Why Activewear Materials Matter
I never really thought about what my clothes were made from. If something fit well and looked good, that was enough.
But recently there’s been a lot more research and conversation around synthetic fabrics and microplastics, and it’s one of those things you can’t really unsee once you’re aware of it.
Most activewear , and a lot of swimwear, is made from plastic-based fibres like polyester, nylon, and elastane. They’re used because they stretch, hold their shape, and perform well in water.
But they’re still, at their core, forms of plastic.
Over time, these fabrics shed tiny particles called microplastics. This mainly happens in the wash, but also through general wear. Those particles end up in waterways and oceans, and it’s now something being studied more and more across the fashion industry.
Swimwear is an interesting one, because it sits right in that environment. It’s designed for the ocean, but traditionally made from synthetic materials that contribute to the same problem over time.
There isn’t a perfect solution here. Performance fabrics are still needed in certain cases, especially for swim. But there’s definitely been a shift towards rethinking how those materials are sourced and used.
That’s where things like recycled ocean plastic come in. Instead of creating new synthetic fibres, existing waste is recovered and turned into fabric. It doesn’t solve everything, but it’s a step towards working with what already exists rather than adding more into the system.
Alongside that, we also look to natural fibres where it makes sense. Materials like organic cotton and bamboo don’t shed microplastics in the same way and come from renewable sources.
Bamboo is one we use a lot. It’s light, breathable, and easy to wear across different parts of the day — not just for movement, but for everything around it.
It’s not about being perfect or cutting out every synthetic material completely. But there’s definitely a shift happening towards understanding what things are made from, and what impact that has over time.
For us, it’s just about being more considered with those choices.
Starting with the material.
