How Motherhood Inspired me to create Modest Swimwear

By Dawn, Founder of Salty Togs

Becoming a mother changed me in more ways than I ever imagined. It softened me, strengthened me, literally stretched me, and (it sounds a little tacky), but somehow made me more myself. And along the way, it became the quiet spark behind Salty Togs — a swimwear brand inspired largely by my Pacific home, shaped in part by my motherhood journey, and based on the belief that all women deserve to feel beautiful, supported, and secure in their own skin.

A Body That Has Carried Life Deserves Kindness

After giving birth via caesarean, I carried not just a scar across my lower belly, but a whole new relationship with my body. I needed swimwear that made me feel held — pieces that were soft against my scar, flattering on my healing body, and high-waisted enough to make me feel comfortable, confident, and also sexy.

Fuller coverage bottoms and high-waisted silhouettes helped me feel like myself again, and these supportive fits made me feel proud of the journey my body had taken.

Growing Up in the Pacific

As a Pacific Islander, I grew up on mats — the same kind I now throw down at the beach or in our backyard with our son. Those mats remind me of home, of warmth and of the many weekends I spent with my own family on Pacific Harbour beaches. But for all the beauty of our island life, I always felt like there was something missing when it came to swimwear.

The pieces available to us never quite matched the comfort and ease of how we live on those mats. They didn’t reflect our curves, our culture, our modesty, or our way of moving. Even long before I became a mum, I struggled to find togs that looked as good as they felt — something that felt respectful as well as beautiful. 

Motherhood: Boobies and Babies

When Matteo was much younger and breastfeeding around the clock, I spent a lot of time sitting, lying down, shifting, rocking, and feeding him at the beach. And that was when I realised how unsuitable most swimwear really was - at least for me.

Every time I sat down, my bikini bottom would ride up.
Every time I lay back, something spilt out the side.
Every time I lifted my top to feed, I felt a little too exposed.

I was constantly adjusting, covering, tucking, pulling — feeling like my body wasn’t supported in the ways I needed it to be. And these weren’t moments I wanted to be self-conscious in — they were moments I wanted to soak in with my baby.

Moving as Matteo Grows

Now that Matteo is no longer in his 'round the clock feeding phase, and is well into his movement phase, I've realised that my swimwear has to be up to the task of constantly moving too. I’m no longer lying still on the mat — I’m running across beaches, squatting to build sandcastles, lifting him in and out of the water, and swimming through crashing waves with a growing, wriggling child on my hip.

I needed swimwear that encouraged movement.
Swimwear that stayed in place.
Swimwear that moved with me — as a woman, a mother, and an ocean-loving Island girl. 

And when I still couldn’t find what I needed, I did the only thing that made sense:

I created it.

Why Salty Togs Exists

Salty Togs was born from all of these moments — the cultural ones, the motherhood ones, the vulnerable ones, the messy ciqi ones (IYKYK), and the joyful ones.

It exists because women deserve swimwear that's:

✨ Beautiful as well as modest
✨ Supportive as well as functional
✨ Kind to postpartum bodies and scars
✨ Comfortable enough to live, mother, and explore in

It exists because Island women deserve representation, all mothers deserve support, and all bodies deserve comfort and dignity without the pressures of conforming to one type of swimwear.

From My Journey to Yours

If you’ve ever felt exposed, uncomfortable or unsupported in swimwear, you’re not alone. Salty Togs was created for you.

From the prints inspired by our Pacific shores, to the fuller bottoms and high waists inspired by my own postpartum journey, every piece is designed with intention. Every piece has a story.

And every piece is made so you can feel confident, covered, and completely yourself — in and out of the water.