Fair Harbor, which launched in 2014, makes classically stylish beachwear using modern, environmentally friendly materials. And while it has some West Coast vibes, it's a New York brand inspired by Fire Island off the coast of Long Island. All the Fair Harbor clothing I tested for Business Insider Reviews got high marks for style, performance, comfort, and durability. This includes the Anchor shorts — swim trunks with compression liners, which ranked among the best compression-lined swim trunks we've tested.
Sustainability is a big part of the brand's image. It's a Certified B Corp, meaning it has to adhere to high standards in areas like the materials it uses, supply chain practices, and transparency, among other benchmarks. Good On You, an organization that rates the sustainability of fashion and beauty brands, lists the company as "good" in the area of the environment for using recycled materials and limiting its use of resources to make its clothing.
All the pieces I tested were crafted mainly using recycled polyester made from plastic waste. In some cases, the fabric also included other eco-friendly materials like organic cotton or Tencel, a synthetic cellulose fiber made from wood pulp. I was surprised at the range in the appearance and handfeel of its fabrics that are all mainly made from this recycled polyester, from the heathered look of the One Shorts, which also has a compression liner, to the ultra-soft feel of the Seabreeze Hoodie. I also loved that all of Fair Harbor's various clothing items work well with each other, so you can look put together without having to think too much about it.
Fair Harbor Anchor Swim Short
Fair Harbor's Anchor Swim Short is eco-friendly, super comfortable thanks to a smooth built-in liner, and comes in 13 different colorways.
Fair Harbor's Anchor Shorts are one of the brand's signature products beloved by customers (they have a 4.9 rating based on more than 22,000 reviews) that come in a whopping 22 different colorways, and three inseam lengths, from a contemporary 6-inch for folks (like me) who like to show some leg to a 10-inch, which hits nearer the knee and offers a more conservative look. I found these swim trunks to provide ease of movement in the water when actually swimming and a stylish look for when you get out (and they dry fairly quickly as well).
Fair Harbor One Short
As the name suggests, the One Shorts are designed to be the one and only pair of shorts you need. Its all-purpose design prioritizes comfort and versatility.
The One Short has a timeless design, comes in two different inseam lengths (6- or 8-inches) for a contemporary feel or something with a bit more coverage, and features a built-in compression liner for added comfort that will get you from the beach to brunch. They're very breathable, have a good bit of stretch, and come in a range of five colors and sizes up to 3XL with a drawstring elastic waist (I'm 6-feet-tall and weigh 175, and the medium size fit me perfectly). They're very adaptable — I've used them for swimming and running, but mostly I wear them as everyday shorts, and in all three cases, they performed well.
Fair Harbor Kismet T-Shirt
Made from a soft and sustainable material, the Kismet Tee is only that's good for you and the environment.
The first thing I noticed about the Kismet Tee was the super supple handfeel. The fabric is a blend of organic cotton and recycled polyester that has the right amount of stretch, is breathable, and does a good job of staying crisp-looking without a lot of care. The Kismet Tee comes in 16 colorways, from multi-striped fabrics to nautical-themed graphics and beyond.
Fair Harbor SeaBreeze Hoodie
Using 14 recycled plastic bottles to make this men’s hoodie, the SeaBreeze is soft and comfortable. It is sustainable and has built-in UPF 50 protection from the sun.
This is the perfect lightweight hoodie to throw on when the sun goes down, but you're not quite ready to leave the beach. Fair Harbor makes it from recycled polyester and Tencel for a breathable and ultrasoft shirt that comes in five colors, but the Navy Ombre Stripe with its throwback '70s vibes is a standout. The SeaBreeze has become my go-to summer hoodie.
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