Malia Mills

When I find something I like, I try to purchase multiples when I can. Pants. T-shirts. Gluten-free crackers. I arrived at this point the hard way, when, specific to fashion brands, I found that fits and quality of materials change every season. And there are two seasons per year, at least. So, imagine finding the perfect pant and 3 months later, poof! They're gone. Nowhere to be found ever again. This short-lasting affair is unfortunately how brands try to entice us to buy something new the next season. But I don't always want anything new. Can't I be rewarded old if old worked for me?

Enter my favorite swimsuit by Malia Mills. The bikini was no longer sold in their stores the following year, but I was reassured that they offer made-to-order pieces since the patterns still exist. In New York. At their design and production studio (it wasn't until later that I saw on their website, lovingly made in America). I was given the current season's color palate to select from and my thrill and satisfaction gave way to my adding another variation of a top. After all, they were going to make something especially for me. Just because they could produce locally for loyal customers, I walked out with 3 pieces rather than none.

Swimsuits fall into a category of its own. Admittedly, in this case, I change at least twice per year rather than the swimsuit. But Malia Mills was aware of this when two sisters founded the company in 1992. Love Thy Differences is their trade marked motto and mission. This was a fresh perspective of actually servicing all of us, the masses. I was actually taught that the suit should fit me, not the other way around. The website has a very real, plebeian feeling with confrontational images of each of us, taken low-tech and with a self-assuring attitude. They're not just selling suits here. They are selling something deeper.

Two weeks later, my ensemble was ready. There was a size discrepancy, however, and so I went to the studio with my old suit. The suit maker measured out my top, the new top and the pattern and made the adjustments accordingly. Apologies from their end were overflowing. In two days, the suits were packed and on a flight with me to the beach. And I did feel great in them.

Malia Mills, multiple locations; www.maliamills.com