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Many years ago, as a Fashion Institute of Technology student, I learned that all fashion design begins and ends with fabric. Why? I asked pretty naively. The teacher replied material allows you to see the clothing you will design based on its intrinsic properties. For example, silk chiffon drapes ever so elegantly over the Lady's figure, thereby being the perfect fabric for an elegant wedding dress, evening dress, shawl, skirt, or flowy top. Wool is a natural fiber with a more restricted property and is ideal for coats, jackets, hats, scarves, dresses, suits, skirts, or tops requiring a much more defined shape. Therefore, wool is a perfect fabric to use for haute couture. Wool absorbs color very well, so you can use its vibrant color to enhance your fashion design. However, wool is a poor choice for swimwear. Years ago, wool was used for swimwear and behaved like a sponge, thus weighing you down in the water and remaining wet for a long time after swimming.

The end use of the fabric is critical to its selection. For example, at Aqua Modesta, we design modest swimwear. Swimwear has to be light, Quick drying, and non-absorbent, and it must protect you from the intense UV rays of sunlight. We live in an era where swimwear fabric can be top quality. We use four-way stretch UV-rated 50-plus swimwear fabric only. Recently, a customer showed me a swim skirt from a "swimwear" company that uses 53 percent polyester as the main fabric in its swimwear line. Polyester is not a swimwear fabric. It does not function well in chlorinated waters and does not have the non-absorbancy and stretch required in swimwear. Polyester lends itself to pilling as well. It is the ideal fabric for a less expensive lining in menswear suits. Years ago, menswear used silk lining for custom-made suits, rendering it more pricey. Today, nearly all men's cases use polyester as a liner. There are undergarments, dresses, skirts, and tops used in ladies ready to wear made of polyester because it is among the cheapest fabrics on the market. Any fashion that is designed of high quality will never use polyester.

Authentic swimwear fabric is made mostly of nylon and, for the stretch, must have spandex in it. Spandex is the trade name for lycra thread or elastane, a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. There are swimwear fabrics that have two-way stretch as opposed to four-way stretch when swimming. Two-way stretch restricts the body's movement in the water. Aqua Modesta's materials are 80 percent nylon and 20 percent spandex. They are all made of four-way stretch fabric for maximum movement in water. All authentic swimwear fabrics have a UV protection of 50 plus. Beware of swimwear made with too much spandex or lycra content, as it will be short-lived.

Please read the fabric content before you purchase swimwear. Do not be fooled by fake swimwear that is out there. Remember, quality swimwear will last you numerous seasons of enjoyable swimming time when washed correctly. At Aqua Modesta, we feel it is incumbent upon us to educate our customers regarding fabrics, sizes, and shapes that will suit you best for all your swimming needs. As the pioneers in modest swimwear, we take our responsibility quite seriously. We designed our line primarily to dress our ladies and girls genuinely humbly in all water-related activities. In addition, we offer them a quality fashion line that can last swim after swim for many seasons.

Remember that swimwear manufactured in the USA is also of higher quality than any overseas swimwear. The stitching designed in our swimwear line is made of threads that allow the seams to stretch as needed to ensure that the seams never fall apart while doing your water activities. Remember the end use for which you are buying the garment. If you desire to spend money on quality garments, read the fabric content before your purchase. It will make all the difference on whether you wasted your money or spent it wisely and received the value you paid for.