It’s time for another beachy post! This time I’m delighted to be taking a dip in pieces from Vivida Lifestyle, an eco-friendly fashion brand creating sustainable performance swimwear. Since moving to the Brighton seafront late last year, I’ve barely spent more than a day away from the beach. And when it comes to enjoying being in the sea, it’s garments like these that really give me the confidence to swim and get active!
I listed Vivida in my sustainable swimwear guide a little while ago, and I jumped at the chance to now try their pieces for my sea swimming and getting back into paddle-boarding too. Read on to find out what sets Vivida apart in terms of ethical credentials and performance design.
What To Look For In Sustainable Performance Swimwear
If you’re looking for swimwear that stays put, is suitable for swimming and watersports, and cares for the environment, Vivida are the experts. I spoke with Jackie Tyburski, Global Engagement Director at Vivida, to find out more about their approach and designs…
1. Sustainable Swimwear Styles
“Our overarching mission is centred around living life to the fullest, pursuing whatever activities and passions make you feel alive and more connected to yourself, nature, and life’s joys,” Jackie starts off, and this passion is clearly shown through Vivida’s swimwear styles. From their bikinis to their Water Warrior one piece, their designs combine dreamy ocean colours with intricate plant prints, and come in a range of styles to suit any body shape. Plus, they’re all designed to be worn when out in the ocean, with more coverage and better designs to suit your body’s movement. From rash-guards to high-waisted bikini bottoms – it’s all there to mix and match.
Plus, each of their sustainable swimwear garments are reversible too, making them more fun to wear and encouraging more wears over time!
2. Stay-Put Power
As a relatively new sea swimmer, I wanted to find out more about how Vivida’s designs hold up against regular high street swimwear. Jackie tells me, “Our swimwear is made to ’stay put’ for women that want to be active in the water but also want to wear beautiful pieces. We hope to empower women to feel strong and comfortable doing whatever it is they love to do – be it surf, swimming, or just enjoying the beach.”
It was easy for me to notice the difference in their designs when I tried them on for the first time. Even their simple surf bikini feels like it won’t budge! The straps are better made than my other second-hand bikini, and the bottoms are figure-hugging against my skin to ensure they won’t move. I feel confident when out in the water, and can swim with full movement, as opposed to a cautious dip!
3. Ethical Garment Making
When it comes to making their garments, Vivida works with two garment factories, one for their swimwear and one for their towel ponchos. They outline these on their website, which is great! I’m particularly interested in SHEICO, an eco-friendly factory in Cambodia that makes Vivida’s wetsuits from recycled neoprene. Here’s how it works:
SHEICO is also part of the Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) whose mission is to promote safe, lawful, humane and ethical manufacturing around the world. I love to see it!
4. Sea-Friendly Materials
Vivida puts the environment at the centre of their designs, both in terms of the prints, the cuts, and the materials. Their swimwear is made from recycled plastic bottles, and Jackie also confirms that all their print and dyestuffs used in their swimwear, activewear and OrganicEarth collections “meet the high standards of OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Class I and are certified to be free from harmful levels of more than 100 substances known to be harmful to human health and the environment.“
And Vivida is continuing to invest in even more sustainable materials, too. In the future, they plan to incorporate sustainable fabrics like bamboo, upcycled coconut shells, upcycled coffee grounds, and upcycled pineapple leaves into their lines.
5. Specialist Pieces
As well as creating performance swimwear, Vivida also makes eco-friendly wetsuits. Neoprene is a brilliant material for wetsuits, but it doesn’t have a good environmental track record. Instead, Vivida works with SHEICO to make theirs from EcoCarbon Black – an innovative new material made from recycled rubber tyres – as well as post-consumer plastic bottles and solvent-free glue. And from the feel of my Linda reversible wetsuit, I can’t even tell the difference. It’s super soft, supportive, and fits great. Plus, it’s reversible with two colour-ways!
I’m looking forward to putting mine to good use when getting back on a paddle-board after a year and a half away from the sport!
6. Supporting Green Policy
When looking around Vivida Lifestyle’s website, I was also impressed to see their commitment to the United Nation’s Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action. The brand has been actively involved in their working group since 2019, and as I’m a bit of a green policy nerd, it’s great to know that Vivida is also supporting policies that I do too.
Vivida Lifestyle: For Sustainable Performance Swimwear
To round off, I have to say that I’m so happy to wear Vivida’s swimwear and wetsuit whenever I head out into the sea. I feel comfortable, confident, and like I care about the environment. I was surprised to find that many big outdoors brands don’t do so well when it comes to transparency, but Vivida is clear on how they truly care for people and planet.
If you’re thinking about investing in sustainable performance swimwear, head to Vivida’s site: www.vividalifestyle.com
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