I’ve found (and purchased) some terrific one-piece swimsuits, but the perfect two-piece has eluded me. I want it to be modest, but ethical — oh, and under $100. Good luck, eh?
A few months ago, I spied a lovely suit on a shopping site. It was listed as made-in-the-USA, but it was a bit pricey and a bold yellow color that would do very bad things to my skin. I put my Google skills to work and tracked down the suit’s manufacturer. Voila! I found swimsuits in every shade, including a gorgeous, red polka dot one on sale for a great price.
I ordered the suit, and after some back and forth trying to get the right size, I prepared to wear my bikini to the pool for the first time.
When I put it on, I spied a “Made in China” tag. Oops. Somehow in all my plotting and planning, I neglected to check that the suits were actually made in the USA. I could have returned the swimsuit for a 25% restocking fee, but I was hesitant to waste fuel and resources making a moral statement, when I hadn’t done my due diligence.
Ultimately, I decided that the “fairest” action was to write the owner of the swimwear label and respectfully ask about their manufacturing policies and standards; I contacted Heather Stepanik, founder of Red Dolly Swimwear, and asked about the “Made in China” label. She explained that while most Red Dolly suits are made in the USA, the company just started working with a factory in China after searching to find a sweatshop-free facility. Yay!
Kudos to Heather for prioritizing ethical factories as she works to grow her business. And since several Red Dolly suits still are made in the USA, I’m betting you can email the company if you have a question about a particular swimsuit. So what I feared would be an epic fair fail turned out to be not so bad — and a good reminder to communicate my wishes to the brands I love.
Here are some of my other ethical swimsuit favorites:
Esther Williams*: Made in the USA. I had an Esther Williams suit a couple of years ago, and I loved the way it fit and flattered me. I was disappointed that it only lasted about 18 months before the fabric started breaking down, probably from swimming with my little guys in our chlorinated community pool throughout the summer.
Bettie Page*: Made in the USA. This is the brand of my current one-piece suit. It fits a little short for my long torso, but the quality is top-notch.
Naja: Recycled material, sweatshop-free. Naja is a lingerie and swim brand that focuses on employing women in a safe environment with fair wages. I haven’t tried their products yet, but I’m excited to see the innovations that this company is bringing to the marketplace.
Have you found a favorite ethical swim source?
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Noticed your suit in your recent video – you look great it. Even more like the 40s starlet you often appear to be! (Weird sentence, but I hope you get it as a compliment). You looked beautiful, confident, and like you were having fun!
Such a cute suit! I’m often hesitant to reach out to brands these days, but your story is a good reminder that smaller companies do, in fact, reply and might even be aligned with your own values to boot.
I actually just posted a the other day; it includes a few more brands on the ethical spectrum 🙂