Cotton swimwear

[AngryLikeHades]

I'm just asking where to find cotton (near enough all cotton, there will be a need to have some elastane) swim wear.
I think I remember having a cotton all in one swim suit aged about 8 (1998) and I like another (bikini or otherwise).
After a Google, which gave me zero results, it says the issue with cotton is drying time and probably too much stretch and there was no results for purchasable goods.
Any ideas? Thanks xx

I remember my mum made my sister a cotton bikini in the 70's
The bottom part had side ties and I would go under water and undo them😂

This might help?

eluxemagazine.com/fashion/5-cotton-or-hemp-swimwear-brands-saving-the-oceans/

I think the issues with 100% cotton would be

a) it will absorb a lot of water and become heavy
b) it would lose its shape/stretch and then no longer fit as intended (especially with weight of water pulling everything down)
c) to avoid the water weight issue you could use a thinner cotton -, but that becomes transparent when wet
d) drying time. You get out of the pool and will remain squelching for ages
e) the pool chemicals will degrade the cotton, and cotton fibres run a chance of clogging pool filters.

You might have more luck with a polly cotton blend, but theres a reason its not really used in swimwear. There are cheaper, better suited fabrics (lycra/spandex) which avoid all the above issues.

You might find someone willing to sew you something locally if you're desperate for cotton swimwear.

Cotton will either have no stretch and potentially become transparent when wet if it’s woven, or lose all elasticity and bag outwards if it’s knitted. There’s a reason you can’t find any cotton swimwear.

Thanks for the explanations and swim wear suggestions.

I also had a lovely cotton-feel one in the nineties but can never find one now. Obviously it had Lycra or elastine in it as it was stretchy and kept it's shape, but it looked and felt like cotton t-shirt material

Sorry OP, but l can’t imagine anything more impractical. It’s extremely uncommon for a reason.

Batoko make cossies from recycled sea plastic, but they feel cottony and have a matt finish.

Do you mean towelling? I'm sure beach wear was made of that.

Not sure how it would withstand chlorine.

@Mairzydotes well that too. I was thinking of that yesterday. Thanks for your suggestion xx

OP, why exactly do you want cotton swimwear? If we know the answer to this one, maybe some of us can suggest some alternatives.

@StarlightLady I don't really know, it could be a sensory thing because I prefer to wear cotton anything, I find lycra a bit scratchy and itchy.
There might be another reason but I can't think of it.