6 Sustainable Underwear Brands
We’re always going to need more underwear. They’re just one of those garments that will always need to be replaced (okay, fine, maybe not if you prefer to go commando). Shopping secondhand undergarments can be a risky endeavor, so the best option here is to purchase new from sustainable brands.
Here are 6 sustainable underwear brands for you to try out!
1. Pact
Pact is a Boulder-based company that focuses strictly on organic cotton basics. Natural fibers are better for the environment as they don’t contribute to plastic pollution, but cotton is a challenging fiber to work with because it’s resource-intensive and when conventionally-grown, is a crop that utilizes a lot of pesticides.
Pact is revolutionizing the cotton apparel industry by creating 100% organic cotton undergarments (and basics). They are a certified B-Corp and are diligent in making sure that their entire production process is as clean and responsible as possible.
2. Organic Basics
Organic Basics is a Denmark-based company that makes comfortable, everyday underwear with high-quality sustainable materials. They focus heavily on not only creating underwear from sustainable materials, but on reducing their carbon footprint by using renewable energy sources across their supply chain and even opting for a low-impact website. They have several lines that feature different materials for different lifestyle purposes including organic cotton, TENCEL™, and SilverTech™.
3. Proclaim
Proclaim in a Black-owned, inclusive, nude, lingerie line made in Los Angeles. One of the biggest challenges in sustainably creating underwear is that the stretch requirement for comfort, longevity, and practicality, often calls for the use of petroleum-based synthetic fibers. Proclaim navigates this challenge by using a high proportion of recyclable fabrics that utilize circular manufacturing processes.
4. Hara
Hara, is a company that produces ethically and sustainably made undergarments locally in India. They use OEKO-TEX 100 approved organic bamboo fabrics for a majority of their intimates and are mindful about using plant-derived, non-toxic dyes as well. Hara gives a portion of their proceeds to the Environmental Justice Foundation to help support remote areas of the world under environmental stress.
5. Pansy
Pansy is a US-based organic cotton underwear company. They use domestically-grown organic cotton and all garments are sewn locally by an in-house private studio in California. They focus heavily on decreasing the amount of chemicals, wastewater, and dyes used in their garments.
6. Parade
Inclusivity is frequently missing from the sustainability space and this brand addresses just that. Parade has made it their manifesto to redefine what sexiness looks like. This brand utilizes Replay, an OEKO-TEX-certified fabric that is made of 85% recycled polyamide.
This list is far from a conclusive collection of companies creating sustainably made undergarments, but I think it’s a good place to start. What are some of your favorite sustainable underwear brands?
