Do you ever wonder why you see brand new styles every time you walk through the high street windows, or click online your favourite high street retailers? That is a result of fast fashion. Fast Fashion refers to retailers’ practice of producing cheap clothes as quickly and as frequently as possible. Since the prices on these items are so low, they encourage consumers to buy in mass without thinking too much about their purchases.

The result is that retailers are majorly overproducing. Consumers are buying clothes they don’t really want and definitely don’t need just because they’re inexpensive. And all this is causing major clothing waste. Retailers like H&M, Missguided, In the Style to name a few, come out with new collections almost every week. The message to consumers is that they should be buying new clothes every week to keep up with current trends. And, unfortunately, the fact that these clothes are so cheap means people can afford to buy up weekly. This design pressure means that designers are less concerned about crafting beautiful designs and more concerned with just creating new ones. Maybe the biggest problem with Fast Fashion is the culture it creates.

The over-abundance of inexpensive items means that we start to view clothing as cheap and disposable. We end up buying more often and keeping pieces for shorter amounts of time. And this process leaves us with a lot of clothing waste. A small number of lucky items are given a second life. Still, the majority end up incinerated in landfills, or shipped abroad; a practice that has its own negative implications. The other problem is that lots of garments aren’t even given a first life. What happens to all the items that don’t sell? Swap disposable fashion for investment pieces by choosing high quality swimsuits that continue to look great after many wears and washes.

SWIMWEAR FABRIC & MATERIALS

We understand that some may people wonder- why is such a small piece of fabric can be so expensive?! What's the difference between a £30 and £130 bikini anyway? Good quality swimwear is complicated to make, and so much hard work goes into each and every piece. You may be surprised to learn that buying that cheap bikini can actually end up costing you more in the long run.

When examining your bikini, you can tell just by touch the quality of the fabric. A poor quality suit will be made of thinner material that feels plastic, cheap or rough. Higher quality fabrics will feel thick and soft. Also check the lining; poor quality swimsuits often are only partially lined or not lined at all. High quality, fully lined suits provide better support and make the suit last longer. Feel the inside of the strings and ties; high quality suits have strings reinforced with elastic bands while low quality suits do not.

CONSTRUCTION

Often poor quality swimsuits only have one row of stitching that can break easily; look for double-stitch detailing. Make sure seams do not crack when you stretch them. Seams should be perfectly straight with no bunching, inconsistencies or crookedness. Looking at the inside of the garment will give you a good idea of quality. If there is loose lining hanging or anything looks unfinished, the manufacturer has cut corners on construction. A high quality suit will look seamless on the inside and out. All padding, wires and boning should be smoothly and securely attached and symmetrical.

OUR PROCESS

As Topaz is a luxury brand we stride to produce high quality, timeless pieces. The total design process for the first collection of Topaz swim was a total of 12 months from 1st Proto sample to ex factory.

This process involved multiply developments.

- 1st Proto Sample

- 2nd Fit Sample

- 3 x SMS samples |These are used to sell from, create content with. SMS samples are complete with as much branding as possible.

- 2 x Photo samples | These are used for photoshoots, look books & ecom. Photo samples are complete with all branding and trims.

- Size Sets | We receive size 8,10 & 14, in each style to fit on the model, any other sizes we are concerned we need to fit we also request from our factory.

- PPS Samples | This stands for Pre production samples. The factory will make 1 x sample of each in a size 10, to pre approve before production starts. These are to be completed exactly as production.

- SHS | We will receive 1 x shipment sample before the factory ship the goods. This is in order for us to check the quality standard before they exit factory. If the quality is not up to scratch we have the right to reject the product.

We fit each stage to make sure that we are delivering a high tailored fit. Throughout this process, we receive many testing reports on packaging, colour fastness, hardware, and fabric durability.

We also receive trim approvals for every trim used on each style, this includes care labels, hygienic stickers, swing tags, internal prints, hardware, adjustable accessories, zip lock pouches, fabric print strike offs, colour lab dips and bulk fabric submits.

 

SHOP OUR COLLECTION