Natural performance meets material innovation as Sheep Inc., the carbon-negative clothing brand known for its regenerative fibre approach, launches a world-first: swimshorts made entirely from nature. The new Merino Swimshorts, developed over two years of rigorous research and design, are crafted from Reda Active 100% ZQ-certified Merino wool and lined with Yarnaway™ — a biodegradable mesh engineered to decompose in marine and soil environments.
Designed to move seamlessly from beach to bar, the shorts harness Merino wool’s natural properties: odour resistance, breathability, temperature regulation, and quick-drying performance. Already trusted in high-performance sportswear, the fibre now takes on swimwear — offering a natural alternative to petroleum-based synthetics, without compromising on function or comfort.
Where conventional swimwear relies on plastics that shed harmful microfibres into waterways, these shorts leave nothing behind. The Yarnaway™ lining — unlike traditional polyester mesh — is designed to break down fully without polluting the environment. The result: swimwear that works with nature, not against it.
Each pair is fully traceable, thanks to Sheep Inc.'s Connected Dot™ NFC chip woven into the garment. Scanning the dot links users to the entire journey of their shorts — from farm to finish — underlining the brand’s commitment to total transparency and regenerative sourcing.
“Our goal was simple,” says co-founder Edzard van der Wyck, “to prove that swimwear didn’t need plastic to perform. So we turned to the best natural materials on Earth — and pushed them further.”
The shorts are made in Portugal using Merino wool sourced from ethical, ZQ-certified farms in New Zealand. Soft yet durable, the fabric offers four-way stretch, dries fast, and regulates body temperature across climates — whether wet or dry.
With synthetic pollution in oceans reaching critical levels, Sheep Inc.'s launch signals a turning point. This isn’t just sustainable swimwear — it’s swimwear designed to return to the earth when its life is over.
Available from 20 May 2025 in four men’s styles at £190, the Merino Swimshorts mark a defining moment in performance apparel: a category-breaking garment made entirely from the natural world, and designed to give back to it.
