Salty Johnson: Performance Swimwear with Personality
BY ESTELLE PULESTON
Based in the laid-back, ocean-loving community of Bondi Beach, Sydney, Salty Johnson is a swimwear brand inspired by the Australian beach lifestyle and a desire to protect it.
The founder, Tom Johnson, is a lifelong swimmer who’d spent years seeing single-use plastic wash up on the shores he’d enjoyed since childhood. With no experience in the fashion industry but strong passions for both swimming and the environment, he launched the brand in 2022 with a goal to create swimwear that’s “better for the people wearing it and better for the water they wear it in.”
All Salty Johnson pieces are made from REPREVE®, a performance fiber that starts out life as post-consumer plastic bottles; each garment made means approximately 11 bottles recycled. The fabric is also chlorine-resistant and offers UPF 50+ sun protection, and comes in an array of bold, colorful prints designed by Johnson.
“I like swimwear that starts a conversation” he says, “Prints such as Smashed Avo, Hot Chippies and Liquorice Allsorts give you a fairly good idea of our sense of humor.” There are also sharks, flamingoes, lobsters… or for those who prefer their prints a touch more abstract, a two-tone allover print inspired by branching coral that’s proving popular.
Salty Johnson offers both men’s and women’s swimwear, and certain prints feature across both collections, giving partners the option to wear the look together for added fun factor.
Entertaining as the prints may be, this swimwear is about more than just creating an eye-catching visual however; it’s also designed with a strong emphasis on functionality, as to be expected from a brand that hosts a free weekly run, swim and coffee meet-up in North Bondi, and offers free downloadable swim training programs on its website. “The idea was swimwear with personality that you could properly swim in,” explains Thomson, “with real thought going into how the swimmers fit, feel and hold up when you keep wearing them.”
The sporty silhouettes lend themselves to active swimming, linings are included where necessary, one-pieces can be worn with or without cup padding, and with the right care, the REPREVE® fabric maintains its fits through regular pool use or salt-water swimming.
This year, Thomson has been very focused on expanding and improving the women’s range, with the introduction of bikinis in August having been a huge success, and additional sizes in the works. “I want to give that side of Salty more attention in its own right” he says, adding, “The biggest challenge at the moment with the female swimwear especially is staying in stock!”
Just last month he left his primary career to focus on Salty Johnson full time, and as the brand progresses, he will be looking to introduce a broader, more balanced range of prints and colors which will include some quieter options – though still always with a touch of the brand’s signature, makes-you-smile personality.
For now, Salty Johnson’s women’s range is available in sizes S-L, equating to US 4-8. Bikini sets cost 139.95 AUD (approx. $98 US), with separate top and bottom sizing available, and one-pieces are priced from 119.95-129.95 AUD (approx. $84-91 US).
Contact information:
Website: https://www.saltyjohnson.com.au/
Instagram: @salty.johnson
Email: salty@saltyjohnson.com.au
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