Eco-friendly Swimming Brands You Need To Know About!
Wednesday, April 20, 2022 As the summer approaches, many of us will be looking to go away. I love swimming, and it's one of the best ways to cool yourself down during a hot day. However, did you know your swimming costume isn't very eco-friendly? If you're looking to cut down on fast fashion and make eco-friendly swaps, here are some of the best ethical swimsuit brands to look out for!
Why Are Swimsuits Bad For The Planet?
I recently read an article that opened my eyes to the damaging effects of swimming costumes. Like most clothing, swimsuits use synthetic materials, often plastic-based. It means that the fibres will never break down, so they contribute to landfill. Each year, 336,000 tonnes of clothing get thrown into landfill. A lot of which are brand new and could have had a second life. We typically purchase a few swimsuits each year because the fabric degrades or we want new styles. Our consumer habits mean that even more swimming costumes get thrown away. Not only that, but the microfibres that shed from the fabric get into the water supply. It can harm marine animals and wildlife and make it into our food chain. A recent study showed that 1/4 of fish we eat contains plastic.
Can A Swimsuit Be Sustainable?
Like most things, being 100% eco-friendly can be difficult to achieve. For example, some brands will use recycled fabrics for their swimming costumes. While this is better, you still need fast fashion brands to make nylon swimming costumes. You're keeping it out of a landfill, so it is better for the environment. I think purchasing an eco-friendly swimming costume is better than buying one from Primark. You're making an effort to change your buying habits, and hopefully, more sustainable options will be available soon.
Keep an eye out for ethical costumes which say ethically produced rather than eco-friendly. Ethically produced costumes mean that they're fair trade, pay their workers a fair wage and are cruelty-free. Sustainable or eco-friendly means that they're better for the planet, not just the people who make them. They may use biodegradable, recycled or eco-friendly material. You should know the difference as ethical doesn't always mean eco-friendly!
Asos Recycled Swimming Costumes
No, I am not saying that Asos is an eco-friendly brand. However, I know that sustainable swimming costumes can be expensive. Some of the brands below have swimming costumes in the £30+ range, which isn't affordable for some people. If you search for recycled polyester swimming costumes, not only will you find some of the brands below, but you'll find Asos design too. There were some cute options, all around £20 or less. There were also options for men. I saw a few pairs of Ralph Lauren trunks, in case you're not ready to let go of your brands. You can start with Asos when making an eco-friendly wardrobe. It's more accessible as sometimes eco-friendly clothing can be expensive, although it lasts longer! Please note, it's still a fast-fashion brand, and it's only the recycled stuff!
Monki
Monki is one of my favourite eco-friendly brands. I have fallen in love with their ethos. Not only do they provide casual clothing, but they sell swimming costumes too! Their swimming costumes are good quality, and there are so many styles to pick. Monki is where I am going to be purchasing swimming costumes from this summer! I have also found this to be one of the most affordable eco-friendly shops around. With costumes around £10, what's not to love? Here are some other reasons to fall in love with Monki!
- Their cotton products are 100% sustainably sourced
- They only use vegan leather
- All their swimming costumes are from recycled materials
- Their stores offer garment & textile recycling
- They use renewable energy to power their offices
Kymina
Kymina doesn't offer a wide range of swimming costumes. They are simple, classic designs and are in a small number of colours. I love the 1950's inspired bikini, which has a twist front. The bottoms are high waisted, and it looks very flattering. While there aren't many designs to choose from, Kymina keeps swimming costumes eco-friendly and simple. There is a bikini for each decade, so you'll find something that appeals to your taste! On their site, there are lots of feature articles that show celebrities showing off these swimsuits. If you want to be fashionable, this is the brand for you!
Batoko
Batoko has turned 300,000 plastic bottles into swimming costumes! Their bright and unique designs use recycled materials to flatter all body shapes and sizes. Based on the North West coast, this independent brand also supports sustainable causes on the side! Their swimming costumes are £50, which is pricey, but they tend to be long lasting with proper care. There are lots of bright designs to choose from, all centred around animals. They also have a really in-depth care guide so you can be sure to make the most out of your swimming costume.
Stay Wild Swimwear
Stay Wild is more on the pricier side, but you'll be sure to find a swimming costume you love. The designs are similar to those you'd find in fast fashion shops, so you'll still look trendy. They also sell a range of sustainable underwear, in case you're looking to make more ethical swaps to your wardrobe! They use fishing nets and other unwanted ocean waste to make their swimming costumes. If you have watched Seaspiracy, you'll know how beneficial that is to the environment! I love the range of colours and modern designs, so this is definitely the place to look for cute swimwear! Not only is their swimwear eco-friendly, but they use a net-zero carbon approach to shipping and ethical standards.
Marble Swimwear
If you're looking for gorgeous, Instagrammable swimwear, this is the place to look. Marble swimwear mainly sells bikinis, but I have never seen a cuter range of sustainable swimwear. Each piece is handmade in Bali and uses recycled plastic to make them. I love the range of pieces, but it's not the best site for the body-conscious shopper. There are also some poolside options to choose from if you're staying around a resort! There is a range of mixable colour and designs. You can create the perfect bikini for around £60.
Finisterre
For the more athletic swimmers, Finisterre offers a range of racerback swimming costumes and wetsuits. Finisterre is also one of the only brands on this list to create eco-friendly options for men. I liked scrolling through the site to see all of the surfer style swimsuits they had to offer. Their prices are around £85 for a swimming costume, but the fabric is durable and quality. Also made from recycled plastic, their swimming costumes come in a range of sporty styles and colours. They also use yulex to make some of their costumes. Yulex is a natural rubber that uses 80% less carbon than other wetsuit fabrics. You can also find a range of everyday and outdoor clothing on the website!
Swim Society
The Swim Society is a brand built to empower women. Body shape and size isn't an issue here, and it's one reason I wanted to share this brand. Based in the UK, Swim Society focuses on sustainability, transparency and inclusivity. Each bikini or swimming costume is around £50-60, but the sizes are more inclusive to all women. In the descriptions, it tells you how the number of bottles used to make the garment, and it comes with a garment bag made from offcuts. You can store your swimming costume in an eco-friendly way and reduce the amount of factory waste there is produced!
Sea & Stream
If you love outdoor adventures, this is the shop for you. Sea and stream create eco-friendly swimming costumes for both men and women. Their designs are more affordable at around £50 per costume, but it varies on design and style. You'll find a whole range of other outdoor items made from recycled materials. For example, you can buy beach bags made from deck chair fabric! I really love this brand, and I highly recommend it! Sea & Steam also allow you to recycle your old goggles and hats with them. They use the swim hats for projects and provide goggles to underprivileged communities for free swimming lessons.
Woodlike Ocean
If you're looking to build a healthy lifestyle, I'd recommend shopping at Woodlike. Using 100% eco-friendly fabric, Woodlike have created gorgeous activewear and swimwear. You can find lots of cute yoga leggings and get a matching bikini! Their designs are elegant, and many of them are reversible, so you get two patterns in one! For most of your purchases, a donation will go to sustainable charities. Packaging is kept to a minimum and is recyclable, so you're helping the planet every step of the way.
Swimming costumes get replaced quite frequently. Why not start your eco-friendly journey this summer? There are so many pretty designs that I have found, many of which are affordable. While some of them are on the pricier side, they tend to last a lot longer than fast fashion alternatives. Every little step to a more eco-friendly lifestyle makes a difference in the long run. Have I missed a brand off? I'd love to hear what eco-friendly swimming costume brands you're loving this year!
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14 comments
Interesting post. I have no idea there are eco-friendly sustainable swimsuits. Thank you for mentioning these brands
ReplyDeleteI love that you hvae been able to find so many brands making sustainable swimwear. I must admit, I didn't realise you could make swimwear different like this, but it is great that they are. The fashion/clothing industry is one of the biggest polluters, so it makes sense to try and reduce it down!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing :)
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
I loved reading this! I follow a few sustainable swimwear brands on Insta including Ohoy Swim. This post is so important for awareness xx
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of Monki - definitely going to have a browse of their website! x
ReplyDeleteWow okay, how incredibly naive of me not to consider how bad for the environment swimming wear is, due to the materials. I mean, it's obvious when you think about it. I haven't had to buy any new swimwear in YEARS but when I do, I will 100% be referring back to this post! x
ReplyDeleteI'm in need of all new swimming costumes, bikinis, the lot so this post has arrived at the perfect time!
ReplyDeleteRosie
Loved reading this and was actually thinking to look out for swimwear that was sustainable and got into a dark hole! Thank you for sharing this x
ReplyDeleteMonki is one of my favourite places to buy clothes yet I've never tried any of their swimwear! Thanks for sharing x
ReplyDeleteIt's encouraging to see more and more eco-friendly items (and brands) coming out, and I've not considered swimwear falling into this category before so thank you for the info!
ReplyDeleteMonki is the only place were I have bought a swimsuit lately and it's such a staple! Will check the rest out x
ReplyDeleteLovely post! Sustainable shopping is definitely really important and I'm ashamed to admit that I'd never considered where I bought my swimsuits from before. Monki sounds really interesting and I'm definitely going to be looking into them more! Thanks for sharing x
ReplyDeleteThese are great sustainable swimwear brands! Monki swimsuits are so nice! x
ReplyDeleteLucy | www.lucymary.co.uk
I had no idea that swimsuits could be made to be sustainable! Thanks for sharing and providing some suggestions.
ReplyDeleteWow! I loved this. Before now, I have never heard of any of the sustainable swimming costume brands that you mentioned. I'll check them out.
ReplyDelete