WHO WE ARE

A bit about us.

Hi, I'm Mel Reid and I'm the founder and mother behind Sandbar Swimwear. Originally from the UK, I grew up on the Canary Islands and travelled most of the world before settling down in Singapore 10 years ago, which is where our little boy Finn and our baby girl Skye were born.

Spending most of my adult life trying to find ways to reduce our footprint on the planet, along with my deep love of the ocean and connection with it, the decision to create something that helps reverse the impact we’ve had on our blue dot is what drives me and feels right. This is what I want dedicate my life to full-time.

After 11 years in the corporate world, where I met my husband and which brought me to this fantastic city, I took the plunge to step away to spend more time watching my kids grow up and commit myself to creating the world's most environmentally impactful swimwear.

OUR STORY

The ‘why’ behind our brand.

Sandbar is inspired by the things I’m most passionate about - Family time, sustainability, and our environment.

I grew up in a busy working family so this was pretty finite. My mission on weekends is to make sure that each moment is celebrated and cherished... and this became the inspiration for our photography.

If you’re a mother like me, you’ll know that kids go through a lot of clothes - where new materials are predominantly used and most times quality is overlooked. We create pieces that feel soft on the skin, are made to last and above all, that reuse materials, avoiding the fabrication of new plastics.

Growing up in the Canary Islands with clear waters and rugged coastlines and later becoming a keen diver, the ocean is SO important to me. It’s clearer than ever before how extreme ocean plastic has become and the urgency we need to have in protecting it however we can.

Our purpose is to make an impact, to protect the ocean, to preserve our world so that our children can grow up with an ocean abundant with sealife.

To ensure that our ocean has a chance to recover and to do this, there is a real need to review our consumption of plastics, which is in everything including our clothing. We want to provide a platform for you to make lifestyle choices that better impact our world, that carve out the future we want to see around us. Making a difference for future generations, protecting our tomorrow.

Every little bit counts towards creating a better future for our children.
OCEAN CONSERVATION

Where it all started

I have been obsessed with diving since I got my padi when I was 18 years old, whilst travelling around South America. Being under water with sea life both big and small is where I find my peace.

Since moving to Asia, my husband and I became advanced divers and have been lucky enough to have completed over 100 dives across Malaysia, Thailand, Maldives and The Philippines.

However these days even the marine parks are succumbing to ocean plastic and trash, which really got our brains ticking with ideas on how we could do our part to help. And after years of thinking through ideas and testing them, we believe we finally have a way to make a significant impact.

EARTH FRIENDLY FABRIC

Made from plastic bottles.

Made from plastic bottles.

Our swimwear is made using Repreve, which is an engineered yarn from North Carolina.

Repreve a widely known recycled fibre and is made 100% from recycled plastic bottles. We love it because it also has a U Trust verification with a tracable FibrePrint so you know where it comes from.

Using Repreve avoids the production of new fibres and plastics, which also avoids the use of new petroleum and emits fewer greenhouse gases. It's a double benefit as turn it means less plastic bottles are out there making their way into our oceans!

OCEAN CONSERVATION

Where it all started

I have been obsessed with diving since I got my padi when I was 18 years old, whilst travelling around South America. Being under water with sea life both big and small is where I find my peace.

Since moving to Asia, my husband and I became advanced divers and have been lucky enough to have completed over 100 dives across Malaysia, Thailand, Maldives and The Philippines.

However these days even the marine parks are succumbing to ocean plastic and trash, which really got our brains ticking with ideas on how we could do our part to help. And after years of thinking through ideas and testing them, we believe we finally have a way to make a significant impact.

EARTH FRIENDLY FABRIC

Made from plastic bottles.

Made from plastic bottles.

Our swimwear is made using Repreve, which is an engineered yarn from North Carolina.

Repreve a widely known recycled fibre and is made 100% from recycled plastic bottles. We love it because it also has a U Trust verification with a tracable FibrePrint so you know where it comes from.

Using Repreve avoids the production of new fibres and plastics, which also avoids the use of new petroleum and emits fewer greenhouse gases. It's a double benefit as turn it means less plastic bottles are out there making their way into our oceans!