Why it Matters that Women's Swimwear is Made By Women

Fashion, from the shoes we wear to the swimwear we love, has been an overwhelming passion for women across the globe for centuries. Whether dressing to impress each other or simply to feel more confident and beautiful for themselves, more women are designing the clothing women love to wear today than ever before and that is crucial for women's fashion. Yet, it wasn't—and in most cases—still isn't always so.

It was estimated in 2019 that only 40% of womenswear fashion brands were designed by women and that only 14% of 50 major fashion brands were run by women.

There is a lack of women designing fashion and swimwear for women in this industry, and it is crucial women should be creating clothing and swimwear for women. Let's discuss why it matters that women's swimwear is made by women and why it is so essential to what Lime Ricki stands for.

Diversity

Although great strides have been taken and continue to be taken in creating a global workforce with clear economical cases for change, identifying common barriers and driving diversity—women are still underrepresented in the economy and many companies' top management as well as the fashion industry.

More than Fantasy

For the longest time, many male designers created swimwear for women based around fantasy or a concept and while fantasy may look good on paper or perhaps the runway, the reality is that women most often dress very differently from the fantasy that many male designers come up with.

Ultimately, a woman designing a swimwear piece for another woman would have intimate knowledge and know-how to not only bridge the gap into empowering women, but also to know what women want. Women designing for women know exactly what goes into looking and feeling great but also remaining comfortable in what they are wearing. As female designers, we have intimate knowledge of being female, what is comfortable to wear, and what women are looking for in swimwear that a male designer may simply not know or understand. Women designers often experience and go through the same issues women looking for the perfect swimsuit go through, making it a very personal point of view when it comes to concept, design, and finished swimwear.

When the fashion, and more importantly, the swimwear fashion industry made for women still excludes women designing these fashions, they are inadvertently also excluding women customers. Women's bodies do not (and should not!) follow a one-size-fits-all prototype of design concept which, unfortunately, still is popular by many fashion creators today.

Representation Matters

For so long, many of us women have accustomed to seeing one kind of beauty, or one side of it. A singular shape or size in swimsuits that does not encompass or follow the countless different shapes, sizes, and beauty standards found in all bodies. Finding a swimsuit that is fully represented as beautiful no matter who is wearing it is rare and important for women of all ages, and who better to understand this need for representation than women with their own diverse, beautiful bodies?

At Lime Ricki, we believe all bodies are good bodies and they matter. In the journey towards accepting our natural bodies, it is our mission to bolster the important lesson to love the perfect body which is the one you have right now! One of the best ways to accomplish real change and incite self-love and acceptance is through increased representation, which you will find here.

Women's Swimwear: Not What You Wear, But Why You Wear It.

Women's clothing is so much more and deeper than fashion. Clothing can be associated with feelings of being empowered, part of a memory, an expression as well as an extension of self, and when a woman feels good as well as looks good in the swimsuit she is wearing—that is powerful!

When you have women creating a swimwear line for women, swimwear becomes a tool for transformation not just for the women that create it but for those who wear it. The right swimsuit is a triumph of comfort and a connection back to the love of swimming, the beach, pool, or lake without the constant worry of a suit being too tight or too loose or too uncomfortable. Our swimsuits meld the world of classic trends, adorable and cute patterns as well as modesty while always being comfortable.

We fully believe that confidence in swimwear is one of the most beautiful looks any woman can wear and we want all women to feel that confidence. It's why we founded Lime Ricki, years ago—three sisters searching for the right swimsuit and found the market as well as the industry lacking at the time. It's why three sisters decided to make a change and create a swim line that catered to what women like themselves truly wanted: a swimsuit that let them dress to their standards while remaining stylish and as unique as their personality.