Be quick. Sun is out. Read: cool swimwear sells out fast.
But what does a girl wear to the beach these days?
This style edit takes you along my research for swimwear for hot summer days. It includes bathing suits - from full coverage to a-symmetric minimalism, bikini’s - in all the colors and styles of the rainbow, flip flops and other water resistant footwear and the occasional accessories.
Most of the curated swim wear is made with ECONYL®, a fibre brand that transforms nylon waste, such as fishing nets or textile production scraps, into a new yarn, having the same characteristics as nylon made off virgin raw material. ECONYL makes us less depending on oil - 60% off the clothes world wide are made of synthetic fibers - and keeps plastic out of the oceans and landfills. The beauty of ECONYL® is that it has the potential to be recycled infinitely, without ever losing its quality.
But there is more goodness done by the brands covered in this summer's sustainable swim wear edition. At the very bottom of this page you will find a list of all the brands, including a summary of their sustainable actions.
For hot summer days
Life's a beach
SUMMER 2021
Brands in this style edit
Mostly vegan shoe and clothing brand from Barcelona. Their pre-order system allows them to accurately anticipate demand levels prior to production. Shoes are handcrafted in Alicante by trusted artisans in nearby production facilities. Sustainable swimwear is made with regenerated ECONYL nylon and UPF 50+ sun protection. The zero waste selection of sustainable beachwear ranges from one piece suits to eco-friendly bikini styles in everything from staple colors to bold patterns.
ALES GREY
Footwear brand that is currently funding money on Kickstarter for this new eco-friendly Crocs look a like. Shoes are made with XL EXTRALIGHT, a high quality sustainable foam containing 51% recycled materials. The patented technology allows a saving of 50% new mineral resources. The entire solar-powered manufacturing process requires zero water consumption and creates no waste. Wow that's a lot of goodness! Let's hope to see more of this innovative and sustainable material within the footwear industry. Manufactured in Le Marche, Italy. Based in Los Angeles.
ARAKS
Underwear brand creates bright coloured delicates, partly using ECONYL and GOTS cotton. The brand is open about its goals and progress. Based and made in the USA.
The swimwear only brand uses ECONLY for her entire collection. The Amsterdam based ships in biodegradable packaging.
The happy-go-lucky brand makes simple, playful things for everyday living. Their sustainability efforts focus on the elimination and minimization of waste in their operations and production processes and to increase durability. The brand works with organic cotton and recycled Nylon. Brand is based and ships from the USA. They have several resellers across Europe.
A swim and resort wear brand. The entire swimwear collection is made using ECONYL. The products are made in Portugal and Italy. The brand is Dutch based and ships CO2 neutral in biodegradable packaging.
CAVIA
Cult brand Cavia is an upcycling and eco-friendly clothing brand, founded and made in Italy. Each reworked item is individually assembled as one of a kind. The whole collection is created with vintage items, excess of production yarn and sustainable fabrics
CEFER
The artistic bag brand makes their products by made by hand, working with artsman using local materials. Argentinean based and created. Available in Europe via We Wear Shop.
Originally a swimwear brand that created reversible ECONYL swimwear is slowly adding pieces that go perfectly well with bikini's and swimsuits. Think loose knits for summer. Made and based in and around Barcelona. Brand ships in recycled packaging.
CONSCIOUS THE LABEL
The ECONYL swimwear only brand is cut and sewn by hand in the brand’s Lisbon atelier. As such, all of its models are limited due to fabric availability. Shipped in sustainable packaging.
DICK MOBY
The sunglasses brand uses recycled metal or biodegradable acetate - 'plastic’s smarter, sexier, eco-friendlier cousin' as they like to call it themselves. Which is made from wood pulp and biodegrades in 115 days if you bury it in compost soil. The sunnies are timeless and built to last.
EVOLVE
Organic beauty products made in small batches in the UK using natural ingredients only. Products are vegan, cruelty free and eco-friendly.
The Spanish leather goods brand creates timeless pieces, locally crafted in the most conscious way by artisans. Expect references to local local imagery, such as Raffia baskets and fishnets and bold, modern colors.
INDOSOLE
The brand keeps tires out of the landfills or prevents them from being burned and releasing toxics. The brand makes footwear using recycled tires. Which are extremely difficult to recycle. Shredded into small pieces they form the base of the flip flops and other footwear. Which makes it footwear created to last. The brand is made and based in Indonesia and The Netherlands.
LUINY
Scultural yet wearable contemporary jewelry using recycled metals and natural shells, pearls and beads. Handmade to order in New York.
Vegan clothing brand using natural, recycled, organic materials. Made and based in the USA. Her swimwear collection is made entirely with ECONYL.
Natural footwear locally hand-crafted and shipped from the Philippines. The brand uses Manila Hemp, a durable, flexible and salt water resistant fibre.
The clothing brand creates one of a kind pieces mostly. Think heavy knits using natural materials and plant dyes. The brand works with craftsmen and artisans all over the world. Based in New York.
NORBA CLOTHING
Active and swim wear brand working with ECONYL. Based in Ukraine.
Organic cotton clothing and ECONYL swimwear brand. The brand is made and based in the USA and ships in biodegradable packaging.
Slow fashion hat wear brand. Hats and head accessories are made by hand by designer Sol Pardo and take between 10 and 50 hours each. Pardo Hats are made with natural materials like rafia and cotton. Made and based in Barcelona. Nice to know, you can take classes in her atelier.
PICNIC WEAR
Upcycled clothing brand. Be quick. Items are one of a kind and sell out quickly. Made and based in Brooklyn.
ROMBAUT
Vegan shoe wear brand using luxurious plant-based materials, recycled fibers and high grade artificial leather. Sandals above are part of the collaboration with MELISSA, the inventor of the much copied iconic 'possesion' jelly sandal in 1979. It is made of 50% recycled PVC and bio-based materials and approximately 30% renewable content from soy beans, other vegetable oils and sugarcane. Cherry on top, these sandals are fully recyclable. Return them to one of the Mellissa collection points and they will be turned into new shows.
SLEEPERS
Flip flops made of natural rubber. The rubber is tapped in Sri Lanka under Fair Trade conditions by Fair Rubber, ensuring the working and living conditions of the primary producers of natural latex. Done in a way that ensures the natural life cycle off the trees. Sleepers contain 10-15 % synthetic rubber. This is the minimum requirement synthetic rubber needed in order for the flip flops to have the correct consistency and quality. Plastic free packaging. Based in Norway.
THIS WAY
Sustainable travel band with lots of organic and vegan beauty and sun care products. Packed in tin and recycled PET packaging. Products are made in Spain and Costa Rica. Brand is based in Denmark.
This swim, under and loungewear is a B Corp. materials used for their collections are recycled polyester, recycled nylon and wool, Tencel and organic cotton. Packed in biodegradable or recycled plastics and cardboard.
The swim wear only brand creates one size fits all bathing suits and bikini's. The brand is very body positive and inclusive. Made in England. Due popularity the brand drops several colours per month (check restock planning here), to make sure no one misses out. Be quick and subscribe to newsletter if you don't want to miss out.