The Jody and Lara story
UV protecting, eco-friendly modest swimwear for girls and boys
Jody and Lara was born from the idea that swimwear for children can be new and exciting and still hold true to our values of ethics and sustainability.
Transparency, integrity, and quality are at Jody and Lara's heart, and our values are incorporated into every piece of swimwear we produce.
The brand is also about promoting body positivity from a young age – gender equity for girls and boys, you won't find a bikini here.
Our swimwear is sustainably made from 100% recycled plastic and is designed to protect your little one's skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays… all while they have fun in the sun!
The Past - How Jody and Lara started
The idea of a cover-up swimwear brand was conceived long before Jody and Lara came into being.
As a mum of three children, I found it hard to find fashionable, modest and functional swimwear for my girls after the age of five.
Holidays were always a headache. Even though I would diligently apply the SPF 50 sun cream, my girls still suffered from sunburn where their swimsuits rode up. They'd end up burning on the tops of their thighs or the small of their backs while they were playing in the water.
At the start of 2018, after 25 years in clothing manufacture I finally took the plunge and started to build on this idea.
I wanted the swimwear I created to not only protect girls and boys in the sun, but have strong ethical and sustainable origins too.
The present - Building the brand
After working in clothing manufacturing for such a longtime, I know the ethical challenges the fashion industry faces. There's a focus on 'fast' fashion, unsustainable materials and unethical supply chains. I wanted Jody and Lara to move away from this.
First, I came up with the concept for the designs and looked at sourcing the right fabric and manufacturer.
I wanted the fabric in the swimwear to be UPF 50+ and made from post-consumer plastic waste. This plastic would otherwise be destined for landfill or dumped in the ocean.
The original plan was for the garments to be made in the UK. This was an easy decision to make but finding a UK manufacturer who could work in line with Jody and Lara's brand values was harder.
I finally resigned to manufacturing the garments in China. And after many months of trialing and reviewing different manufacturers, I finally found a factory that works to high ethical standards and treats its employees well.
The Future - Where next?
Environmental awareness is more important than ever before, and I want Jody and Lara to lead the way when it comes to ethical and sustainably made swimwear whilst advocating gender equity for girls and boys.
There is still so much that I want the brand to achieve, and I hope that you will join me on this journey.