Danica Salajko of Bathing Belle created a line of sauna swimwear after noticing the effects of steam and drastic temperature changes on traditional suits.Bathing Belle/Supplied
For years, Toronto small business owner Danica Salajko has been treating her employees to an unexpected kind of team outing: visits to an old-school Russian banya called South-Western Bathhouse in Mississauga, where deep, penetrating sauna heat is followed by an invigorating cold plunge.
“It’s a fun ladies’ night out,” said Salajko, owner of custom swimwear brand Bathing Belle. “I like to go here because it’s a European, no-frills place that is very different from the fancy spots popping up everywhere that offer hot-cold therapy. We get the same benefits, but we also can order cabbage roll stew.”
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On a recent visit, however, Salajko’s attention drifted from the steam to the swimwear. She noticed suit bottoms riding up as bathers climbed out of tubs, one-pieces sagging and stretching in the heat of the sauna and decorative metal details on suits becoming painfully hot against the skin.
That’s when it dawned on her that there was a gap in the market for swimwear designed specifically for contrast therapy – the increasingly popular wellness practice of alternating between hot and cold exposure. Though newly branded, the ritual dates back centuries and is associated with benefits ranging from improved circulation and muscle recovery to better sleep and enhanced mood.
Bathing Belle’s sauna line is designed to withstand temperature shock.Bathing Belle/Supplied
Last month, Bathing Belle unveiled a new contrast therapy collection called Graphite Wave, which Salajko described as “performance-driven swim pieces” designed to support movement, temperature shock and repeat immersion.
Crafted from chlorine-resistant Econyl fabrics that retain their shape, compression and colour, the suits are built for environments where durability and fit matter most. Salajko produces each piece in her Roncesvalles shop, with function leading the design process.
“When you go into extremely cold water, your body changes immediately. Everything tightens up, so fit really matters more than fashion in these moments,” she said.
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Salajko started the line because she sees people increasingly using swimwear for wellness activities. “As sauna and cold plunge culture moves from niche to mainstream, these suits offer the coverage and durability people need for these extreme performance rituals,” she added.
The Graphite Wave line starts at $199 and comes in four styles: a high-collar sport tank with high-cut bottoms, a strappy bikini top with V-cut bottoms, a bra top one-piece and a one-piece with shorts-style bottoms.
Bathing Belle isn’t alone in spotting a market opportunity. Across Canada, other brands are rethinking swim and athletic wear for customers who move seamlessly between saunas, ice baths and natural bodies of water.
In Vancouver, athletic and leisurewear company Downtown Betty launched a line last May called That Sauna Life, offering pieces for both men and women.
“With saunas and cold plunges, the right materials are crucial,” said Katie Quinn, the company’s founder. “You want fabrics that are breathable, quick-drying and non-metallic to help regulate your temperature without causing any irritation or injury.”
Downtown Betty has also created a line of swimwear, like these men’s gym shorts, designed to make it through cold plunges.Downtown Betty/Supplied
The shorts are made to go from cold to hot and back.Downtown Betty/Supplied
Downtown Betty’s sauna suits are made from 95-per-cent cotton and five-per-cent Lycra and are double-lined for durability and shape retention. “It hurts me to put any plastic in our suits,” Quinn said. “But Lycra is what makes it behave as athletic wear. It gives it stretch and it gives it hold.” She sees it as a necessary evil until she can find a comparable plant-based nylon.
The company’s sauna tops and bottoms retail for $75 each. Fit is a focus for Quinn, a sauna and cold plunge enthusiast who partakes in the activity five to six times a week.
“With cotton being the predominant fabric, we encourage our customers to stay out of heavily chlorinated bodies of water,” she added. The brand’s pieces are best suited for icy dips in lakes, oceans and rivers.
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Canadian active swimwear brand Left on Friday has also emerged as a go-to for contrast-therapy devotees, with styles that hold up in thermal extremes such as the one-piece Retreat Suit ($220), the Plunge Top ($120) and the Cold Brew Hi Tide Bottom ($120).
As contrast therapy and sauna culture grow ever more popular, Quinn predicts more swimwear manufacturers will evolve along with them, making suits that are less about lounging by poolsides and more about performance.
“These studios are popping up like weeds in Vancouver, and I love it,” said the designer. “It’s part of my mental health routine.” Her favourite thing about the ritual is its sense of community. “It’s a group of like-minded individuals who go for the same reason – to unwind, disconnect and to rejuvenate.”
