The true cost of cheap swimwear
Swimwear is, by its nature, one of the most technically demanding garments to produce well. It needs to hold its shape underwater. It needs to resist chlorine, salt, and sunscreen. It needs to stay vibrant through the relentless bleaching effect of the sun. It needs to fit beautifully on the body, no small thing
To produce swimwear that does all of these things at a price point of fifteen or twenty pounds requires a very specific set of compromises. Cheaper fabrics. Faster production. Lower wages paid to the people who make it. Corners cut at every stage.
The garment you receive reflects those compromises almost immediately. The elastic goes. The print fades. The lining bags. And by the following summer, you are buying again.