Sell everything you own. Start making swimwear. True Story.
Sea/Life Trials
North Channel - Ireland to Scotland - 2019
Models are nice but they can't swim 12 miles in 13 deg C.
Photo Credit: Sam Poulsen
Please take a number
Swimwear almost available for Sale. Final few checks...
We wish we had the imagination to come up with fancy product names but we're makers not copywriters.
UO1.1 = Usual Objections Swimsuit style 1, print 1.
See what we did there. More to come.
New prints incoming
Sign up to our newsletter or follow us on social for updates on new print releases and shop availability over the next few months. @usualobjections
Good Swimwear x Good Swimmers
What is good swimwear? What does good actually mean? For us this sums it up quite nicely:
To be truly good it needs to look nice and be of high quality but most importantly it needs to be morally right. This is about the business as a whole - every business process - not just using some recycled fabrics.
We want our swimwear and our business to be environmentally and socially positive.
Following the lead of Patagonia we are members of the 1% for the Planet foundation. All members must donate 1% of annual sales to charities vetted by the organisation.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a compromise and we need to look at the bigger picture beyond just recycled fabrics.
Manufacturing ourselves means we can ensure that each step is as green as possible. All our energy use is from clean renewable and carbon neutral sources, all sewing machines run on energy saving motors, all lighting is energy efficient and we recycle as much as possible. We source responsibly from ethical suppliers and treat our workers fairly.
We are currently calculating our carbon emissions to work towards a fully carbon positive swimsuit.
More good than harm!
Crouching Figure of Atlas
"Designed by swimmers for swimmers."
Design
We swim every day and know what works and what doesn't. The local lido is a 2 minute walk away which is convenient for testing - especially on a sunny day.
No seasonal collections and making to order means less waste. Just good designs when it feels right - a fun idea, a collaboration, a charitable cause, or custom options and all at a fair transparent price - with no middle-men, wholesalers or distributors to appease.
Community
When you support us you're also supporting a community of local makers, shops and suppliers including some of the oldest manufacturers in the UK.
You are helping our small contribution to the regeneration of the UK garment industry by training people in the skills needed to sew and manufacture. In the early 1900s one third of Hackney was employed in the clothing industry.
"When you buy a swimsuit from us
you're also supporting
the oldest box maker in the uk,
the oldest family run sewing shop,
the oldest paper mill."
We are proud members of the East End Trades Guild.
The Guild is an alliance of 300 small businesses and self-employed offering goods and services in around East London, sustaining relationships and making our streets better places to be.
Read more on their website here.
"It turns out that aerospace engineering is actually quite a useful degree when you're making swimwear."
Engineering
Details matter. Tested in cold water and marathon swims. Every detail of our product has been considered with you, the swimmer, in mind. From computer analysis of strain/stress, 3d printing custom parts for the perfect finish, to looking at threads under microscopes - we are thorough.
Concealed seams and flush printed care labels reduce internal friction and chafing while things like compression which makes you go faster - also makes you look better - smoothing out the wrinkles.
Secret Sauce
We are one of the only swimwear companies in the world who make their own swimwear. We design and we make.
This give us an edge. With smallness comes agility.
Doing everything in-house means we have full control of the final garment down to every detail. We can go from the drawing board to the pool in a matter of hours.
With backgrounds in aerospace engineering, technology and anthropology we also know a thing or two about connecting things and people.
“Made by us in Hackney,
London.
Iterate, test, perfect.”
Small steps lead to big things
First swimsuit prototypes,
first sewing machines,
first fabric delivery...
How it all began
Boy meets Girl. They fall in love. They sell everything they own to start making swimwear. It's not your typical elevator pitch.
Like all good stories there have been highs, lows, mistakes, celebrations and tears. We're holding out for a happy ending.
Sampling & production services
We also make swimsuits for other people. Need a hand getting your new swimwear business off the ground. Want help sampling or finding a swim, dance or activewear manufacturer - get in touch.
We can offer everything from pattern cutting, fabric choices and sampling through to paper selection and packaging. We can even print swim caps!
All under one roof.
It takes quite a few sewing machines to make a swimsuit
Usual Objections 2020
Need a hand starting something else?
For us it was swimwear but for you it could be something else. Drop us a line and maybe we can help.