What to Do with Old Swimwear?

Your swimwear has been through a lot, from embracing the sun on your many tropical getaways to supporting you during all those laps in the pool. It might have seen better days. Perhaps it is time to hang up your trusted bikini or swimsuits and time to find a fabulous new style. But this doesn’t mean it is time to dump your old swimwear. Reusing your old bikini or swimsuit fabric in creative ways, can give it a new lease of life to the old material and you’ll help keep it out of the landfill.

Now we’ve all been there. We’re last-minute packing for that long-awaited holiday, when you pull open your swimwear drawer to find that you swimsuits either don’t fit or unfortunately are looking worse for wear. Don’t panic, we’ve got you covered with express shipping. Now you’ve decided it’s time to upgrade your swimwear, what will you do with your old bikinis or swimsuits? We would hate for you to throw away your old swimwear, there are lots of different ways to upcycle or repurpose.

Whilst our tired and worn swimwear probably won’t be suitable to donate, it is worth checking with your local charity shop if they accept underwear donations. There are plenty of other ways to donate our old swimwear. There are plenty of sewing groups, educational groups or schools that will happily take your swimwear scraps. Or if you have a friend that is a similar size to you, why not swap or donate swimwear with them? 

Due to the materials that swimwear is often made from and the many different fastenings and components in these styles it can be difficult to recycle swimwear. As part of our sustainability commitment, we’re exploring ways as a business to recycle swimwear samples and returned stock. It is also worth checking if organisations and charities in your local area offer a recycling scheme for swimwear.

We understand that swimwear might not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about a repurposing project. But there are a handful of ways to upcycle your old bikinis or swimsuits to get your creative juices flowing, all whilst saving your old swimwear from landfill. Here are a few ideas to get you started.  

Re-imagine your swimwear

If only part of your swimwear is worn out such as the elastic from the bottom half of your swimsuit, you can still repurpose this to a fabulous bikini top. Now, you will probably need a sewing machine handy as you’ll need to cut off the offending piece, hem the top half with an elastic band and voila, you’ve created a brand-new bikini top! Another firm favourite is to create a waterproof swim bag by cutting off the bottom of your bathing suit (right above the leg holes) and then sewing the opening. 

Make some new accessories

If you're rather crafty, you can take older swimwear pieces and redesign it into a whole new outfit or something new entirely. If you’re old swimwear is made with elastic, you can fashion your old scraps into stylish headbands or hair ties. This can be done with or without a sewing machine, all you need to do is cut your old swimwear into strips and sew the ends together. Either leave the headband plain or style it up with additional accessories.  

Go homemade

Have a load of jam or mason jars around the home, why not cut your old swimwear into thin strips and create colourful ties around. Or tie them around garden pots, anything to add a pop of colour to. As swimwear fabric often dries quickly, you won’t have to worry about the spring showers making a mouldy mess of your recycled fabric ties. These strips of old swimwear fabric also make great gift-wrapping ribbons. Adorn your gifts for your loved ones with colourful strips of fabric.  

Get creative with your little one

If you like to have creative time with your little one, then you are probably already well versed in DIY. Save your old swimwear for your next creative session to turn the scraps into clothing or accessories for your little one's dolls. You can come up with tons of designs, such as a mermaid tail or a mini bathing suit. 

Now you know what to do with your old swimwear, maybe it’s time your lingerie drawer had a refresh. Give your old bras a new lease of life with our guide on how to recycle, upcycle and transform your old bras.