Sustainable Swimwear Brands for an Ethical Summer
Photo Credit: Abysse
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliated; I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. These brands have been carefully chosen because they are have committed to sustainability!
Fire can be fought with water, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that we want to spend the warmer days of the year bathing and soaked. Whether it’s a lake, a river, a pool, the ocean, or you just want to wear lighter clothes (for rollerblading, sunbathing, the spa, or just hanging out), swimsuits are your best ally.
You can also wear them while enjoying the activities from this sustainable bucket list for summer, or pair them with one of these sustainable summer dresses, and during summer at your city, a holiday, or that summer in the opposite hemisphere while you’re escaping your winter months. In my case, as I live in Miami, I wear swimsuits year-round, and have thus become a staple in my closet. As we try to embrace a more conscious life, it’s important to consider the sustainability factor when buying a new bikini–but don’t worry, I got you (un)covered!
I’ve prepared this list with the best sustainable swimwear brands, so you can peruse their websites in search for the perfect swimsuit, one which you’ll cherish for years to come. The materials used are a relevant aspect to understand how eco-friendly a swimsuit is. Nonetheless, there are various points to consider before adding one to your cart, as sustainability is a broader concept, and entails animals, workers, processes, among others.
These swimwear brands offer a unique array of products for everyone, no matter what’s your style. I’ve got a sneaky feeling that you’ll find something you’ll love on this list. Come check it out!
ECO-FRIENDLY SWIMSWEAR BRANDS FOR A SUSTAINABLE SUMMER
Photo Credit: SILVERWIND
1) SILVERWIND
From $44.5
The word that comes to my mind when browsing SILVERWIND’S products is ‘mermaid’, as they offer a colorful variety of swimsuits that will make you stand out from the crowd.
SILVERWIND is committed to their sustainability practices, which include eco fabrics, plastic-free packaging, conscious production, sustainable campaigns, and supporting earth projects and organizations, like the Ocean Conservancy.
Their luxury swimwear fabric is made from recycled fishing nets, with a method that uses less water and creates less waste than traditional methods. It offers SPF50 UV protection, and is OEKO-TEX® certified. As for the packaging, they use 100% hemp drawstring bags, and 100% compostable mailers. Sustainability also lies at the core of their business, as SILVERWIND only produces a limited amount of pieces, in order to avoid unnecessary waste.
Photo credit: Talia Collins
2) TALIA COLLINS
From $47
Talia Collins is your go-to place for sustainable luxury swimwear and activewear. Their products are made with ECONYL®, a yarn consisting of 100% regenerated nylon fiber crafted from abandoned fishing nets and other discarded ocean plastics, and are OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified. What I love about them–besides being eco-friendly–is the swimsuits are classy, timeless, and can work as a stand-alone outfit.
The company also donates 1% of each sale to The Healthy Seas Initiative, an international NGO, to support their work in clearing the oceans of abandoned nets and other discarded plastics. Moreover, they’ve partnered with Greenr (a social enterprise that uses technology to connect the consumer to carbon-offsetting programs), to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible.
Photo credit: Salt Gypsy
3) SALT GYPSY
From $55.3
Another ecofriendly swimwear brand I love is Salt Gypsy, which is focused on sustainable women’s surfwear. So, if you’re a surf lover, you can find surboards, accessories, and the cutest outfits, so that you enjoy this wonderful sport while being gentle on the planet. Nonetheless, their swimsuits can be worn and enjoyed by anyone, no matter what sport you practice!
Personally, I love that their rashguards are great for paddleboarding (I’m not a surfer!) or soaking up the sun at the beach during the warmer hours, as they help you stay covered from those sunrays.
Salt Gypsy focuses on sustainability in various ways. For instance, they put emphasis on their fabrics, using materials like recycled nylon lycra, which they source from the Australian distributor of an Italian fabric made from 100% regenerated nylon yarn called ECONYL®. Their workers are also a very important part of their sustainable practices, relying on Judy and Lindy, two Australian stretchwear industry veterans that work from a boutique production factory on the Gold Coast.
Photo credit: Abysse
4) ABYSSE
From $64.8
Another conscious swimwear brand you will love is Abysse, a shop where you can find sustainable swimsuits, accessories (like beach bags and towels), and eco-neoprene wetsuits. They also have fullsuits and springsuits for kids!
The company is committed to reducing their carbon footprint, by placing attention on traceability, transparency, and conscious material production. Their swimwear range and active are entirely made out of 100% recycled fabric, and are also Oeko Tex certified. Furthermore, their wetsuit range is exclusively made out of premium Yamamoto Japanese Ecoprene, a limestone-based neoprene, less harmful to the environment, as it uses earth mined limestone to replace petrochemicals in the neoprene, not to mention Ecoprene has 10 times the longevity of petroleum-based neoprene.
Additionally, Abysse’s packaging is recyclable, compostable, and all of their polybags and bikini liners for wetsuits and swimwear are made out of corn and are 100% biodegradable. The polybags are certified TUV OK Compost Home and Industrial, certifications that validate their compostability. Their tags and mailers are made out of recycled paper material, and all their packaging is printed using algae ink. Finally, the company focuses on treating their workers fairly, paying them a living wage, and providing a safe and healthy work environment.
Photo Credit: Charlee Swim
5) CHARLEE SWIM
From $68
Charlee Swim is an independent family owned business that has made a commitment to the planet, and they target the most basic and important aspect of sustainability: they only produce two to three collections each year, and thus fight against overconsumption, fast fashion models, and waste.
This eco-friendly swimwear brand also adheres to another crucial aspect of sustainable fashion, which is quality. Their main fabric is made in Italy from regenerated materials made out of old fishing nets, carpets and industrial plastic rescued from landfill and oceans all around the world by the company ECONYL; it doesn’t have too much stretch and its color doesn’t fade. They also use REPREVE Lycra which is made purely from plastic bottles. Their prints are unique and very exclusive, and are printed with the process of Sublimation–a sustainable way of printing that eliminates water entirely from the process.
Their swimwear is hand made by Charlee Swim and the team in their Noosa studio based in Queensland Australia. The post bags they use are 100% compostable, made from corn starch or recycled cardboard and are re-usable. The tissue paper and customized stickers are also both compostable.
Photo credit: Indigo Luna
6) INDIGO LUNA
From $30
If you’re looking to support a small business and an ethical swimwear brand, then Indigo Luna is for you. They’re all about creating small, sustainable runs and plan to run out of stock, thus following a slow fashion business model. All their products are cut, sewn and dyed by hand, which makes each piece a treasure.
They also use sustainable materials in their creations. REPREVE is created from discarded plastic bottles in cutting edge technology to create a nylon yarn that can be repurposed endlessly, and they also use ECONYL®, both of which are sourced in Italy and Hong Kong, and made with 100% recycled nylon waste and plastic bottles.
Indigo Luna also puts workers in their list of priorities: they are connected to them daily, work in safe conditions, and receive fair wages.
Photo credit: Stone Fox Swim
7) STONE FOX SWIM
From $54 (Final Sale)
Designed in California, and made in Indonesia, Stone Fox Swim is independently owned and proudly offers beautiful and sustainable swimwear. My favorite things about their products are the prints, and some features in their tops and bottoms, like macrame detailing, and deep v-cut front in their one piece swimsuits.
Their clothing garments are hand dyed with plants, , and made with recycled fabrics. Also, they deliver them in plastic-free packaging, so you don’t have to worry about that extra waste.
Stone Fox Swim supports ethical manufacturing and works closely with a family run factory, which was built using International Green Regulations (LEED).
Photo Credit: Cleobella
8) CLEOBELLA
From $28 (Final Sale)
Cleobella is a small, family-run business, that is committed to producing products that have a minimal impact on the environment. Their swimsuits are ethically made in Sri Lanka by independent artisans, using recycled nylon, and are OEKO-TEX® and GRS certified.
1% of every order is donated to a nonprofit of your choice. Throughout the years, the company has collaborated with various organizations to empower women, clean the oceans, planted trees, and funded education projects. For instance, they have funded the planting of over 10,369 fruit-bearing trees in India via One Tree Planted and the Eco-Alliance.
This small business is constantly researching innovative methods to ensure their products are pure and sustainable, and they also promote the principles of slow fashion, the preservation of traditional artisan crafts, and conscious consumerism.
Photo Credit: Maoi Swim
9) MAOI SWIM
From $63
Another great sustainable swimwear brand is Maoi, a small business conformed by a diverse group of entrepreneurs who are devoted to the slow fashion movement. They create swimsuits that are versatile, timeless, and of the highest quality, and they do it in small batches to prevent deadstock, and to ensure customers have a unique product in their hands.
Maoi uses recycled Italian fabric, as well as biodegradable and recycled packaging. Moreover, their products are originally shipped to them in a biodegradable cassava garment bag from their manufacturer. They have assumed the responsibility and mission of consciously crafting products that have a minimal impact on the planet by reducing plastic waste, in addition to bringing awareness to environmental and social issues through their social media.
Photo Credit: Outerknown
10) OUTERKNOWN
From $80
Outerknown is a sustainable clothing brand, which includes eco-friendly swimwear for women and men. In their website, you will find sportsy swimsuits, towels, and other accessories and clothing for the summer days.
Their swimwear is created with recycled polyester made from plastic bottles, fishing nets, and worn clothes, as well as recycled elastane.
Outerknown is fair trade certified, and promotes the highest labor standards in alignment with the Fair Labor Association and publicly shared their Fair Compensation Commitment. They also work with two B Corp Certified suppliers and have 8 facilities running on renewable energy.
In addition to this, the company has committed to supporting farmers’ implementation of Regenerative Organic CertifiedTM (ROCTM) practices, and have converted 28 acres of farmland to ROCTM, in partnership with Bergman Rivera. They always give back to non-profits, like Brother Benno, The Ocean Cleanup, Ocean Conservancy, Surfrider Maui Chapter, Surfrider Foundation, and Everytown.
A curious fact that shows their commitment to sustainability is that 1818 pieces of Outerknown clothing have been kept out of the landfill and in the loop through Outerworn— their resell platform for pre-loved styles.
What sustainable swimwear brand do you think fits your style better?
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Hi, I’m Melina,
I’m the creator of Sustainable Rookie, and my goal is to share what I learn throughout my sustainability journey, so that I can help other people live a more conscious life.
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