Before Dawn Supply Co. Launches Women's Bodysuit for Surfing, Hiking & More

Designing the Horizon Bodysuit

Flying in from Ventura and B.C. respectively, Garlick and Kowallik met for the first time at an airport in Taiwan where their two packing styles were immediately apparent—and contradictory. Kowallik, a notorious overpacker, shuffled to the long line at customs while envying Garlick, a proud minimalist, who slung a single Patagonia Black Hole duffel over her shoulder.

But out on the boat, they experienced similar woes: Neither of them felt prepared with what they had packed, whether too much or too little. “It turned out on that trip, I just had all this stuff that was getting in the way,” Kowallik said. “I had a few staple pieces but they couldn’t keep up with our crazy adventures on that trip. Lillian was just constantly waiting for her very few go-to pieces to dry. She ended up wearing damp stuff sometimes and improvising.”

One hot, windless day on the water, they passed the time by brainstorming an all-in-one garment they wished already existed. Oh, how much easier and simpler life would be if they didn’t have to change between outfits to jump in the water and then to hike in the jungle. (Sketches came later.)

Once they returned home, they bought every surf suit and bodysuit they could find in shops, and tested them in as many places and scenarios as possible. Kowallik wore leggings while surfing, which she would not recommend, and Garlick sported a swimsuit in yoga class, which she would also not recommend. “I almost left the class because I was so uncomfortable,” she said.

Right away, they came up with strict criteria for the bodysuit’s foundation: secure straps and shorts that would stay put either in downward dog or on a surf board, when dry or when wet.

An Italian fabric that’s 60 percent recycled nylon and 40 percent recycled elastane matched their needs because it dries fast, retains its shape, protects from UV, and feels soft. “It feels closer to an everyday wear fabric but it dries and stretches and performs like swim fabric,” Garlick said.

Sewn in California, the bodysuit is Before Dawn’s first product. “It’s the piece you throw on when you just don’t want to think about it and you want to walk out the door and have flow from one activity to the other,” Kowallik said. But already, Garlick and Kowallik are scheming their next multi-use essentials that could replace the need to have multiple pieces for different activities.

The author, product testing in WA State | Photo by Lauren Beane

Testing the Horizon Bodysuit

On a recent trip to the Washington Coast, I packed a sample of the Horizon Bodysuit to test in the sand and sea. I kept my packing to a minimum in a way that Garlick would approve of, foregoing shorts, a tank top, a swimsuit, and a sports bra—essentials I would normally pack for any trip. I wanted to see if the bodysuit could replace those separates or if I’d miss them.

Upon first fitting, the suit’s fabric was soft and snug with piped seams that flattered my waist. I wore it on its own at the beach, and as a baselayer under linen pants and a sweater to dinner. On one of the days, the whole West Coast was under a tsunami advisory so I didn’t end up in the salt water. But I got another chance to dunk later that week in a river.

The Horizon Bodysuit feels like a swimsuit when wet but like a stylish leotard when dry—and it dried in under an hour on a warm day. Even with the low scoop back, I felt secure up top in the compressive, double-layered fabric. The shorts were also compressive, and two side pockets fit my phone. One pocket even has a hidden cord for securing a key, a must for surfers and sailors.

My one complaint that I’m hoping they fix is that while walking and running, the 3.5-inch shorts rolled into the backs of my legs so I had to constantly adjust them. My athletic thighs would’ve appreciated one more inch of coverage or a band of grippy elastic around the hem.

But my greatest takeaway is that Garlick and Kowallik achieved what they set out to do. I didn’t regret leaving my shorts, swimsuit, tank top, and sports bra behind. There was no reason to overpack because I had the essentials I needed for a sunny summer retreat to the beach.

As Kowallik said: “No more last minute throwing in the just-in-case layers because I know I have this piece that can do almost everything I need it to.”

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