HeavenLee Swim

When my youngest daughter, Talia, was just 2 years old we ventured into swimming lessons. Starting swimming lessons on a cold wintery day of Term 3, I headed to the large retail shops to find a suitable swimsuit for my little girl and was shocked! I could only find little skimpy triangle bikinis, OMG no way!  Frustrated with the in-appropriate swimwear in the retail shops, I knew something needed to change.

Being a sewer of dance fabrics, I headed to my mums house in search of her old sewing patterns. Then turned to find a photo of her in this gorgeous playsuit with ruffles on the back when she was 3 or 4 year old! To my surprise, it was a playsuit Nanna had sewn her and mum still had the paper pattern from the 1950’s.

It was a paper pattern on thick brown butchers paper and the sticky tape had perished… So, mum & I  taped it back together and redrafted it to suit lycra. This is what we love! Sewing stretch fabrics! We sewed a sample for Talia and went to swimming lessons.

I realized other parents had the same issues as myself, nearly every parent in our swimming class had the same issue! So I went to work and sewed every little girl a “Growth Suit” in our swimming class.

HeavenLee Swim was born!

As I have learnt over my years through studying swimwear fashion and becoming a parent, that as parents, our uncertainty of dressing our children in swimwear that is age appropriate has not changed. Even since the 1950’s!

We want to protect them, to feel comfortable, to feel socially acceptable, to feel safe! More importantly, to keep them protected from the sun! Our children rely on us, as parents.

However, with regards to the history of swimwear. Where I see a drastic change, is in our care for the environment. With global warming and our understanding of our earth, we need to help protect this for our children.

Luckily enough, the evolution of swimwear is in the fabrics! Now this is what I am passionate about!!!

As from 4 years ago technology has improved so much that we can now use Recycled plastics (bottles, fishing net, plastic ocean waste) melted down and woven into a fabric! How cool is that!!!

Your swimsuit can be saving our environment, our oceans and help protect our precious earth for our grandchildren and their grandchildren. This is what HeavenLee is all about and our swimwear!

So, when I was asked about the History of swimwear….. I believe fashion, styles and colours, come and go in cycles… BUT the exciting change we see is in our fabrics and how they are evolving to protect our precious planet, planet earth!

Lee xx