Let's Talk: Swimwear

Bikinis that are as good for the bod as the ocean

Jun 22, 2024

Let’s Talk Materials is a series on AND I’VE BEEN SAYING THAT! with a laser-focus on how clothes are made & how they affect our bodies and/or ecosystems. If you’re new, the first one on knitwear is here and the second on activewear is here.

Swimwear is massively underutilized. Each summer consists of a collective overconsumption of poorly-cut bikinis in new styles that are either worn every day until they fall apart at the end of the summer, or put into rotation and never see the light of day more than two or three times because there’s too much choice.

I have bought plenty of shitty swimsuits, so I should know! It’s not fun nor body-positive-crazy-sexy-cool to be worrying about frayed ends, saggy/stretched cloth, faded pigments, or skin reactions to synthetics. Particularly when most of us are only wearing bikinis three months a year — can you imagine buying a jacket in March that became structurally unwearable come May?? Our swim should never end up as waste, nor should it be incapable of weathering the storm for more than one season.

So let’s talk materials!!!!

I SAID WHAT I SAID ABOUT SYNTHETICS ALREADY

They’re worse for us than you think… just ask previous Ryann who wrote about how the synthetics in our activewear often contain PFAS and act as endocrine disruptors!! It’s no different on the beach than in the weight room.

To be fair to intentional design, synthetic materials were originally designed with the short-term practicality of the wearer in mind: stretchy, easy to dry, comfortable for swimming or more active water sports performance. Now it’s just the cheap and easy option, isn’t it?

My advice? Avoid buying new virgin nylon and polyester. My piece on activewear spoke a bit more on organic materials, TENCEL, and dye treatments that are OEKO-TEX certified aka safe chemicals, but ECONYL is seemingly more popular among the swim crowd. ECONYL is a regenerated nylon collected from oceans and landfill that more brands are beginning to implement in its place, able to mimic the stretchy-soft and resilient capabilities of its predecessor. Another option is hemp, which is incredibly breathable, and growing it is better for the soil and wastes less water than cotton.

Don’t feel like you need to add to cart immediately: with your existing swim, you can handwash in cold water to reduce microfiber release, or run laundry in short cycles at low spin and cool temperatures.

L to R: Emilio Pucci '70, @clareccole, @keliamoniz for Roxy

WASTING OUR WATER

Oceans, seas and bays make up 96.5% of the Earth’s water. The trillions of plastic pieces polluting these waters is disrupting marine life and its ecosystems, much of which has been observed in the rapid decline of coral reefs in the last few decades. Believe it or not, swimwear is one of the largest violators responsible due to its non-biodegradable synthetics that either end up in landfills, the air via incineration, or the ocean itself.

Textiles are the largest source of both primary and secondary microplastics. They enter our sewage system, often being too small to be collected by the wastewater treatment plants. Even those microfibers which are captured can end up in our oceans, because treatment plant sludge is frequently used as a fertiliser, from which it enters waterways.

The plastics accumulating in our oceans represent a vast, uncontrollable source of future emissions, given that they emit progressively more gas as they slowly degrade. They pose serious danger to our marine ecosystems, and to human health by way of our food, water and clothing sources. Our flirty triangle tops aren’t so cute when they become a threat to our ability to live well on this Earth.

When it comes to material solutions, it’s not clear-cut. But we need to try anyway!!! A polyester shirt can have more than double the carbon footprint of a cotton shirt, yet synthetics generally have less impact on water and land overall in comparison to cotton. Synthetic fibers made from recycled materials like plastic bottles or reclaimed fishing nets have around 50% lower emissions than using virgin fossil fuels,but the microfiber release is likely to be the same.

That’s why it’s incredibly important for us to consider impact both when we shop + how we care for our swim in use. Try to focus on nonvirgin synthetics or organic materials, wash with care using filters to catch microplastics, and check for recycling schemes if you’re looking to part ways with an old swimsuit!

SWIM SHOP SHORTLIST

Vitamin A uses a high proportion of recycled materials and uses a waterless design process to reduce pollution in their production.

September is a timeless surf and swimwear label with an inclusive size range, from XS-2XL.

Spell Byron Bay is the OG modern Aussie boho label that uses ECONYL® Regenerated Nylon in sizes 2XS-2XL.

Ayla Swim uses vibrant prints made from Tencel, organic cotton or Repreve® Nylon, created from 100% recycled materials, in all their products.

Peony keeps things classic but elevated for timeless style made from ECONYL® Regenerated Nylon.

MOOD BOARD

I’m kind of loving all the accessories surrounding swim — what you wear to cover up to and from the beach, waist chains, an extra piece for sun protection (rash guards are kinda cute again!!), crocheted wraps and silk scarves and tea towel-esque prints. For the longest time, I was obsessed with Kelia Moniz who’s a professional surfer in Hawaii and just so happens to be Hailey Bieber’s best friend, and as such have a soft spot for anything remotely attached to the surfer girl lifestyle. Yes I have a straw hat and cargos and Havianas. I’m convincing myself ONE DAY I’ll do a vacation with surfing lessons!

On the flip, I also gravitate towards a cowboy hat or worn in baseball hat + boxer shorts, or a sort of Emilio Pucci/Versace printed set. Djerf Avenue recently came out with a Frankie’s Bikinis collab that includes a micro to end all micros skirt on a pair of swim bottoms that can only be described as darling, in my humble opinion. I’m all over the place, perhaps, but anything that injects a little juice in the summer vibes machine and I’m gonna head that way!