Custom Swimwear Manufacturer in Los Angeles

We manufacture a full range of swimwear and swim-related styles: triangle bikinis, underwire bikini tops, bandeau tops, bralette bikini tops, bikini bottoms (cheeky, full coverage, high-rise, Brazilian cut), one-piece swimsuits (standard, plunge, cut-out, high-neck), tankinis (mix-and-match two-piece with coverage top), swim shorts and board shorts for men and women, rash guards (short sleeve and long sleeve, UPF 50+), swim trunks, swim leggings, and cover-ups (sarong, kaftan, wrap dress). Matching two-piece sets and coordinated swim collections are a specialty — fabric is ordered from the same dye lot for consistent color across top and bottom.

Nylon/Lycra (80% nylon, 20% spandex) is the standard swimwear fabric — soft, quick-drying, excellent stretch recovery, and good colorfast performance. Recycled ECONYL nylon (regenerated from ocean plastic and fishing nets) carries a strong eco-credential and performs identically to virgin nylon/Lycra in construction and wear. Chlorine-resistant polyester with Xtra Life Lycra (Lycra's proprietary chlorine-stable spandex) is the primary fabric for competitive swimwear and pool-use swimwear — it retains stretch recovery up to 10x longer under chlorine exposure than standard nylon/spandex. Power mesh (nylon tricot) is used for lining cups, control panels, and brief liners. UPF 50+ certified fabrics are used for rash guards and sun-protective swimwear. Scuba fabric (double-knit polyester) is used for structured one-piece construction and swimwear cover-ups.

Nylon/Lycra (80/20) is the standard for fashion swimwear, beachwear, and resort wear. It is softer to the touch, drapes better on the body, and holds sublimation prints with higher vibrancy than polyester. However, chlorine degrades nylon spandex comparatively quickly — standard nylon swimwear will lose elasticity and fade after 300–500 hours of pool use. Chlorine-resistant polyester with Xtra Life Lycra (INVISTA's chlorine-stable spandex engineered specifically for pool environments) is specified for competitive swimwear, swim school suits, aquatics programs, and any swimwear sold or used in pool environments. Xtra Life Lycra retains elasticity up to 10x longer under chlorine than standard spandex. The trade-off: polyester swimwear is slightly stiffer in hand feel, and polyester does not absorb sublimation dye as vibrantly as nylon — screen printing or heat transfer is used for polyester swimwear graphics instead of dye-sublimation.

Our minimum is 100 pieces per style per colorway for standard swimwear. For sublimation-printed swimwear with a custom all-over print, we recommend a 150-piece minimum per colorway to amortize the print setup cost. For coordinated collections (matching bikini top, bikini bottom, and cover-up in the same print), we recommend ordering all three styles together to ensure fabric and print dye lot consistency. Rash guards and UPF 50+ styles start at 100 pieces. Private label swimwear with custom woven labels, hangtags, and poly bag packaging can be set up from 100 pieces. Volume orders of 500 or more pieces qualify for tiered pricing.

Yes. Dye-sublimation printing on nylon/Lycra is the primary method for custom all-over print swimwear. Sublimation dye is heat-transferred directly into the nylon fiber — the print is part of the fabric, not a coating, so it will not crack, peel, or fade in salt water or UV. Sublimation printing requires 100% polyester or nylon fabric; it does not work on cotton. For nylon swimwear, we coordinate dye-sublimation print on flat fabric rolls before cutting. Your print artwork is mapped to the pattern pieces before cutting to ensure the design aligns correctly across seams at the bust, waist, and hip. Repeat-mapped prints (geometric, floral, abstract) and placement prints (graphic at chest or hip panel) are both handled.

Full package swimwear manufacturing covers every step from fabric sourcing through retail-ready packaging. Fabric and trims sourcing (shell fabric, lining fabric, swim elastic, underwire, soft cups, O-rings, D-rings, sliders, and hardware). Pattern making from your tech pack or reference garment. Fit sampling and revision — swimwear fit is the most technically demanding category of all apparel; we typically require two fit reviews before bulk production. Sublimation print coordination (print on flat fabric before cutting). Grading across your size range. Bulk cutting, sewing (including bonded seam finishing where specified), elastic and hardware installation, cup and lining insertion. Final QC on stretch recovery, seam integrity, elastic tension, and hardware security. Labeling and packaging.

Swimwear construction differs from standard apparel in three primary areas: seam finishing, elastic construction, and cup/lining assembly. Seam finishing: flatlock seaming (a four-thread overlock that lays the seam flat on both sides) is the standard for swimwear — it eliminates seam bulk and lies flat against the body without chafing. For luxury or competition swimwear, bonded or glued seams (no visible stitching on the outside) are used — the seam allowances are fused with a heat-bonded tape and the stitch on the inside is a narrow zigzag. Elastic: swimwear elastic at the leg opening and waist must be swim-grade — covered swim elastic with a tight weave core that resists chlorine and salt water degradation. Standard lingerie elastic is not used in swimwear. The elastic tension (unstretched vs. stretched ratio) determines fit at the leg and waist; this is confirmed in the fit sample. Cup and lining: bikini tops with cups use power mesh (stretch nylon tricot) as a liner between the shell and the cup. Removable soft cups are for DTC and retail swimwear; sewn-in foam cups are for structured underwire bikini tops. One-piece lining uses a full brief liner (power mesh) sewn to the inside of the crotch panel — the liner must be exactly matched in stretch direction to the shell to avoid pulling or bunching during wear.

Yes. UPF 50+ (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) swimwear and rash guards block 98% of UV radiation. The UPF rating is a property of the fabric, determined by fiber content, weave density, and dye level — it is not a finish applied to the garment. We source UPF 50+ certified nylon/Lycra and polyester/spandex fabrics from certified suppliers with fabric-level test documentation. Rash guards are our primary UPF 50+ style — long-sleeve and short-sleeve, for men, women, and children. Children's UPF 50+ rash guards are a specialty for swim school and aquatics brands. If your collection requires UPF 50+ certification at the garment level (for regulatory or marketing claims in specific markets), we coordinate fabric and garment-level UPF testing with a third-party lab.

Yes. Private label swimwear manufacturing includes custom woven labels (brand name, logo, care icons), printed care labels with fiber content, country of origin, and size, hangtags with your brand artwork, O-ring and hardware in specified colorways, and poly bag packaging with your header card. For DTC and resort brands, we also produce branded mesh or drawstring bags as a packaging upgrade. All labels and packaging are set up with your artwork files. Care label content for swimwear must include hand wash cold or machine wash cold gentle cycle, do not bleach, do not tumble dry, do not iron — specific to the elastic and lycra content. Private label swimwear from 100 pieces with full packaging setup.