A Brisbane mumpreneur is throwing shade at your typical bikini, launching a sun safe one piece made in Queensland. Mum-of-three Alyshia Morris not only struggled to find a fashionable one piece after the birth of her first child, but had the fright of her life when she was diagnosed with two stage 1 melanomas.
“In 2013 I was shaken to my absolute core when I was diagnosed with two melanomas at the age of 32,” she said. “Fortunately, they were successfully removed and I was extremely lucky that it was a positive outcome.” According to Melanoma Institute Australia, one Australian dies from melanoma every five hours, with an estimated 14,000 Australians diagnosed each year. It is also the most common type of cancer affecting 15 to 39 year old Australians.
Alyshia is now extra vigilant in the sun, having two check-ups every year. Her experience led her to launch her own sun safe swimwear line, Shade Swim. The range is not only made from UPF 50+ fabric that protects the skin from the harsh Australian sun, but features innovative Smooth Firm Tighten (SFT) technology and Italian Vita Luxe fabric.
Alyshia was passionate about creating a line of swimwear for other women who may struggle with body confidence, after feeling disheartened following the birth of her first child. “I was somewhat shocked to see that I didn’t just bounce back to my pre-baby body,” she explains. “At the same time there was love and happiness that my body grew a baby. However, almost eight years later I still hadn’t found anything that offered sun protection, support and made me feel confident. I wanted to feel beautiful, confident and feminine in a swimsuit.” Shade Swim has just launched online in Australia. The locally made swimsuits range from size 8 – 16, with the aim to increase to size 20 in the future, and feature in navy, teal, black and magenta.
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