My husband is very picky when it comes to swim shorts. They have to be the right size, right colour, right cutting, right feeling, and right pattern for him to be happy. What seems “right” to me may not be “right” for him. For one thing, he does not like the swim shorts too long to make him look like a surfer when he’s not. They cannot be too short, either, then they look like boxers. As we lived by a beach in Hong Kong, there had been lots of wears and tears when sand, tree branches and water sports were involved. While out buying clothes in Thailand, I spent a lot of time looking for the “right” pair of swim shorts for him. I tried to show him a pair from a brand based in St. Tropez, he just replied “I am not going to spend that kind of money on a pair of swim shorts.”
Then one day at an Anantara resort boutique, I spotted a pair of colourful swim shorts with elegant cuttings, practical pockets and at a length that was acceptable to my husband. I asked the shop manager if I could borrow the pair and took them to show my husband who was sitting at a restaurant. My husband was then willing to come to the shop with me and try on. He commented how comfortable they were, he liked the pineapple pattern and he told me “oh, these are made of recycled plastics, how nice.” My husband then checked the price tag and paid for the swim shorts. From there on, there was no turning back from the Little Ocean Heroes brand.
Hence, when I decided to write about a series of eco-conscious Thai brands, I knew I had to include Little Ocean Heroes, an environmentally-friendly Thai swimwear brand that was born in Thailand during COVID. The brand believes small actions lead to big changes. Through education and encouragement, Little Ocean Heroes aims to get everyone involved. Best of all, their swimwear is made from recycled plastic bottles.
Tai-tai: How did the brand start and what was the story behind it?
Little Ocean Heroes: We moved to Thailand about 4 years ago and fell in love with this beautiful country with its beautiful beaches and rich culture! We wanted to do something to give back. It has been our dream to one day quit our jobs and put all our efforts into environmental issues. When the pandemic hit, we were living in Bangkok and home bound like everyone else. I started sketching some ideas for a beachwear brand that then led to Little Ocean Heroes. We wanted to do something fun and eco friendly for the kids. We soon decided to move to Phuket, where we could participate in beach clean ups and more importantly encourage children and the younger generations on the good that they can do, by simply changing a few small habits.
I love the Little Ocean Heroes brand identity. Not only do they imply that everyone can make a little effort to make the world a better place, they also inspire our next generation to believe that THEY can do what they can to save our ocean, too.
Tai-tai: Roughly how many plastic bottles equivalent to making a pair of swim shorts?
Little Ocean Heroes: One adult sized pair of swim shorts uses 9 plastic bottles (0.5L Bottles) to manufacture.
Tai-tai: What is your best-seller? How about most expensive and least expensive items, how much are they?
Little Ocean Heroes: Our best-sellers is definitely the Troy and the Blue Pineapple. The Aquanas and Pineapple also sell very well. For the kids’ collection, we sell the colour changing models very well such as the Cedric and the Archer and Benno.
Little Ocean Heroes shorts are retailed in the range of 2,000 and 3,000 baht (at time of writing, USD is trading at 35.44 THB).
Tai-tai: Does Little Ocean Heroes have any new product in the pipeline that can reveal to our readers first?
Little Ocean Heroes: We have a Thailand women’s clothing line coming out soon! We have found a recycled fabric that is incredible! Very high quality and soft like butter! We are very excited about this collection. We also have new models for men and kids coming out before the end of year!
Tai-tai: Who are your retailers?
Little Ocean Heroes: Our shorts are available at Anantara Hotels, Avani, Banyan Tree, Como Point Yamu, Conrad Koh Samui, Mother Care Branches in Bangkok and now our first boutique is open at Central Floresta in Phuket.
Of course, living in Phuket, I was one of the first customers to visit and shop at the beautiful Ocean Heroes boutique. The shop was decorated in white, sand and sea blue colours. The shopkeeper, dressed in their tropical but classy patterned shirt, was very friendly and helpful, without being pushy. I love the Tuk Tuk in the shop to blend in some chillness into the shopping mall’s coolness and overwhelming city feel. Besides the products being made of recycled plastics, the packaging of Little Ocean Heroes products are also eco-friendly. This makes buying clothes in Thailand more fulfilling than ever! I also love the fact that we were able to choose a bag of another pattern to go with, which definitely allows it to grow on customers so they may return to get another one, how clever!
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