Friday, June 27, 2025

Healthy Habits - Swim Cap Designed for Textured Hair





Being inclusive means recognizing that some spaces have features or rules that unintentionally make it harder for certain groups to participate. One of those areas is swimming - most swim caps aren't designed with textured hair in mind.

Tess Padmore, Inventor & Inclusive Design Advocate, Founder of Egghead Soques® , is a Black woman entrepreneur and brain injury survivor who invented the first-ever patented swim cap designed specifically for textured hair. Her design is sparking powerful conversations about beauty standards, wellness access, and what it means to feel included in spaces like pools and aquatic centers.


She created it after her own swim cap stopped fitting—and realized no real solution existed.

I had a chance to interview her to learn more.

  • Why is textured hair often excluded from aquatic design?

    • When I started swimming again after a brain injury, I ran into the same issue I faced years earlier when my daughter took swim lessons—there just weren’t any caps that fit textured hair. Ours is fuller, thicker, and shaped differently than what most swim caps are made for. I’d spend more time struggling to force my hair into a cap than actually enjoying the water. That frustration stuck with me, and over time I realized this wasn’t just a personal inconvenience—it was a widespread design gap that needed to be addressed.

  • How can swim cap requirements impact equity in access to pools?

    • After my swim cap stopped fitting, I realized I couldn’t even participate in certain pools unless I wore one. That experience made it clear how policies—however well-meaning—can unintentionally exclude people when the gear isn’t made with everyone in mind. That moment pushed me to create my own design. If you're going to require a cap, then the cap needs to work for all kinds of hair. Otherwise, people are being quietly turned away before they even get a chance to swim.

  • Why is it important to reduce barriers to access in swimming pools?

    • Swimming helped me rebuild my health and confidence after a major medical event—but only because I found a way to stay in the water. If I hadn’t pushed through the barriers, I might’ve given up. And a lot of people do. I created this swim cap because I didn’t want others to be pushed out the way I nearly was. And for kids, especially in Black and Brown communities where drowning rates are still far too high, access isn’t optional—it’s essential. Reducing barriers saves lives.

  • What features make your swim cap ideal for textured hair?

    • I designed it based on what I needed but couldn’t find. It stretches to fit locs, braids, and curls without pulling or damaging the hairline. The coverage is deeper, so it protects more of the hair from chlorine, and the materials are soft but strong—comfortable enough to wear without feeling like you’re being squeezed. I tested version after version until it felt right. This isn’t just about function—it’s about finally having something that was made with us in mind.


Tess Padmore is a brain aneurysm survivor, author, and inventor of the Danu—the first patented swim cap designed specifically for Black hair. After realizing traditional swim caps excluded her natural hair texture, she launched the inclusive headwear brand Egghead Soques® to create products that empower people to feel confident, seen, and protected. Through innovation, advocacy, and storytelling, Tess is changing the face of wellness and redefining what inclusive design looks like.




For more info about inclusive, diversity-driven headwear, visit eggheadsoques.com. You can also follow @EggheadSoques on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or connect with Tess personally on LinkedIn.

Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tess-padmore-b5819b73

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