MY NEW SUSTAINABLE SWIMWEAR FAVES
Bikini top: Evarae
I don’t know about you, but my summer 2020 has featured a distinctive lack of reasons to wear a swimsuit. Normally at this time of year the holiday season would be in full swing and social media would be dominated with imagery of tropical beaches and the latest swimwear discoveries. Whilst the travel trade is picking up and a UK staycation has never been more popular, I’m sharing my 2020 update (read my previous round-up here) for sustainable swimwear.
Most sustainable swimwear brands on the market today use ECONYL® for their pieces. ECONYL is made from waste material including fishing nets, industrial plastics and fabric scraps. Through a regenerative process the nylon is purified and recycled. This nylon has the potential to be recycled infinitely without ever compromising quality — this means ECONYL products (when on their last legs) can be taken, regenerated and used once again. Though it’s still a synthetic fibre which undergoes a chemical process, it’s ultimately better to reduce the waste ending up in landfills or the ocean and to utilise what we have, rather than constantly making new materials.
Brands are now also starting to incorporate REPREVE®, a fabric made using predominantly recycled plastic bottles. To date the brand that makes this material has recycled/repurposed over 20 billion bottles. The regeneration process embeds properties like wicking, adaptive warming and cooling, water repellency, and more at the fiber level ensuring reliable, durable quality.
PLEASE NOTE: When washing items made from synthetic fabrics, or more specifically in this case items made from regenerated plastic, tiny fibers can be released in your washing machine which then make their way into the environment. Using something like the Guppyfriend washing bag protects your garments, increasing their lifespan, and reduces the amount of microfibres entering rivers and oceans.
Courtesy: Evarae
Evarae’s swimwear is made at a small atelier in Rimini, Italy. The brand designs its piece for women of all ages, sizes and shapes. A large portion is made from ECONYL® and the brand also offers a swimwear repair surface to prolong the life of their pieces. Once your swimwear has reached the end, you can return your piece to the brand, who will ensure it is recycled properly and give you £50 to spend on your next purchase.
Courtesy: ACK
ACK - Available in the UK at Farfetch and Beach Flamingo
ACK is an independent brand, 100% made by hand in Italy in an environment with ethical work values. Pieces have been designed and made to last a lifetime.
Courtesy: Peony Swimwear
PEONY SWIMWEAR - Available in the UK at Net-a-Porter and Selfridges
Every piece from Peony has been handcrafted from recycled or sustainable fabrics. This includes all printed fabrics, custom textures and even inner linings, which are created from sustainable fabric innovations including ECONYL® as well as REPREVE®.
Courtesy: Stay Wild
Produced in London, Stay Wild uses ECONYL® yarn, sourced from Italy, in its designs. The brand’s hang tags and packaging are recycled and recyclable, whilst the hygiene liners are compostable and made from tree pulp.
Courtesy: Ayla
Ayla uses both ECONYL® and REPREVE® in its designs, which all feature custom prints and patterns.