watch the sun go down from the beach bar at the Anegada Reef Hotel.  It’s priceless!

A perfect day is…. Sail down the Sur Francis Drake Channel and across to Sandy Spit.  Rig you Wingfoil gear and island hop down to White Bay (with your yacht following you…).  Have a Painkiller at Hendo’s Hideout.  Stay for dinner, or Scott back up to Great Harbour and eat at Foxy’s.

Best Shopping…  The BVI are not really known for great shopping, but check out the Beach House Boutique at Rosewood Little Dix Resort on Virgin Gorda. It has the best collection of casual and elegant island apparel and gifts. Treat yourself to a sumptuous meal at the Sugar Mill restaurant, which is located a stone’s throw from the boutique.  

Secret Spot…. Stay at one of Long Bay Beach Resorts new beach front rooms. Take long walks down the powdery sand beach and enjoy their Thai curry’s for a quiet and romantic meal.

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) are located to the East of Puerto Rico.  Collectively there are over 60 islands, cays and rocks that comprise the territory which is still a part of Great Britain.  Year round weather is very agreeable with temperature ranging from the mid-70's in the Winter to low-90's in the Summer.  English is the official language and the currency is the US Dollar. The best way to get here is to fly to St Thomas (in the US Virgin Islands) and come across by ferry. We hope you visit soon!

 Shop our BVI gear for your next visit here.

Nestled in the corner of Road Town is HOUSE, an oasis of good taste and design. 

Owned and run by Fran Samuels who has lived in the British Virgin Islands for 27-years, HOUSE sells interior décor, gift items and our HIHO line of clothing.  Adding clothing to the mix was a good move says Fran. And HIHO’s linen collection is perfect for life in the islands.  “Linen is such a perfect fabrication for the Caribbean,” she says.  “And the HIHO collection sells so well.”  

HOUSE also sells our wovens and knits, and all our men’s linen shirts.  “The best sellers are the bananakeet and Ginnie shift dress, and the men’s shirts. Visit the website here for HOUSE. 

About HIHO:

Inspired by life in the Caribbean HIHO makes casual & comfortable clothing including linen shirts and sweaters, beach dresses, shorts, pants and soft cotton tees.

Our HIHO clothing is based on the tropical lifestyle we love so much, and is influenced by our pristine environment and island life. Our clothing is soft, designed to be functional, colorful and comfortable in a chic island way. The casual, cool and elegant designs and our original prints are the hallmark of the HIHO brand. Shop here

The Bitter End, our favourite BVI sailing destination and resort, was levelled by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The new Bitter End just opened and we wanted to report that it is awesome in every way.  Really a shadow of the former resort, the new property features a couple docks that can handle practically any size yacht (the J-Boat Ranger was alongside when were there this week), a restaurant, two bars and some shopping.  There are also two waterfront rooms and some great lounge spaces.  

The new resort has kept the best of the old Bitter End, plus some really cool upgrades.  We loved the new architecture and nautical decor- it’s in-keeping with the former resort and you’ll really love it if you are a sailor.  Standouts from our trip were the food, and the personal attention from the chef.  

We also loved seeing former Bitter End employees back on the job!  Our waitress was a friend from years ago and she served us tasty food and delicious drinks.  We’re not sure what plans the resort has but there is plenty of room for expansion, which we look forward to.

We’ve enjoyed running events for as long as we can remember (in fact our brand name originated from the eponymous inter-island windsurfing race and adventure). This year’s Painkiller Cup race on January 16th was a great example of why we love events, and what makes them great. In a very “off” year we thought we’d struggle to get competitors to commit but were pleasantly surprised to have 33-racers on the starting line at Sandy Cay. 

To accommodate the smaller number of racers, the course was designed downwind to White Bay on Jost Van Dyke, where the finish was off @hendoshideoutbvi. The course was about 45-50-minutes long for better racers, and around 90-120 minutes for the less experienced.

The weather was gorgeous with plenty of sun, light wind and small waves pushing everyone down towards White Bay. What made the event great were all of our friends and family racing together. We were additionally happy to get many compliments afterwards to say how much fun the event was.  Things are very quiet in the BVI right now and the Painkiller Cup gave a shot of fun and excitement to Hendo’s Hideout and beautiful White Bay!

Check out our limited edition 2021 Painkiller Cup suntek shirts online! They come in blue and white for both men and women and have built in UPF50 protection. Click here to shop.

HIHO started in 1979 as inter-island windsurfing race through the Virgin Islands. In the 1980’s it was known as the Hook In & Hold On, and was sponsored by Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey.  A youthful Andy Morrell took first place in the 1986 edition, and then went on to buy the event.  With the name shortened to HIHO and a fun sun graphic logo the event was re-started in 1983 and endured for another 20-years.  Famous for a week of great windsurf racing, a yacht flotilla and legendary parties, the HIHO race was one of the biggest water sports events on the Caribbean.  And the sun graphic logo shirts evolved into today’s HIHO brand of island inspired apparel.

It’s a funny thing about visiting the Caribbean but tourists like to leave some proof they were there.  The great bars of the Caribbean are adorned with license plates, business cards, intimate apparel and visitor photos.  Graffiti too, as in writing your name, some summary of the experience and the date.  Stickers, though, are by far the most popular.  At HIHO we are happily on this bandwagon and leave our mark at our favorite bars & watering holes.  Our great friends at Sticker Mule help us by making it easy to source stickers, which we tastefully affix here and there.

We scooted down to Antigua to see our friends paddle into English Harbour finishing the 3,000 mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 30 days, 2 hours and 12 minutes. Team Antigua raced spectacularly, finishing 2nd and, along with the teams in 1st and 3rd, breaking the record to row across the Atlantic.

The welcome was boisterous. Boats big and small ventured offshore to meet the boys as they approached Antigua. When they were five miles upwind of the finish more than a dozen boats and one guy on a paddle board surrounded them. The cliffs were lined with hundreds of people while the entrance to English Harbour was choked with craft of all kind. At the finish line a might cheer arose as horns blared. the team fired off red flares waving to the spectators around them. Then, as they slowly rowed to the finish dock the yachts in the bay let loose their horns creating a cacophony of cheering, booming horns. Antiguan flags were everywhere.

The team reached the dock and were enveloped by a sea of cheering Antiguan's waving flags and dancing. A half dozen drones buzzed above everything. The spectacle was quite moving, and made all the more poignant when team leader Eli Fuller pulled up to the microphone after a host of government officials had taken their credit for the epic journey. Eli said that the most wonderful thing was the support from his island which followed the race hour by hour. He was right! Kids discussed the race in school, parents bought hundreds of our HIHO Team Antigua Suntek Shirts and the media posted daily news updates.

The team representing one of the smallest nations on the planet and they raced their hearts out and almost won. And, in case you wondered, we supplied them HIHO suntek SPF 50 shirts which they wore every day protecting them from the UV Rays.