Reformation's New Swim Line Is Both Ethical And Cool

With fabric made from recycled plastic waste.

It's a good time to be on the hunt for new swimwear if you're an ethical fashion fan, as more and more brands figure out how easy it is to switch from traditional synthetic fabrics to recycled ones.

From long-time sustainability warriors, Patagonia to newcomers Madewell – more and more fashion houses are proving that good garments shouldn't cost the earth.

Enter, Reformation – the cool girl brand that provides the perfect outfit for everything from weddings to dates to beach days.

The powers-that-be dropped their new swim collection just last week and you should expect to see it everywhere.

The LA-based business has been prioritising sustainability in its clothing since it first launched the category. Econyl — made from things like recycled fishing nets, fabrics scraps and industrial plastic — features heavily in Reformation's most recent collections.

And while the brand is excited about using a fibre that "has the potential to be recycled infinitely," it's also willing to admit that recycled nylon still isn't perfect from an environmental standpoint.

"When you wash anything made from synthetics, even recycled materials, tiny bits of plastic called microfibres are shed into the environment," the brand explained in a release.

"Microfibres are too small to be filtered out by waste treatment plants, so they can end up in our waterways and oceans by the billions."

Reformation's supply chain currently features about 5% synthetic materials, and the brand says it's working to reduce that number — but in the meantime, it's encouraging customers to minimise microfibre pollution by using cold water to wash swimwear by hand or using a microplastic-trapping GuppyFriend bag for machine washes.

To that end, Ref's also selling GuppyFriend bags on its website alongside its swimwear.