Spring break is on the way, and that means it’s time to shop for the perfect bikini or one piece. Shopping for bathing suits can be stressful as you try and find a suit you feel comfortable in that’s actually cute. There’s also the issue of whether the bathing suit is environmentally-friendly. Although sustainability may not always be the first thing that comes to mind when bathing suit shopping, it is becoming a priority of more and more shoppers. Sustainable bathing suit brands are important to support to help reduce the environmental impact of clothing.
Fast fashion leaves a significant impact on the environment — it’s responsible for 4 to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.” As knowledge of the fashion industry’s impact on the environment has grown, thrifting — especially for Gen Z shoppers — has exploded. Secondhand shopping at your favorite thrift store or sites like Depop or ThredUp are great options to shop secondhand, but for certain items, like bikinis and bathing suits, thrifting might not be the best bet.
Although it may be difficult to find bikinis and bathing suits in thrift stores, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find them in a sustainable manner. There are many bathing suit brands with missions dedicated to making cute and environmentally-friendly suits. Here are five sustainable bathing suit brands to buy from in preparation for spring break.
- Vaga Bella Swim
Founded by YouTuber and sailor Elayna Carausu and clothing designer Ava Brannon, Vaga Bella Swim started as Carausu’s dream of helping the place she calls home: the ocean. Vaga Bella Swim sources materials for its bikinis from Repreve Recycled Fabrics, who recycles waste such as water bottles, fabric, and yarn to make their textiles. Vaga Bella Swim is also plastic-free — everything from the brand’s shipping packages to the tags on the suits are made from 100% recycled paper.
In addition to helping the environment, Vaga Bella Swim makes truly adorable suits. There are different themes for each collection, and options for men and children as well. Currently, a top and bottom from their most recent collection costs $55 each. The company aspires to be 100% self-sustainable and donate to charities, so you know your purchase is doing good.
- The Seea
The Seea is based in San Clemente, California, and sells performance surf suits as well as gorgeous bikinis. As a company rooted in staying local, The Seea’s manufacturing factories are less than 100 miles from San Clemente, limiting pollution from transportation and distribution.
The Seea also prides itself on challenging the conventional design of bikinis and surfwear, shifting from neoprene — an infamously harmful textile — to Yulex, a plant-based material. The Seea is an excellent option for shopping locally while being environmentally-conscious.
- Minnow Bathers
Minnow Bathers is a bathing suit company based in Canada. The company strives to be environmentally-friendly through ethical approaches to manufacturing, shipping, and design. Minnow Bathers works with artist and designer Daniel Innes to hand-craft textiles for suits. As they strive to incorporate more recycled fabrics into their suits, they donate a percentage of sales to nature conservation.
Minnow Bathers suits are sleek and chic, and are perfect for those who love a more minimalist style bikini. The company also works with various designers for each new collection, making each suit unique to that artist.
- Midori
Founded by Rachel Midori and based in California and Hawaii, Midori started as a college student who was obsessed with the perfect bikini. Now, Midori is a go-to for bathing suits that are both safe for the environment and your skin. Each suit is made from a fabric that is tested against a list of over 1,000 harmful substances, ensuring the fabric will not irritate your skin.
Midori suits are also made from vegan dyes, and excess fabric from the production of suits is recycled to be used in dog beds that are donated to local shelters. The suits are made to last, and come in classic string bikini styles and one pieces.
- Batoko
Batoko swimsuits are made from recycled plastic waste before it gets into the landfills. Bakoto considers itself a microbusiness, as to not contribute to overproduction or overconsumption.
Based on the north west coast of London, Bakoto works with various environmental groups such as the National Lobster Hatchery, to ensure the European lobster does not go extinct, and the Coral Gardeners Fundraiser, to restore coral reefs.
