Five Sustainable Swimwear Brands for the Summer
Image courtesy of @you.swim on Instagram
The summer season is nearly here, and if your beachwear needs an update, then these ethical and sustainable brands are ones to watch out for. There will be no £1 bikinis here, all of the brands selected put ethics and sustainability at the forefront of their business. They are disrupting the swimwear industry for the better.
Image courtesy of @you.swim on Instagram
1 - You Swim -
As termed by Elle magazine as ‘actual magic’, You Swim is one of the leaders in the sustainable swimwear space this year. They use one size for their pieces which is stretchable enough so that it fits seven sizes in one.
Everything is made in England via local makers who are fairly paid. Each piece uses EU-sourced premium Nylon yarn that according to their website ‘reduces material transportation emissions’. The Nylon is the key to the stretch in their pieces, as over time and with the right care their pieces will adapt to our ever- changing bodies.
Image courtesy of @fisch.swim on Instagram
2 - Fisch
An ‘eco-innovative’ label Fisch offers statement swimwear that helps to clean waste from the Ocean. They were one of the very first brands to use ECONYL®, an ingenious fabric that creates 100% regenerated nylon fibres from ocean waste. Examples of this waste are fishing nets to single-use plastic found in the ocean which otherwise can endanger sea creatures.
All of their pieces are made in Lombardy, Italy and designed in St Barts. Their supply chain is as ethical as possible with their fabric mill not located far from where their swimwear is made. They pride themselves on reducing their carbon footprint and making their supply chain as carbon neutral as they can.
Image courtesy of @evarae_ on Instagram
3 - Evarae
Evarae is a brand that want to be part of a fashion movement that adapts and improves its offering so that it offers customers high quality swimwear that is equally sustainable and ethical.
They use innovative new materials such as Lyocell as a cotton alternative as it creates a perfect ‘closed loop production’. But that is not all, they continue to work with One Tree Planted that offsets every order.
They also believe in the mantra of buying less but better and so began a free repair service and a recycling initiative. This means that their customers can hand in used and unwanted swimwear from any brand, and it will be responsibly regenerated by them.
Image courtesy of @davyjs on Instagram
4 - Davy J
A brand designed for the wild. Their motto is their pieces are a ‘new kind of beachwear - one that you can swim in’’. They want their pieces to last a lifetime and are the antithesis of fast throwaway fashion.
They use Econyl, the regenerated nylon that uses ocean waste and fishing nets. It is reported on average that 640,000 tons of fishing nets are left in the ocean each and every year.
Their pieces have been cleverly designed for support and durability. Each piece is double lined and rubber edging allows their pieces to stay strong and in the same condition after getting out of the water. Thus, lasting their customers swim after swim.
Image courtesy of @awaythatday on Instagram
5 - Away That Day
Away That Day was born after the founder's Ingemae love for travel and how the swimmer that was on the market at the time was neither ‘eco’ or ‘sexy’. She didn’t want to compromise on either of these factors and so ‘Away That Day’ was born.
All of their pieces are made in the heart of London and their workers are paid above the minimum wage. They also offer a ‘recycle your swim’ initiative. It is in this initiative where swimwear from any brand will be recycled into new materials such as eco-carpet underlay and other textiles products. Everything from their mailers, swing tags to the bags that hold their swimwear, everything is fully compostable and biodegradable and made from corn-starch. As a company they are also fully carbon neutral too.
They also partner with Canopy, an association who make sure everything sourced is not from an endangered or ancient forest.