Lookabout Swimwear Is Making Waves

This local swim line combines Michigan-inspired designs and community-focused business practices

By Abby McKiernan | June 8, 2024

In the heart of northern Michigan, where pristine lakes meet lush forests, Tarra Warnes found her inspiration. As the founder and designer of Lookabout Swimwear, she brings the essence of Traverse City to life through her vibrant and unique swimwear designs.

Warnes’ journey began in the spring of 2021, during a staycation that sparked an idea that had been simmering for years. “My husband bought a domain called iliketraversecity.com 15 years ago, but we never knew what to do with it,” Warnes recalls.

By day, Warnes serves as the VP of creative strategy at Hagerty, where she began as a graphic designer in 2008, so thinking outside the box is well within her wheelhouse. Over that spring break, she felt a surge of inspiration and decided to design a logo and some customized products for the concept to see if they could get products on the website to try out.

“I started with beach goods because I love being at the beach. It’s such an integral part of northern Michigan summers,” she says.

While searching for items to customize, Warnes discovered a vendor who could produce made-to-order bathing suits (the vendor she still uses today). This was her eureka moment.

“Bathing suits! I can make and customize swimsuits,” she realized, thrilled at the prospect of creating her own patterns. This revelation, mixed with her background in graphic design, led to the birth of Lookabout Swimwear in 2022.

Summertime Inspiration

Growing up in northern Michigan, Warnes spent countless summers on the water, always in a swimsuit, and to this day most summer weekends are spent on a boat alongside her parents, husband, and children. With a personal collection of over 50 suits, Warnes had always felt that available designs lacked the uniqueness and vibrancy she craved.

Now, her Up North experiences are deeply embedded in her designs. “Every print I design is meant to capture the magic of this place and is inspired by my connection to it,” she says.

From local flora and fauna to regional lore, each pattern tells a story. One of her bestselling patterns, Fisher Lake, features bluegills, ferns, and even zebra mussels, reflecting the region’s real-life elements, right down to the invasive species.

Warnes’ style is a blend of her memories and her artistic skills. Among her favorite designs is the Dead Stream Stripe suit, inspired by her mother’s go-to look when Warnes was a child.

“When we were little, my mom would take us to the beach, and she always wore this red and white striped suit. It’s etched in my memory because those beach days are so special to me,” she says.

From the Beach to the Bottom Line

For Warnes, Lookabout Swimwear is not just about beautiful designs; it’s also about making a positive impact. With a commitment to sustainability, every piece in the beach-ready collection is sustainably handmade in Brazil with Soul Eco® biodegradable, PETA-certified vegan materials, while the remnants of the custom-printed Lycra are donated to become dog bed filler, to minimize waste.

Additionally, a made-to-order option for newer prints and cuts means no bulk storage, allowing her to test which prints and cuts are most popular without overproduction.

Lookabout Swimwear is also committed to donating 1 percent of its annual revenue to the Women’s Resource Center in Traverse City, a local domestic violence shelter and resource hub for women and children in need.

Having experienced domestic violence in her life, Warnes knows the importance of the support the organization provides. After volunteering on a project to refresh the center’s brand identity a few years back, she was able to spend one-on-one time with their team and really understand the depth and breadth of what the organization is doing. “What they do is very important to help women get on their feet when they don’t have anywhere to turn and need urgent help,” Warnes says.

Warnes has another major connection to the community, as Lookabout Swimwear is proud to be both an ally and an annual sponsor of Up North Pride. She says that their mission of bringing joy and inclusivity to northern Michigan is in perfect alignment with Lookabout’s own work with representation in fashion.

“I wanted to ensure that women of all shapes and sizes are represented in our advertising and suits,” Warnes says, which is why Lookabout Swimwear offers sizes from small to 6X, depending on the style. The goal continues to be that every woman can find a suit that fits her perfectly in both shape and pattern with their line of swimwear.

Swimming Ahead

The brand’s first summer in 2022 culminated in a pivotal moment when Warnes’ mother, who runs a store in downtown Traverse City, invited her to do a pop-up stand at a local street sale.

“I had a line at my table the whole day,” Warnes remembers. “Twenty-five percent of my sales for the year happened that day. It was so exciting to see people’s reactions to my suits and patterns and the way they connected to them in person, since most of my sales happen online.”

Coming into the third summer season, sales have skyrocketed, with a 190 percent increase from 2023—and a few designs have already sold out! Warnes is thrilled with the growth and dreams of expanding into more storefronts, or even having a Lookabout Swimwear store one day.

With new patterns and cuts releasing in 2024, including “Manitou Island” which was released in April of 2024, Lookabout Swimwear continues to grow and evolve. (Despite delays in production due to major flooding in Brazil, where the suits are made, Warnes says that the newest patterns and styles will arrive by mid-June.) She will also have a selection of pieces at the Empire Surf Shop before the end of the month.

See the full collection at lookaboutswimwear.com.