Wherever you live in the world, you probably own at least one swimsuit. When shopping for a new one, it can often be difficult to find the right one that fits well, but will also last you a long time. Most swimwear is made with unsustainable materials by people who are getting paid unfair wages. We need to be responsible with our shopping practices and be a conscious consumer, especially when it comes to clothes and other garments like swimwear. It’s not as popular to thrift swimwear- so if you’re going to buy it new, buy it from the right brands!
You can still shop responsibly with buying new swimwear by supporting brands who are sustainable and put the environment first. When looking around for a good brand to purchase from, make sure to read up on what materials they use, how they manufacture their products, why kind of dye they use, where it's made, who its made by, and even what kind of packaging they use to ship the swimwear to you. Looking on the "about" or "sustainability" section on brands websites is a great place to find this information. You can also contact them directly!
We recently conducted on poll to find our audience's favorite Hawaii made sustainable swimwear brands. Here's a few brands that our audience loves!
1) Farm Girl Kinis was definitely a fan favorite of our poll and now we know why. They have so many bikinis that aren't only cute, but sustainable too! It's all handmade in Molokai, Hawaii where it was inspired by their childhood memories of growing up in Hawaii. Not only are they handmade, but they make it important to be inclusive, supporting all sizes and shapes of women. If you're looking to support any small business, it's this one. They also sell bucket hats, pareos, and microfiber towels!
2) Island Swim is truly a unique swimwear brand as they incorporate using handpicked shells into their swimsuits. Each piece of their swimwear is also made with sustainable fabrics, comprised of recycled fishing nets, plastic bottles and other ocean pollution. It's also handmade in Hawaii by a local designer, Lilinoe Wedemeyer. Their bikinis are simple but so beautiful, not only physically but the message behind their brand as they've incorporated their love for Hawaiian culture.
3) Benoa Swim is another amazing sustainable swimwear brand based in Oahu, Hawaii. All of their swimsuits are made of 100% recycled fabrics!
They're single-use plastic free, only using compostable and reusable bags, and also don't use nylon and plastic hangtag strings. Their prints are beyond cute and are designed specially by Luna Courtois.
4) Makena Swim is based in Maui, Hawaii and is a small brand with big goals! They ensure each of their swimsuits are produced in sustainable ways in every step of the process.
All the printed swimsuits are made from recycled Lycra and they print their designs digitally, no water needed! If that's not good enough, they even have reusable packaging, a 100% cotton sack and seed tags (one's that you can actually plant to grow a daisy flower). All of their swimsuits are made by a family owned factory in Brazil, which they've worked with for over 20 years. With so many cute prints and designs, it's hard to resist purchasing from them!
5) Last but definitely not least is Kaiona Swim . They've incorporated sustainability in every aspect of their brand including 100% recycled paper hang tags, plastic-free mailers, 100% recycled tissue paper, and shipping labels using unbleached natural kraft paper. Their bikinis are handmade in Bali, using eco-friendly inks and high-quality regenerated nylon fabric.
They are very transparent about their practices and exactly what a conscious consumer should look for when purchasing sustainable swimwear! Each of their bikinis come in such cute designs that'll make you feel good, both for your body and knowing you're helping the planet!
We also polled our audiences favorite national sustainable swimwear brands, here's a few of them!
1) Tiller is a sustainable swimwear company that uses recycled materials to make their swimwear. In their 2021 collection, most of their swimsuits were made up of biodegradable nylon. They have reusable packaging and 100% recyclable materials.
Their bikinis are produced in Los Angeles and their fabric is created and designed in Brazil. We love how open they are on their website about sustainability and how they manufacture their swimwear, it really tells you how important protecting our planet means to this company! They also offer other clothing besides swimwear like leggings, sports bras and skirts to workout in.
2) Zulu and Zephyr is a super cute swimwear brand that has sustainability engrained into its core. Their swimsuits are made from recycled materials or in other words ECONYL. It is yarn made through the process of recovering fishing nets and other nylon waste. They also use REPREVE polyester yarn which is composed of post consumer plastic bottles- SUPER COOL!
They have so many different designs and styles to choose from, it'll be hard not to purchase them all! They have different colors ranging from neutrals to bright ones that'll make you stand out, solid prints or designs, and a range from lot's of coverage to a little bit!
3) Toast Swim uses all recycled materials to make their swimwear. They are dedicated to protecting the Earth and creating beautiful swimwear to make people feel good in their bodies, while empowering and inspiring them!
They have so many lovely swimwear designs to choose from! If you want something with more coverage, they have one pieces in a variety of colors! They have bandeau tops or triangle tops, whatever your heart desires!
These are just a few of the many sustainable swimwear brands out there these days! Many more sustainable swim brands are being created and some swimwear companies are incorporating sustainability into their values. Either way, both are doing great things for the planet which is what we love! Now's the time to make a difference and become a conscious consumer when shopping for clothing and swimwear. Go out there and make a difference!
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