Whether you live somewhere with four seasons or you’re a beach-goer year round, everyone loves breaking out their swimsuit for some much-needed sun. I’m a fan of both swimwear and sustainability. That’s the inspiration for this article about my 14 favorite sustainable swimwear brands.
I’ve worked in the fashion industry for quite a few years, including at a swimwear company where I learned about swimwear products and the sustainability efforts (or lack thereof) surrounding the swimwear industry. There are many poor practices throughout fashion production, but the companies below are rewriting what it means to be a sustainable swimwear brand. Let’s get into it.
Note from Hailey: We all need a little makeover sometimes. This article was originally published in April 2021 and has been updated and revamped for accuracy and consistency.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my site and read more about my disclosure policies here. All price ranges are accurate as of the published date of this article. Prices are subject to change.
What Is Sustainable Swimwear?
If you’re new to sustainability, let me briefly explain what sustainable swimwear is. If you want to head straight to sustainable swimwear brands, click here.
Sustainability consists of various socially and ethically conscious practices. Sustainability can surround a number of areas from production, fabric content, labor rights, transportation, and much more.
Sustainable swimwear brands have their own individual practices which I will touch on below. However, it is important to note that no brand is perfect. Sustainability is evolving, brands are finally starting to realize it’s important to both consumers and the environment. As a result, sustainable practices take a lot of trial and error along with money which is why many brands are taking baby steps whether that’s making all packaging recyclable/reusable or creating products out of waste like plastic bottles.
Now that we talked a little bit about what sustainability is, let’s dive into these amazing sustainable swimwear brands.
Peony Swimwear
Found by designer Becky Morton, Peony is an Australian label. This brand one of the first-ever sustainable luxury swimwear brands. The Peony style is that of an effortless, coastal breeze, with a focus on neutrals and soft textures.
The Product
All Peony creates its swimwear with fabrics developed in-house. The textured swim pieces are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, while the printed swimwear styles are made from 100% regenerated nylon fiber which consists of nylon waste otherwise polluting the earth, like fishing nets, fabric scraps, and more.
Read more about Peony’s product here.
The Packaging
Peony uses compostable and biodegradable tissue paper, sealed with a compostable sticker. Mailer bags consist of waste, using only renewable solar power. These bags are reusable and recyclable. Peony also invests in environmental projects to offset deliveries. This means all orders deliver carbon-neutral.
Read more about Peony’s packaging here.
The Production
Peony works closely with suppliers who hold internationally recognized certifications. Unlike some other sustainable swimwear brands, all of Peony’s digitally prints their fabrics rather than screen printing. By using digital printing, the brand can perform shorter fabric runs and therefore reduce its fabric waste.
Read more about Peony’s production here.
Vitamin A
The next sustainable swimwear brand is Vitamin A . Founded by Amahlia Stevens who has experience working closely with Patagonia, an OG in socially conscious practices. Amahlia decided to change the swimwear game after being told by fabric suppliers that there’s no market for swimwear created from recycled fibers.
The Product
Amahlia created the first premium swim fabric made from recycled nylon fabrics. Currently, Vitamin A now uses a variety of socially conscious materials throughout its products including organic cotton, linen, recycled cotton, and Tencel. All materials are certified as safe textiles by the global Oeko-Tex standard.
Read more about Vitamin A’s product here.
The Packaging
Vitamin A uses 100% recycled, recyclable and biodegradable mailers and bags for their packaging. All mailers are made in the USA and can be composted in your backyard.
Read more about Vitamin A’s packaging here.
The Production
Vitamin A tries its best to work with manufacturers that are able to complete multiple production tasks in one location, reducing the brand’s carbon footprint. All swimwear is made in the USA. The the brand works closely with factories to ensure fair treatment of employees when it comes to pay and working conditions.
Read more about Vitamin A’s production here.
Dippin’ Daisy’s
Elaine Tran found Dippin’ Daisy’s, who took over the label after her mother passed away. It is a label based on female empowerment, with designs that enable women to embrace their natural selves. Amongst this list of sustainable swimwear brands, Dippin Daisy’s has a unique design perspective. Here you will find youthful, cheeky textiles that radiate an eternal summer.
The Product
95% of the label’s swimsuits consist of recycled pre and post-consumer nylon. All excess and scrap fabric donate in partnership with Terracycle. This ensures that all materials are recycled and made into new products.
Read more about Dippin’ Daisy’s product here.
The Packaging
Instead of dyeing, Dippin’ Daisy’s prints are direct with fabric, which results in less wasted water, less ink, and less fabric. Additionally, all shipping bags contain 100% recycled materials.
Read more about Dippin’ Daisy’s packaging here.
The Production
Dippin’ Daisy’s produces all swimwear locally, at an ethical factory in Los Angeles. Because of this, the label produces in small batches, rather than manufacturing large quantities at a time, much of which often end up in landfills. The paper used for the label’s inserts is manufactured using 100% renewable green energy and a minimum of 30% post-consumer fiber.
Read more about Dippin’ Daisy’s production here.
Jade Swim
Found by former fashion editor & stylist Brittany Kozerski, Jade Swim combines her minimalist style with unique designs. The brand is designed to provide transitional styles that can be worn from the beach to the city, as swim or ready-to-wear. It is one of the best sustainable swimwear brands for subdued yet high-fashion beachwear.
The Product
Throughout its collections, Jade Swim includes fabrics made from ECONYL which is made out of 100% regenerated nylon. This fiber reduces waste from landfills by recycling items like plastic bottles and fabric scraps. All fabrics are Oeko-Tex certified, ensuring that no hazardous chemicals were used while dyeing.
Read more about Jade Swim’s products here.
The Packaging
Jade Swim makes packaging from 100% recycled plastic and biodegradable shipping bags. They also make all postcards from recycled paper. All labels are compostable and carbon-neutral shipping is offered for all orders.
Read more about Jade Swim’s packaging here.
The Production
The brand owns and operates its factory in California. Within this factory, various ethical practices exist such as upcycling fabric scraps, cutting all styles in-house and working with local trim vendors, and conducting a life cycle assessment on all products. Further, the sustainable swimwear brand offers a limited amount of collections within small production batches.
Read more about Jade Swim’s production here.
Summersalt
Summersalt is a sustainable swimwear brand with bold eye-catching suits and high ethical standards. While the brand acknowledges they aren’t perfect, Summersalt is making some great strides to better the planet and it’s people through a number of factors. Their cute swimsuits are simply the frosting on the cake!
The Product
All of Summersalt’s swimwear are made from 78% Recycled Polyamide / 22% Lycra created from post-consumer materials and nylon wastes, mainly materials pulled from the ocean like fishing nets. They also use recycled or eco-friendly materials like Tencel and Cupro and have expressed a desire to constantly refine processes when it comes to fabrics in order to maintain the high level of “eco-friendly” possible.
Read more about Summersalt’s product here.
The Packaging
The brand ships all of their products in bags made from recycled materials. Their mailer is also multi-use to help reduce waste when it comes to returns.
All of their postcards are also made from recycled or FSC-certified paper.
Read more about Summersalt’s packaging here.
The Production
Summersalt has strong relationships with its long-term manufacturing partners to ensure they are consistently up to date with the latest certifications and practices surrounding environmental and labor rights.
Together, all of their manufacturing patterns have over a dozen internal certifications.
Read more about Summersalt’s sustainable practices here.
Spell
Spell is all about ethereal beauty! Sisters Elizabeth Abegg and Isabella Pennefather found the brand. The pair launched their brand in Australia in order to intersect romanticism, escapism, and rock & roll in one cohesive label.
The Product
Spell commits to using preferred sustainable fibers such as certified responsible wool, organic cotton, and organic linen. Although Spell still uses non-preferred fibers throughout its production, the brand has a goal to use 100% preferred fibers by 2025.
Read more about Spell’s product here.
The Packaging
Every element of Spell’s packaging is sustainable. The post satchel consists of sustainably-sourced plants and is 100% compostable. All garment bags sent out are biodegradable and all garment tags are 100% recyclable.
Read more about Spell’s packaging here.
The Production
When it comes to production, Spell has close ties to its international manufacturers. All of its global partners abide by the Spell Code of Conduct. This outlines requirements that should be implemented throughout every stage of the supply chain to ensure quality standards are being met. Spell also implements an Animal Welfare Policy, which ensures that animal fibers are sourced ethically and inflict no harm to the animal or its environment.
Read more about Spell’s production here.
Maaji
Maaji’s builds their sustainable practices on three factors: Water, Land, and Souls. Maaji commits to protecting water as they believe in its power of transformation, vitality, and ability to link. They commit to protecting land, calling it the “lungs of our planet” acting as a source of nourishment.
The Product
Maaji makes their swimwear with the fabric Ecovero as well as recycled polyester and recycled nylon. Local suppliers make 90% of their fabrics. This helps reduce their carbon footprint.
The coolest part of Maaji is that a majority of their swimwear products are multi-functional. This means they are able to be worn in multiple ways along with being reversible. That means you get more bang for your buck!
Read more about Maaji’s product here.
The Packaging
Maaji creates “maajical” boxes. These boxes turn into DIY iPad stands, storage boxes, and desk organizers. Maaji really stands out with its packaging!
Read more about Maaji’s packaging here.
The Production
Maaji has a code of ethics and conduct that is in effect with all of its partners which consists of fair pay and promoting animal welfare. Maaji consciously manufactures their products in Columbia.
Read more about Maaji production here.
prAna
prAna is a sustainable swimwear and activewear brand founded by husband and wife duo Beaver and Pam Theodosakis. prAna inspires shoppers to chase adventures and stay active in unique pieces.
The Product
prAna is committed to recycled fabric. This includes recycled nylon, recycled polyester, recycled wool, and recycled cotton. All fabrics are bluesign certified. This means that experts track manufacturing from start to finish to ensure harmful chemicals are not included in the process.
Read more about prAna’s product here.
The Packaging
All of prAna’s packaging is plastic free. Instead of using poly bags, prAna implements a roll-pack method, which only requires a compostable tie for each item. When the roll-pack method isn’t viable, prAna uses FSC-certified paper bags.
Read more about prAna’s packaging here.
The Production
prAna’s was one of the first brands to partner with Fair Trade USA back in 2010. Since then, the brand has converted 11 factories to Fair Trade Certification. This means that prAna factories ensure fair working conditions and protection for the planet. Further, prAna follows a circular model that involves upcycling and recycling its apparel throughout its factories.
Read more about prAna’s production here.
Girlfriend Collective
Girlfriend Collective is the work of husband and wife Ellie and Quang Dinh. Having a difficult time finding high-quality ethical staples, the duo found Girlfriend Collective. This brand also empowers women of all sizes to feel good in their skin, offering sizes ranging from XXS-6XL.
The Product
Girlfriend Collective’s product all starts with post-consumer water bottles which convert into soft, recycled yarn. This eliminates the need for pollutants such as petroleum and simultaneously eliminates water bottles from landfills.
Read more about Girlfriend Collective’s product here.
The Packaging
All of Girlfriend Collective’s packaging is 100% recycled and recyclable. There is no further information regarding the brand’s packaging materials.
Read more about Girlfriend Collective’s packaging here.
The Production
Girlfriend Collective partners with SA8000 certified factories in Taiwan and Vietnam. SA8000 is a social accountability standard and certificate developed by Social Accountability international, and it helps protect workers by providing a standardized guideline to protect workers’ conditions and wages. All fabric used in these facilities is certified Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex, the world’s leader in testing the safety of fabrics. This ensures every fabric’s origins are transparent and safe.
Read more about Girlfriend Collective’s packaging here.
Wolven
Wolven all started with Kiran Jade, who set out to create a brand that empowered differences such as shape, size, and identity, through sustainable methods. Along with her partner Will Ryan, Jade began to challenge unethical practices in production.
The Product
Wolven takes sustainable swimwear seriously. The brand uses carbon-neutral fabrics. For example, OEKO-Tex Certified PET, is a vegan fabric made by broken-down discarded plastics. The production of recycled PET generates fewer carbon emissions than other fabrics, which thus contributes to the overall goal of reducing climate change.
Read more about Wolven’s product here.
The Packaging
All Wolven pieces are wrapped with hemp twine. They also arrive in a 100% biodegradable paper box. There is no further information regarding Wolven’s packaging.
The Production:
All of Wolven’s pieces are sealed with a Standard 100 label from OEKO-TEX. This certifies that all garments have been tested for harmful substances and are safe to wear and use. Wolven also works with Intertek’s Workplace Conditions Assessment (WCA) program to ensure responsible labor conditions, health and safety standards, and fair business practices.
Read more about Wolven’s production here.
Bromelia
Designer Lauren Quinn founded Bromeila. As a female-owned brand, Bromelia strives to provide women with beautiful pieces, all made ethically. Bromelia is home to Los Angeles, and provides that West Coast sense of ease through every collection.
The Product
All pieces in the ribbed beachwear collection consist of a sustainable yarn. Specifically, manufactured using the renewable source of beechwood. All fabrics used have a Standard 100 OEKO TEX certification, assuring they are free of harmful substances.
Read more about Bromelia’s product here.
The Packaging
All packaging materials at Bromelia are reusable and recyclable.
The Production
All Bromelia pieces are produced in one factory in Sao Paolo, Brazil. This contributes to less energy usage overall. To heal the boilers, Eucalyptus wood is used throughout production. This results in less heat usage and reduced carbon emissions. Further, all naturally-sourced dyes are also non-toxic.
Read more about Bromelia’s product here.
Marysia
Marysia is a luxury sustainable swimwear brand founded by Marysia Dobrzanska Reeves. Best known for its signature scalloped edge swimwear, they have since expanded to offer multiple variations. With a focus on vacation wear, Marysia designs with travel in mind. Art, culture and adventure come together for resortwear style.
The Product
Marysia has recently launched SWIMCLEAN, its first swim collection made from 100% recycled materials. No further information is provided on Marysia’s product.
The Packaging
I could not find any information regarding Marysia’s packaging.
The Production
Allowing the brand to minimize waste and carbon emissions, all Marysia’s products are produced in one factory. No further information is provided regarding production.
Nua Swim
Ananda Saba, a Brazilian-born designer, founds Nua Swim. The brand celebrates the exotic landscapes of Brazil through unique, bold textiles. Nua means “naked” in Portughese, and thus this sustainable swimwear brand encourages women to embrace the skin they are in.
The Product
All Nua Swim products are composed of recycled fabrics. There is no further information regarding this brand’s product.
Read more about Nua Swim’s products here.
The Packaging
I am unable to find information regarding packaging.
The Production
Nua Swim products are made in the USA. Further, this sustainable swimwear brand partners with the Amazon Fund for the Brazil Foundation, where a percentage of proceeds contributes to the investment in biodiversity conservation in the Brazilian Amazon.
Read more about Nua Swim’s packaging here.
Aerie
Aerie is one of the only fast fashion brands making an active effort to better the people and the planet. While they still have a lot of work, it’s nice to see such a powerful brand working to make an impact. Aerie sells a number of products but their sustainable swimwear collection is extra special.
The Product
Real Good is the name of Aerie’s sustainable swimwear collection. This collection consists recycled polyester and recycled nylon. You can feel good about shopping this collection as the fabrics are sustainable and the styles are extremely flattering.
Read more about Aerie’s products here.
The Packaging
I’m unable to find any information on Aerie’s packaging.
The Production
Aerie is carbon neutral throughout a number of operations including offices and stores. They are currently working to reduce their carbon footprint throughout the supply chain by 40% by 2030 and 60% by 2040.
Read more about Aerie’s production here.
Final Thoughts
Are you craving summer now? I know I am! Hopefully, when you’re reading this, it is summer! But for those peeps who are reading this when it’s still chilly outside, don’t worry.
I hope these sustainable swimwear brands can help upgrade your bikini game along with getting you excited to hit the beach. Let me know your favorite brand in the comments below!
With love or whatever,
Hailey
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.