SWIM/SURF
Salt Life Debuts First-Ever Women’s Swimwear Line
For years, Salt Life has concentrated on outfitting people active in die-hard water sports such as saltwater fishing, where its technical fishing shirts offer sun protection.
But that changed when Salt Life decided to make swimwear for women who want to be able to wear a suit that is durable enough to go spearfishing but at the same time lounge by the pool.
Salt Life’s new women’s swimwear line featuring both style and function was introduced last July at Swim Week in Miami Beach, Fla.
To manufacture the new swimwear brand, Salt Life collaborated with SwimUSA, which makes private-label and branded swimwear.
Jack Waldman, a principal at SwimUSA, said the Salt Life line features beach landscape prints and Salt Life logos. The swim line’s patterns and colors are similar to those found on Salt Life’s women’s apparel, such as tank tops and dresses.
Salt Life, headquartered in Columbus, Ga., is a division of Delta Apparel Inc., an international design, marketing, manufacturing and sourcing company, which employs 7,500 people and has operations in the United States, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico. Its subsidiaries include M.J. Soffe and DTG2Go.
Since its founding in 2003, Salt Life has concentrated on water sports. But the new swimwear line is part of the brand’s lifestyle, said Jeff Stillwell, Salt life’s president.
Stillwell described the line’s price points, which will be wholesaled to select retailers, as moderate, but he did not give specifics. It also will be sold at the brand’s direct-to-consumer channel www.saltlife.com, as well as its branded stores, which includes outposts in Huntington Beach, Calif., and San Clemente, Calif.
To design the line, Stillwell asked women who serve as the brand’s ambassadors what they want to wear for different activities. Swimwear for tanning may have smaller silhouettes. “However, if you are on a boat, fishing, diving or on a paddleboard, a little more coverage may be wanted,” he said. Style was important to this line. Offering durable swimwear was another important issue.
