Know the fabric content in your clothing

       Many years ago as a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, I learned that all fashion design begins and ends with fabric. Why? I asked quite naively. The teacher replied fabric allows you to see the clothing you will design based on its intrinsic properties. For example,  silk chiffon  drapes ever so elegantly over the Ladies figure, thereby being the perfect fabric for an elegant wedding dress, evening dress, shawl, skirt or flowy top. Wool is a natural fiber that has a more restricted property and is ideal for coats, jackets, hats, scarves, dresses, suits, skirts or tops that require a much more defined shape. Therefore, wool is a perfect fabric to be used for Haute Couture. Wool absorbs color very well so you can use its vibrancy of color to enhance your fashion design. However; wool is definitely 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 remained wet for a very long time after your swim. 

        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, non absorbant and it must protect you from the strong 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 needed in menswear suiting. Years ago menswear used silk lining for custom made suits rendering it to be more pricey. Today nearly all mens suiting uses polyester as a liner. Currently, there are undergarments, dresses, skirts and tops used in Ladies ready to wear made of polyester because it is among the cheapest fabrics in the market. Any fashion that is designed of high qulaity will never use polyester. 

        True 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 which is 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 bodys' movement in the water. At Aqua modesta, our fabrics are made of 80 percent nylon and 20 percent spandex.They are all made of four way stretch fabric for maximum movement in water. All true swimwear fabric have 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 prior to your purchase of swimwear. Do not be fooled by fake swimwear that is out there. Remember quality swimwear, when washed correctly will last you numerous seasons of enjoyable swimming time. 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 modest in all water related activities. In addition,  we offer them a quality fashion line which can last swim after swim for many seasons. 

       Keep in mind swimwear that is manufactured in the USA, is also made of higher quality production than any swimwear made overseas. The stiching 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 spending money on quality garments read the fabric content prior to your purchase. It will make all the difference on whether you wasted your money or spent it wisely and received the value that you paid for.