Fabric by Missy Rose | Swimwear Fabric

Made of strong, resilient fibres, this sturdy material offers a soft and comfortable fit with awesome stretch in both directions, yet will not lose its shape after countless washes and adventures in the swimming pool. 

Dyed in vibrant colours, our polyester and Lycra blend bathing suit fabric holds its colour, standing up to swimming pools, chlorine and saltwater. Its chlorine resistance and durable colours make it the perfect choice for custom swimwear. 

Our swim fabric is a sun protective fabric with a UPF rating of 50+. It is also quick drying and moisture-wicking. These qualities make this fabric excellent for summer fun. 

1.  Check whether your sewing pattern wants a 2-way stretch or 4-way stretch fabric. Your swimsuit fabric should have at least 50% stretch recovery. Make sure you use the type of stretch your pattern calls for. 

2.  Remember to place your pattern pieces in the direction of greater stretch. Not all fabrics stretch the same amount both ways (horizontally and vertically). This makes it important to place the horizontal direction of the pieces parallel to the direction of greater stretch. You need the most stretch in this direction so you can pull your bottoms over your hips or pull over a top. 

3.  If you are using a regular sewing machine for joining seams, use a very narrow zigzag stitch or a straight stretch stitch. The stitch length should be long to provide more stretch. 

4.  For a higher quality final result, we recommend lining your swimming costume with the same quality polyester and lycra you use for the exterior. Choosing low quality lining for your swimsuit or not lining it at all will decrease its durability, leading to poor coverage and support. 

5.  Always look at the sizing chart included in your pattern and find the nearest size, rather than assuming you should use the size of your store-bought clothing. Pick the closest one. If you are in between two sizes, choose the larger one. It’s better to adjust a garment that is a little too big than have to make a new one because the swimming suit you’ve created is too small. 

Swimsuit fabric can be constructed with a variety of different materials, but the most common fabrics are nylon and polyester. 

We chose a blend of 86% polyester and 14% Lycra for our swim fabric for its superior durability, soft feel, water repelling and quick drying qualities, and UV and chlorine resistance. The polyester in our swim fabric means that the colours are rich and crisp. Our swimwear material is moderately stretchy due to its Lycra (spandex) content.

Ultraviolet Protection Factor is a standard used to measure the sun protectiveness of a fabric. It is essentially the equivalent of SPF or sunscreen for fabrics. In order to qualify as a UPF rated fabric, the material must be run through tests to determine how much ultraviolet radiation can pass through the material when it is unstretched and dry. 

Our swim fabric’s UPF rating is 50+. This means the fabric blocks between 97.5 – 98 percent of ultraviolet radiation. 

Our swimsuit fabric is 86% polyester and 14% Lycra. Polyester fabric for swimwear makes the material feel very soft, while lycra fabric for swimwear offers elasticity for a comfortable fit. This stretchy, supple fabric feels cool to the touch. These tactile qualities make it ideal for bathing suit fabric or bikini material. 

For best results, sew your swimsuit fabric with a 75/11 stretch needle or ballpoint needle and wonderclips. Created especially for knits, the ballpoint needle has a rounded point that slips between the loops of the fabric without piercing or pulling the yarns. 

Avoid cotton thread, which will become weak with repeated exposure to chlorine and salt water from the pool. Instead, we recommend using polyester thread. Polyester thread is strong, resistant to chlorine and salt water, and will accommodate the stretch of the fabric. If you are intending to use a serger to construct your swimwear, consider using a woolly nylon thread. This thread it strong, resilient and ideal for swimwear. 

Polyester and Lycra (also known as spandex) won't shrink and will resist water-based stains. We recommend hand-washing your finished garments and leaving them to air dry.

As one of Australia’s leading swimwear fabric suppliers, we make purchasing fabric for custom swimwear simple. To buy our swimsuit material by the metre, browse our online store, pick the swimwear fabric print you’d like to buy, choose a length and quantity, and hit ‘Add to Cart’.