Cotton Swimwear: Why We Use the Fabric Most Brands Avoid

Almost all swimwear is plastic

Pick up any bikini in any shop and check the label. Polyester, nylon, polyamide, elastane, or some blend. These are plastics, spun into thread.

There are good reasons the industry settled there. Synthetic swimwear dries fast, holds bright colour, resists chlorine and stretches into shape-holding compression. From a manufacturing point of view it is close to a perfect material.

We chose cotton anyway. Here is the honest case, both sides.

Why cotton, specifically

1. It breathes in heat

Cotton lets air pass through the weave. Synthetic swimwear does not, which is why a wet polyester bikini worn under a dress on a 32°C afternoon feels like cling film. Most people do not spend the whole day in the water; they spend it in and out. Cotton is far more comfortable for the “out” part.

2. Skin

Heat, salt, sun and a synthetic fabric held tight against skin for hours is a combination plenty of people react badly to. Changing fabric is often what fixes it.

3. Microplastics

Synthetic textiles shed microscopic plastic fibres when washed and worn. Swimwear does that shedding directly into the ocean. We are a brand made a few hundred metres from the water, so this one is difficult to ignore.

4. It ages honestly

Cotton softens. Cheap synthetic swimwear goes thin, grey and slightly shiny after a season, which is part of why so much of it is replaced every year.

The trade-offs, stated plainly

• It takes longer to dry. Cotton holds water. Expect a slower dry than polyester.
• It is not high-compression. Ours is blended with a little spandex for stretch and recovery, but this is not a sculpting competition fabric.
• It needs slightly more care. Rinse in fresh water after the sea, dry in shade. That is genuinely all.
• It costs more. Natural fibre, cut and sewn one piece at a time in Bali, will never compete with mass-produced synthetics on price.

So is it actually good for swimming?

Yes, with a caveat. For ocean swimming, pool swimming, snorkelling and general beach days, our cotton bikinis hold shape and stay put. For competitive lap swimming or heavy surf where you want maximum compression and instant dry, a technical synthetic is still the better tool. We would rather say that than pretend otherwise.

What we make

Our cotton swimwear is 90% cotton and 10% spandex, enough stretch to fit properly and recover, while keeping the fabric overwhelmingly natural. Each piece is handmade in Bali by a small team, in two colourways drawn from the landscape here: a soft pastel pink and a deep burgundy.

The range includes the Ocean Aura, Ocean Belle and Ocean Amour bikinis and the Ocean Breeze swimsuit.

Shop: cotton swimwear · beachwear · Pair with a spa wear cardigan for the walk home.

Cotton behaves the same way in a sauna as it does in the sea. If you use one, see what to wear in a sauna.