There was a time when the only swimsuits with a conscience were the kind that made you look good, even in the unforgiving fluorescent of the dressing room; but, now swimwear designers are catching up to the eco-fashion trend and offering consumers a range of eco-friendly bathing suits to choose from.
More so than its haute couture cousins, swimwear has a lot of work to do. If you’ve ever had a vulnerable moment in a bathing suit, you know how important it is to ensure that the material is up to the job of maintaining its shape, drying quickly, and resisting both chemicals like chlorine and natural elements like salt and sunlight. In the past, the only materials that could handle the workload were synthetic, but thankfully new textile techniques have produced sturdy natural fabrics and led to greener manufacturing practices.
Look for bathing suits that are made of cotton (organic and recycled cotton, too), or of recycled nylon or polyester. There are also some fabric brands, like Repreve that are made of a large variety of perhaps more non-traditional recycled materials.
Check the hang tags and clothing tags for green manufacturing or trade certifications such as Oeko-Tex, GOTS, and Ecocert. Each of these certifications takes into consideration parts of the textile creation process, like the sourcing of the raw materials, the chemicals involved in the cleaning and dying process, the actual dyes used, and the distribution process.
Eco-Friendly Swim Wear Options
Jungle Gurl
Owner and former-model, Natalie Golonka, uses recycled, vintage fabrics that she finds on her travels. Her one-of-a-kind bikinis are celebrity favorites. Buy it online or find a store near you.
Odina Surf
Odina, which means divine creative inspiration, swimwear is made with recycled nylon and organic cotton tags. The company is committed to fair manufacturing practices in the U.S.A. and they maintain an eco-friendly office space, including the online store, which is hosted on a 100% wind powered server.
Buy it online or at these locations.
Eco Swim by Aqua Green
This 4th generation family-run company not only creates swimwear from sustainable materials but, they also participate in beach and waterway clean up projects and other ocean conservation initiatives. They received a Good Housekeeping Seal of approval after being reviewed, tested and verified by the Good Housekeeping lab team. Buy it at these retailers.
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