Pamela Chan, Contributor

When we received Limeapple’s turquoise blue, ruched swimsuit with ruffles, the timing couldn’t have been better.  My five year old daughter had been using a surfer type (AKA rasher)  swimsuit that consists of a t-shirt and shorts.  At first she had a pink one with a lollypop design. Now she uses a red hand-me-down from her brother that features surf boards.  I do love these swimsuits in the summer when we’re outside, as they protect her from the sun.  Inside at the local swimming pool, however, they don’t make much sense.

About Limeapple

Limeapple is a Canadian company that was launched by Debbie Naren, creator and CEO, in 2002.  Their goal is to create stylish and comfortable clothes for girls age 7 to 14 that do double duty.  The clothing can be worn for sports or for leisure wear, at play and at school. The brand is known for using cheerful colours and special design details such as longer tops, iPod pockets and thumb holes with longer cuffs.  They run focus groups with girls to see their reaction to the fabric, styles and colours.

Here is what Limeapple says about their clothing construction:

“All garments have flat seaming, gussets, taping around neck and on back of zippers, locking zippers and reverse stitch lining. All garments are pre-shrunk to ensure perfect fit and durability.”  The clothing fabric doesn’t crush and won’t smell if kept in a bag. The fabric is anti-bacterial, odor-repellant and activewear fabric features moisture wicking fabric that has four way stretch and is pilling-resistant.

Limeapple has four brand areas that include clothing, swim, team and sportswear clothing and baby clothes: Girl & Co; Limeapple Sport, Limeapple Swim and Baby Lime.  The Tania swimsuit is part of the Limeapple Swim collection. In Spring 2015 all Limeapple swimwear will be made from UPF 50+ fabric that blocks out 98% of harmful sun rays.tania suit

What We Received

The Tania swimsuit is made of turquoise nylon/spandex.  The design features ruching, a ruffled skirt, double lined fabric, removable cups for added coverage and high quality seam binding.

My daughter’s immediate reaction to seeing the swimsuit was delight.  The Frozen (think Elsa) colouring caught her eye and she noticed the pretty detailing.  She couldn’t wait to put it on.  The size 7 is meant to fit a child who is size 6. My daughter is closer to a 5; however, I didn’t want a suit that just fit her as it might be too tight.  By adjusting the straps to the shortest length, the suit fit.

The Fit

With the adjustments made to the length of the straps, the suit fit well.  The ruching on the side created a gathered effect in the body of the suit and the ruffled skirt has a ballet/skating feel to it.  It held its shape and fit well when wet.  The high quality of the fabric, the extra lining and careful seam finishes give the suit a high-end feel.

It has been my experience that children’s clothing – made by companies that research the quality of fabrics and design – are very comfortable to wear.  The clothing can look simple in photographs but stand out for their strong design and construction when they are worn.

I like the fact that Limeapple is a Canadian company that is committed to high ethical standards and fair practices.  Their goal is to keep the clothing affordable for families.  You can also receive free shipping on orders of $50 and over if you live in Canada or the United States.  Based on our experience with the Tania swimsuit, I will be following the Limeapple social media pages.  Their couture dresses are particularly lovely and I would also encourage the company to consider launching a line of outerwear focussed on jackets that have the latest waterproof features and extra design features for fall and spring-time weather.

Related

More about Limeapple fabric

Follow Limeapple on Twitter and Facebook where they sometimes announce flash sales.

Right now they are also celebrating a 12 Days of Christmas event as follows:
photo 12daysofchristmascalendar_zps23c8eeb4.jpg

Dec 1- All dresses up to 40% off

Dec 2 – Bubble Pant Sets 30% off

Dec 3 – Lined Hoodies 25% off

Dec 4– Swimsuits for Cruisewear up to 40% off

Dec 5 – Anything Pink up to 50% off

Dec 6 – Bubble Hoodies up to 30% off

Dec 7 – Sweatshirts up to 40% off

Dec 8 – Activewear Jackets and pants up to 40% off

Dec 9 – Anything Blue up to 50% off

Dec 10 – All Tees 30% off

Dec 11 –  All Bubble Items up to 40% off

Dec 12 – Receive an additional 40% off all clearance items

Don’t miss the great sales!

Limeapple’s Pinterest account has fun and unexpected boards to follow.

Limeapple’s YouTube and Instagram accounts.

Limeapple blog

In 2014 Limeapple launched an inspiring girl award, with a prize of $1,000. Read more about the award and the 2014 semi-finalists here.

 Disclosure: I received a sample of a product to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided and all views and opinions stated on this post are 100% my own.