Have you been enjoying the sustainable style posts I’ve been sharing lately?? I hope so! Today, we’re going below the belt and talking underwear and lingerie! I know that this might come off as a weird topic, but underwear is a manufactured piece of clothing like everything else, so I thought it was worth a deep dive. Plus, have you ever stopped and really put thought into where your underwear comes from? I mean, it touches the most intimate parts of the body, so I’d like to know what goes into making it. During my last closet purge, I decided that from then on I would only purchase sustainable and ethical lingerie. Here are some great brands to inspire you to update your underwear drawer!
Go Green with These Sustainable & Ethical Lingerie Brands
When I first started researching ethical lingerie and underwear, I was really shocked by how many there are… and very, very pleased! The fact that I am able to include 8 brands in this post is astounding to me. Given how personal and intimate bras and panties are, I’m very happy to support brands working to inspire change.
Organic Basics
Ethics | Uses mostly eco-friendly materials and 100% recycled packaging, pays a living wage across its supply chain, which is also completely transparent
Price range | $39-$94
First, I have to say, I love a good Scandinavian brand (Organic Basics is based out of Denmark) because their design is always on point. Typically, Scandi brands tend to be minimal and function really well. Organic Basics appears to be no different, but with an environmentally conscious twist. They have a really cool Impact Index on their website that explains their approach to tracking their supply chain and lifecycle of every single one of their products. Definitely check it out! They’ve tracked how much energy they’ve saved, how much waste they’ve prevented from going into landfills and so much more!
As for the lingerie itself, I’m a big fan of the organic cotton bralette because I typically don’t wear a traditional underwired bra unless I really have to.
Knickey
Ethics | Organic cotton, aka no pesticides and toxic chemicals so that your vagina can breathe. Non-GMO seeds and transparency about the supply chain including fair trade certified factories. Plus, they help turn your old undies into insulation
Price range | $13
I absolutely LOVE that Knickey uses the actual word ‘vagina’ in their messaging and openly discusses the affects that synthetic fibers have on it. Quite frankly, I’m tired of subtle references… let’s just call it what it is! Anyways, Knickey also has a variety of styles including thong, hipster, and high-rise briefs.
Hara
Ethics | Manufactures locally to reduce carbon footprint, uses offcuts to reduce waste, compostable packaging, transparent supply chain
Price range | $35-$75
The first thing that struck me when I looked at Hara’s website was the diverse casting of models. I love inclusive brands that feature different skin tones and body shapes! Any brand that does this already gets an A+ in my book. And they definitely get an A+ for their environmental efforts as well! Hara uses all its offcuts to reduce waste, which I honestly don’t understand why all brands aren’t doing this, big or small. It seems like a simple way to be a little more eco-friendly if you ask me. They also have compostable packaging, which is amazing!
Pact
Ethics | Uses organic and fairtrade cotton, transparent supply chain, heavy focus on using less water to process cotton, offers a recycling program for customers’ old clothing and textiles
Price range | $12-$50
Pact was the first sustainable and ethical lingerie brand I came across that offers lace waist thongs, which I think is huge because I know a lot of women (myself included) who prefer that style. Plus, their commitment to using organic, chemical-free cotton that is also fairtrade makes me feel very confident in wearing their underwear. Also, they’re based in Boulder, Colorado and I always love to support a US brand.
Warp + Weft
Ethics | Known as the world’s cleanest vertically integrated denim company, meaning they are accountable for everything that goes into making the item. Offer 75 sizes, shapes, and inseams to be more inclusive.
Price range | $12
Warp + Weft is another great option for basic, everyday underwear. I especially love that they are more inclusive that most when it comes to ‘nude’ shades. Each pair is made from cellulose that’s reconstituted from beech trees, making them naturally breathable and 50% more absorbent than cotton.
Everlane
Ethics | Use ethical factories, are radically transparent to show customers how much clothes really cost to make vs. what the traditional retail markup is
Price range | $15-50
I am personally a really big fan of Everlane. Everything I’ve bought from them is well-made, fits well, and lasts. I have yet to try their bras and underwear, but it’s definitely on my list the next time I need to replace something. Recently, they started using ReNew fabric which is made from 100% regenerated nylon. I love that while shopping, I’m able to see details of the factory making the item.
Luva Huva
Ethics | All products are handmade in their own studio to reduce carbon footprint, uses non-toxic dyes, transparent supply chain
Luva Huva is one of the only ethical and sustainable lingerie brands I came across, so I had to share. There actually seems to be quite a few great options but basic underwear, but not a lot for lingerie. The biggest thing to note about Luva Huva is that they make all their products by hand, which not only makes everything extra unique, but it drastically reduces their carbon footprint by not using massive production plants. They also use only non-toxic dyes for their products, which is important to note. Also, I wasn’t able to list pricing because they only update that when there’s a new product drop.
Hanes
Ethics | Does some recycling, committed to reducing carbon emissions by 40% by 2020, semi-transparent supply chain
Price range | $7-$30+
Hanes is one of the bigger corporations Good On You shares as a company that’s heading in the right direction. Similar to my denim post, I love to see large brands that are seeing the negative effect their product has on the Earth and that they’re acknowledging in some capacity that they need to evolve. Hanes publicly promised to reduce carbon emissions by 40% in the next year, so fingers crossed they follow through. Bottom line, if Hanes is all your budget allows for, then better to support a company that’s trying vs those fast fashion brands that aren’t IMO.
And there you have it! Honestly, sustainable and ethical lingerie and underwear is way more widely available than I originally thought! Have you tried sustainable underwear? Let me know which brand is your favorite!
If you want to check out the other deep dives I’ve done on this topic, plus get some tips on eco-friendly, sustainable and ethical shopping tips (what it means, what to looks for and more brands I love, etc), check out these posts:
- 6 Eco-Friendly Activewear Brands To Shop Right Now
- 5 Sustainable Jewelry Brands + Tips for Buying Ethical Pieces
- 6 Ethically Made Denim Brands You Need to Know About
- 7 Ethical, Eco-Friendly, and Sustainable Shoe Brands
- 8 Ethical, Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Handbags
- 5 Ethical Fashion Brands I’m Loving Right Now
