![doctors](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-42b1e289--BikiniWellnessFigureAngelExpo2020007clippedrev4.png?v=1596027989)
Ethical and Sustainable
Join our Positive Change Movement
The suits we make tell a story. From the ethical practicing factory our Preciosa connectors come from, to the our employees earning above the livable wage in Kansas City, to the athlete that cherishes their wearable art, there is a rich and inspiring story built into each and every suit we create.
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-06eef673--test-square-photo.jpg?v=1596029270)
Sustainably
Sourced
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-f67378b5--ACB-BTS-November-2019-8-Edited.jpg?v=1596029529)
Ethical
Practices
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-7378b5a2--Image-from-iOS-82.jpg?v=1596030126)
Reuse &
Recycle
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-b5a275a9--176-Edited.jpg?v=1596030685)
female
Empowerment
"When you put on your Angel Competition Bikini or Angel Beachwear, you should feel pride and confidence. Not only for your hard working body you treat like a temple, but also satisfaction knowing you are propelling the sustainable clothing movement forward."
KARAH JONES - CEO OF ACBIKINIS
![doctors](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-a93f3d7e--black-and-white-karah-and-lauren-2.jpg?v=1596032213)
Progress Not Perfection
We know we are not perfect, but like the bodybuilding mentality: we will never stop striving to be better. We will remain a leader in the sustainable and ethical fashion industry.
Here's what we are doing:
Awareness
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-7e4edc72--shutterstock1005949813-Edited.jpg?v=1596032998)
Bringing more awareness to the horrors of the fast fashion industry and what it is doing to our world. We are a small business, but we strongly believe we can change the world. Scroll down for more information
Empowerment
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-4edc72b7--Image-from-iOS-84.jpg?v=1596035305)
Not only ethical, but supportive, comfortable, and empowering working environments for the amazing women we employ! We aren't a company, we are family!
Community
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-72b7dcf3--phonto-110-Edited.jpg?v=1596035846)
Inspiring and pushing the "We are all one" movement. We are a community of strong humans! There is no, "them". We are all one. We stand for equality, empowerment, and peace for a better future.
Connectors
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-d60bb756--casey-hugging-tree.jpg?v=1596636624)
Our connectors are made in the EU under stringent ecological and labor laws. They use ecologically friendly mining processes and the mines are regularly re-forested. There are absolutely no plants and/or animal products used in the production of our connectors.
Crystals
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-4f67e96f--Karahs-random-idea-canva-board-2.jpg?v=1596637494)
Angel Brilliance Crystals are made from man-made recycled glass, not from nature directly. This makes them sustainable and ecological.
Fabric
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-3f3d7e4e--Image-from-iOS-83.jpg?v=1596032666)
Our fabric liner uses recycled materials. Our supplier has confirmed that they use the cleanest and most established factories for production. We are pushing them to explore options of weaving in recycled materials for their hologram fabric. There are currently no companies making hologram fabric with recycled materials. We hope to change this by 2022.
What's wrong with the fashion industry?
The Main Issues
Note: there are many other issues not mentioned.
Child
Labor
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-69820c04--Childlaborinthefashionindustry.png?v=1596633030)
168 million children in the world are forced to work in inhumane conditions. For example, 250,000 girls work under the Sumangali scheme. The children work in such hard conditions, it is basically modern slavery. In Uzbekistan, children are taken out of school to harvest cotton for 14-16 hours a day.
Environment
Pollution
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-c496cec1--download-Edited.jpg?v=1596037099)
In 2019, the US filled landfills with 35.4 billion pounds of textile waste. This number has almost doubled since 2000. The chemicals, greenhouse gases, and toxic chemicals are destroying Earth's rain forests, oceans, and air. The US is buying TONS of "fast fashion" from other countries only to fill our landfills and excel pollution worldwide.
Ease of
Purchase
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-33b74b2c--Karahs-random-idea-canva-board-2.jpg?v=1596638108)
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. New fast fashion industries are offering clothing at dirt cheap prices that are almost to good to turn down. Think about how they are able to offer these prices? Slave labor? Cheap materials? No ethics?
What can YOU start doing to make a change?
![doctors](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-e9b7b710--youmustbethechangeyouwishtoseeintheworldgandhi2.jpg?v=1596638473)
You can make a difference
It starts with small changes, awareness, and education.
Buy Less
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-b71073e5--53c25db05c0accos01closetde-Edited.jpg?v=1596638660)
A root of the problem lies in our excessive consumerism: we buy 10 garments while our grandparents bought 2.
Buy Better
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-73e50950--Capture-Edited.jpg?v=1596638890)
We realize this is a hard one for some. It is cheaper and easier to buy from fast fashion companies, but at what cost? Some of our favorite ethical brands are Patagonia, Athleta, and (shameless plug) Angel Competition Bikinis. We encourage you to do your research and find other brands.
Thrift!
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-09506824--store-Edited.jpg?v=1596639809)
Thrifting is IN!! There are a lot of great stores both online and in person stores to choose from. We recommend finding a local thrift shop in your community. Please comment your favorite at the bottom of this blog and where you are located.
Recyle
![Store category icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/4169/t/33/assets/pf-68243028--P1010384eprocesss400x288-Edited.jpg?v=1596640105)
This could mean donating your clothes to friends, put them in a textile recycle bin, or give them to your local thrift shop. Do not put your clothes in a normal recycle bin.
We hope this blog inspired, educated, and motivated you to fight for positive change in our world.
Suits for ALL Divisions!
Any of our designs can be made for any division: Bikini, Wellness, Figure & Women's Physique with no up charge based on your division. We have the PERFECT pattern for your next suit, and the most skilled competition suit seamstresses in the world creating it! Scroll to look at examples of some of our favorite suits. Every suit we make starts from scratch which means we can do any combination of colors, styles, and sizes. Let us create your dream Competition Suit!
Click any photo above to shop for your next suit.
Information References
- Harmony. “The Facts about Textile Waste (Infographic).” Harmony, 13 Jan. 2020, harmony1.com/textile-waste-infographic/.
- dit :, Serge Abdallah Fares Samia, and Nom *. “Slowing down the Track of Fast Fashion.” Blog De L'ISIGE - MINES ParisTech, 7 Apr. 2020, blog-isige.mines-paristech.fr/2020/04/07/slowing-down-the-track-of-fast-fashion/.
- “Fashion & Environment.” SustainYourStyle, www.sustainyourstyle.org/en/whats-wrong-with-the-fashion-industry#anchor-working-conditions.
- Shipping materials: The Yebo Group Box Company: "All of your packaging is 100% post consumable recyclable. The board it self before we make you boxes is made up of 30% recycled material."
- Connectors Supplier: Bead & Trim: "All our products are made in the Czech Republic, which is part of the EU. There are uniform stringent ecological and labor laws enforced in all EU member states. In practice, this is what it means for the workers and the environment: Labor laws require 8-hour workdays, 5-day workweek, paid overtime (at a higher rate), paid vacation (minimum 3 weeks per year, usually 4 weeks paid vacation). All workers, both full time and part time are entitled to a sick leave, when needed. There is paid three-year maternity leave and abundance of public childcare (from 3 months up to university education the system is public and thus free of charge). Labor laws as well stipulate working conditions. The premises must be well ventilated and have natural light (windows). There are mandated breaks and the employer must provide subsidized lunches. Prison and child labor are prohibited. The environmental laws ban use of some chemicals known to be harmful to humans (over the last 30 years we had to change our production process because some of the element and compounds traditionally used in the manufacturing of glass and metal were banned). The manufacturers are legally not permitted to use these chemicals. The materials used in connectors are glass and metal. Glass is a natural material made from sand and some earth elements for coloring. Glass is mined in an ecologically friendly manner in the surrounding mountains and the mines are regularly re-forested. Earth metals and elements are mined partly locally and partly they are imported. There are absolutely no plants and/or animal products used in the production of the connectors – or any other products that we sell
The labor and environment laws of the EU, which Czech Republic must follow, are among one of the most stringent in the world. We must be in compliance with them at all times and our product are thus both ecologically and ethically sound."
- Fabric Supplier: Blue Moon Fabrics: "We currently carry a couple of Activewear lines that are composed of recycled materials. We are not in control of factory working conditions although I can assure you that we only work with the cleanest and most established factories overseas."
- Crystal Supplier: Angel Brilliance Crystals: The crystals are the man-made glasses, not from nature directly, so they are sustainable. The glass is recycled material and sustainable".
Photo References
- “Blog.” New Clothing Recycling Technology Aims to Reduce Clothing Waste - Planet Aid, Inc., www.planetaid.org/blog/could-a-new-recycling-technique-help-save-climate-change.
- “New Style Plastic Dustbin With All Kinds Of Color.” Enlightening Pallet Industry Co.,Ltd, www.cnplasticpallet.com/news/new-style-plastic-dustbin-with-all-kinds-of-co-15642750.html.
- “Blog.” Change Fashion Trends, Improve Human Rights - Planet Aid, Inc., www.planetaid.org/blog/fast-fashion-continues-to-violate-human-rights.
- Manning, Charles. “8 Steps to Clean Out Your Closet and Reset Your Style.” Cosmopolitan, Cosmopolitan, 5 Oct. 2017, www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/advice/a17905/8-clean-closet-style-reset/.
- “Our Core Values: B Corp.” Our Core Values | B Corp, athleta.gap.com/browse/info.do?cid=1074427.
Giveaway!
Comment 1 thing you are going to do to make an impact for positive change and you will be entered to win a $100 ACBikinis Gift Card and a donation of $100 in your name to The Global March Against Child Labour.
I am going to make as many people aware of this as possible
I always donate my clothes to local charities but what got to me more than anything is the children. I am going to shop around from now on and stop purchasing as many clothes. I would never buy anything animal tested but it has made me stop and think more about about what I buy and where. You ladies are incredible 🙌🔥💕