Anowi Surf bikinis are USA-made and stylish AF!
We tested the beautiful Anowi Surf bikini across the South Pacific. Eco-conscious, ethical, and very well made. Beautiful prints, double-lined high-waisted bottoms, high neck, full coverage tops with a thick elastic band that offers excellent support. Top marks from us and 10% off for you with code STILLSTOKED!
Conscious Fashion – What does this actually mean? I’ll put my hand up and say that I just need to see the word ‘recycled’ on an item of clothing and I’ll feel like I’m doing a good thing for the planet by choosing it. It turns out, by the time the production and transportation of these fabrics has been taken into account, the environmental advantages are pretty neutral or even negative.
Anowi Surf makes surf bikinis and active swimwear from REPREVE in Greensboro, NC.– A fabric made from post-consumer materials such as plastic bottles. Production of REPREVE reduces energy consumption by 45%, water consumption by nearly 20%, and greenhouse gases by over 30% compared to the production of virgin polyester. The rest of the supply chain continues domestically, with the REPREVE fabric sent to a mill in LA, the hand-designed patterns digitally printed in Bridgewater, VA (saving further water than other printing methods). The bikinis ad swimwear are then finalised in the Garment District in Manhattan, NY. –saving goodness knows how much carbon footprint on distribution and freight. The other popular recycled fabric ECONYL for example, must be shipped from Italy.
My underboob had the most relaxing holiday of her life whilst I was out surfing in this bikini.
Why I chose this style
I chose the Anowi Surf Beach 67 Surf Bikini Top ($89USD) in Tropical Rhapsody, and the High Leg Surf Bikini Bottom ($69) in Tahitian Tide.
Being a girl with a bit of junk in the trunk, then not much junk happening anywhere else, I always go for high waisted bikini bottoms for the surf. This style keeps all the lady lumps all tidily tucked away with not a muffin top insight, and sits firmly at the waist without budging an inch past the hips.
I’m also a huge fan of high neck bikini tops for in the surf, as if I’m going to burn anywhere; it’s usually on my chest and upper back. The skin here is more delicate than the arms and legs. As a more aesthetic added bonus, this style also affords you more fabric so if the print is rad, you get to see more of it.
What I loved
The fold-down waistband
The Anowi Surf bikini bottoms have a double-sided waistband that can be folded down to transform them from high waist to low-rise. Whilst I wouldn’t be stuffing around with that in the surf, it’s a nice feature for life the in-between surf sessions as you can make them more tanning appropriate if that’s what you’re into, or just have them so they aren’t peeping over the top of your shorts when you’re dressed.
Thick band around the rib cage
My underboob had the most relaxing holiday of her life whilst I was out surfing in this bikini. The band around the rib cage acts as a fortress, made of a beautiful quality high-resistance elastic ½ an inch thick, battened down with some really solid stitching.
Beautiful fabric with lots of stitching
Luxurious as fuck. The fabric is thick and double-layered which offers fantastic support and reassuring quality. The perfect balance of stretchy and robust with heaps of stitching.
What they could do better
A touch tighter around the neckline
I surfed clean reef breaks in this bikini no problem, but the times I went out in an ugly thumping beachy was when I could’ve used a bit of reinforcement. I found when I was duck diving or punching through a wave, the water would stretch the neckline and I have noticed that after a few surfs, the effects are permanent. The neckline is nice and low away from the neck, so I feel the design can afford to be a bit tighter/ more elastic here without becoming a strangulation hazard.
Breast cups
Why do they put shoulder pads in bikini tops? I don’t get it. I’ve never found a bikini where said pads stay where they are supposed to be. After a couple of waves my boobs looked like a cat in a paper bag as the cups had travelled in all sorts of directions, folded in half and in half again. Luckily they are removable and fit in the bin quite nicely.
In summary
One of the world’s truly eco bikinis; need I say more. It’s obvious a lot of thought has gone into the design, the workmanship and the environmental impact of this bikini and I was honestly clutching at straws to find a fault with it. I think Anowi Surf deserve a Nobel Peace Prize for actually taking the time and effort to get to the crux of what eco-friendly swimwear production really looks like, rather than just chucking something ‘recycled’ into the fabric. They’ve done a pretty good job of making the perfect surfing bikini as a product of this conscious thinking.
Oh and there is free shipping domestic an international shipping and free returns for the US and Canada! We love you Anowi.
– Shop the full range on the Awoni Surf website and give them a follow over at Instagram.
– For more surf bikini reviews and discount codes, check out the ultimate surf bikini directory article!
Thank you to Anowi Surf for gifting Still Stoked this amazing surf bikini for this test! It has now sailed across the whole Pacific ocean with first-mate Xanthe on her boat Finding Avalon!
