Mel Brittner Wells is the Founder of Beefcake Swimwear, an apparel brand focused on creating gender-neutral swimsuits. Beefcake’s products are sustainably and ethically made in the United States and inspired by 1920s swimwear. 

Meeting Mel was so wonderful! What resonated with us is that Mel’s top priority isn’t scaling her business. What’s more important to her is designing swimwear that helps people feel comfortable and confident in their bodies while also ensuring her products cause the least harm to the environment. Every swimsuit is made from recycled fishing nets, and Mel intentionally produces smaller batches to reduce waste.

We enjoyed this interview and hope you do too!

What inspired Beefcake Swimwear, and how did you get started?  

Mel: The idea for Beefcake Swimwear originated nearly a decade ago when my masculine-of-center roommate wanted a 1920s-style swimsuit. Those original suits were made of wool, which is terrible to swim in. I’d had experience making my clothes (I come from a long line of talented seamstresses on my mom’s side), so I offered to make her one out of modern materials. As I worked on a prototype, many others said they wanted one of these swimsuits, and I realized it could be a business idea.

I lucked out and found an activewear manufacturer in Portland, Oregon, that had zero minimums. I spent about two years and several thousand dollars on credit cards getting Beefcake Swimwear ready for a launch on Kickstarter. Our campaign began in March 2017 and was fully funded within twenty-four hours. We went on to make over 300% of our original goal. Once we fulfilled all those orders (fall of 2017), we opened our direct-to-consumer online store and have been chugging along ever since!  

What does your creative process look like when you're working on a new product? 

Mel: For now we’re sticking to our 1920s one-piece cut, so the only new “products” are new prints. We’re always listening to and tracking our customer requests: that’s how the purple Original came about, and how we added long-torso sizing. 

I have a secret cache of images of vintage wallpapers and clothes that I love and am just waiting for us to have the capacity to launch more limited-edition prints. I’d also LOVE to collaborate with indie artists; again, it’s just a matter of capacity, including the ability to pay them fairly for their work.

What is one challenge you have faced as the Founder of Beefcake Swimwear and how did you navigate it? 

Mel: Honestly the biggest challenge is trying to be sustainable while facing the headwinds of capitalism and startup-bro-culture. How do I make a product in the most eco-friendly and sustainable way possible? This includes not just the best available fabric, made from recycled fishing nets, but also ensuring that the people who print, cut, and sew these suits are paid fairly. At the same time, how do I price my swimsuits so they’re accessible? And how do I do all this while making sure I don’t burn out or go bankrupt? These are all challenges I am still navigating; I have built and run this business while working day jobs, and sometimes it feels like I’m a fraud since I’m not trying to follow the startup-bro path. But at the end of the day, I’m running a small business in the black without exploiting anyone, and that feels like a huge win.

What is your long-term vision for Beefcake Swimwear?  

Mel: I am probably vying for the title of Worst Capitalist, but the vision has always been to make awesome swimwear that helps people feel comfortable in their bodies, and to do so with the least harm to the environment.

I don’t believe that the definition of success is endless growth and cutthroat competition; that hasn’t exactly put the world in a great spot, right? My vision is to help create a new definition of success in business, based on inclusivity and putting people and the planet over making enormous profits. 

If you could give one piece of advice to future LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, what would it be? 

Mel:  I think so many of us had to figure out that the small, rigid boxes we were handed as children and told to fit into were garbage. So why should we let anyone else define what a successful LGBTQ+ entrepreneur looks like, sounds like, or does? Maybe I’m naively optimistic, but I think many of us want to reduce harm, be inclusive, and see more joy in the world. If your business does that, you are successful! (And remember to include your own joy in the equation.) 

What LGBTQ+ owned brands are your go-to’s and why?

Mel: Honestly the LGBTQ+ products I purchase the most are books! I read about fifty books a year, most by queer authors. And I try to order their books from queer-owned bookstores, which, if you don’t have a local one, is easy to do via bookshop.org. My favorite is Montana Book Company in Helena, Montana. They are incredible.

Otherwise, as someone who was queer in Portland during Wildfang’s rise, I’m pretty sure it was a requirement to own several of their pieces.

I also need anyone from NYC traveling through Missoula to please bring me a pack of Dyke Beer’s Tall Girl Gose.  

How are you celebrating Pride this year? 

Mel: My wife and I will go to most of the Pride events here in Missoula, Montana in June. We already went to the march and rally a couple of weeks ago in support of our representative Zooey Zephyr. It feels extra important to be out and loud in Montana this year. 

How do you take care of yourself, especially during this moment in history (a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills being passed / an increase in violence against our community)? 

Mel: I’ve been lucky to create a toolbox of self-care coping mechanisms through years and years of therapy, from simple and easy (listening to music, taking a bath, escaping into a good book or show) to the more difficult and painful work of re-framing my narratives and trying to let go of things out of my control.

Life is a continual effort in balance, and it feels like this is a moment to try to be extra kind to ourselves and others in our community. 

Who is your favorite LGBTQ+ celebrity and why? 

Mel: This is a really tough question, but because reading and books are such a foundational part of my life, I’d have to pick an author, and probably Allison Bechdel. I came out relatively late, at twenty-five, after also leaving my religious upbringing in Mormonism. Part of figuring out my own queerness involved reading Dykes to Watch Out For collections and Fun Home. Reading those felt like tagging along with a cool aunt who was helping me understand myself and the world in ways that felt radically new and also like coming home.

Can you share one fun fact about yourself?

Mel: Despite being pretty klutzy (and having the scars to prove it) I love trying new, semi-dangerous sports. I began surfing on the Oregon coast when I turned thirty and recently began playing ice hockey. For someone who can get stuck in my own head, physical activity that requires a lot of focus can be like a form of meditation.

Check out Beefcake Swimwear’s profile and some of their products here.