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21 best sustainable swimwear brands to shop this summer
Stylish *and* planet-friendly 🌎 😍
Looking for sustainable swimwear for a summer in the UK or a long-awaited getaway somewhere tropical? You've come to the right place.
Swimwear isn't always in the good books when it comes to sustainability. Most swimsuits and bikinis tend to be made from synthetic plastic-based materials – such as nylon and polyester – as these fabrics are inexpensive, wick away moisture and have good stretch. However, this means that more energy and water are used to produce them as well as petrochemicals – chemicals derived from petroleum that has a large carbon footprint.
A lot of the unsustainable swimwear out there has also only been made to fulfil a short-lived trend and then to be replaced with the next best thing so that once your beach fave has been worn a few times and can no longer do its job, it will invariably end up in a landfill. Far from planet-friendly!
What can you do about it? Well, that's where sustainable swimwear comes in. With all the bleak news circulating these days, it is easy to feel that your actions as an individual won't make much of a difference. But while it's important for bigger companies to take responsibility, the little things you do can make an impact.
Niamh O'Laoighre, Product Development Manager at Finisterre, has witnessed this in the industry; "I used to go to trade fairs, and I would need to ask to see the sustainable and recycled fabrics, and they would wheel out a little selection. Over the years, that's really changed, and it's become the norm (to have many recycled fabrics.) But that's only because people are demanding it."
These days, a whole host of swimwear brands are stepping up and challenging the status quo with sustainably sourced, ethically made swimwear that's good for you and good for the planet. So, the next time you need a new swimming pool partner-in-crime, why not go the green route? Plus, you need only scroll through the selection below to see that the sustainable option doesn't have to mean lacking in style or quality.
Here's the WH edit of the sustainable swimwear brands you need to know about.
21 sustainable swimwear brands
Courtney Smith is Fashion Assistant at Cosmopolitan UK and Women's Health UK, where she works across both print and digital. She has been in the fashion industry for over nine years, initially as a model and later as a fashion assistant and writer in media. When she is not assisting on shoots with the likes of Tom Daley and Raye or bringing about a surge in online hula hoop sales, she can be found at the ponds getting in some quality time with her one true love: swimwear.
Maddy Alford is the Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan UK and Women's Health UK, covering fashion content online and in print. Maddy specialises in shopping galleries and first-person reviews of the best fashion buys, from jeans and jewellery to wedding dresses, gymwear, and winter coats. She also writes op-eds on on pop culture, viral fashion moments, travel journalism, fitness, and the LGBTQ+ community's relationship with style. Maddy is also a fashion stylist who has worked on over 100 photoshoots at Hearst, including those starring Raye, Niall Horan, and Lena Dunham. Previously, she has worked in fashion PR and e-commerce, including stints at ELLE US and UK, Net-a-Porter, InStyle, and Time Out New York. Maddy has ten years of experience in the fashion industry in both London and New York City, after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She is passionate about second-hand shopping, inclusive fashion, running on Regent's Canal, and finding London's cosiest pubs.
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