What does the expression ethical fashion mean?
It means that the sourcing is more transparent with more care taken for both workers involved in the supply chain and use of materials and dyes with less impact on the environment.
Is there a difference between sustainable and ethical underwear?
Yes. Ethical does not necessarily mean that the clothing or fabrics used are sustainable. For example, organic cotton however good in spirit can and often does use more water during the manufacturing process and far more than a sustainable fabric like Modal or Bamboo.
Which underwear fabrics are considered to be sustainable?
Bamboo, Tencel, Modal and Micro Modal are all considered to be sustainable fabrics.
What does the term ethical underwear mean?
Ethical underwear means the brand tries to respect both people and the planet in the manufacturing of the product and/or by other methods
The #1 ULTIMATE Ethical Underwear Brands 2020 Guide
Sustainable Lingerie Brands
With more and more of us understanding the impact our shopping habits have on the world many of us are starting to make changes especially with the impact of fast fashion.
So here’s your new go to list for the best eco-friendly undie brands using new eco-friendly fabrics with well documented eco benefits such as bamboo, modal and micro modal and more transparent manufacturing and creation practises these are the best affordable lingerie brands labels from around the globe including the US, Canada the UK, continental Europe NZ and Australia that should be in your undie drawer by 2020.
If you live in the UK
All Undone
Approach | Made in the UK
Products | Underwear, lingerie
Pricing | Mid
All done are a contemporary designer manufactured totally in the UK using a blend of silk, mesh, and lace.
Ayten Gasson
Approach | local sourcing
Products | Underwear, lingerie
Pricing | Mid to high
Ayten Gasson are a fantastic burlesque undies brand who sell luxury silk underwear all designed and handmade in the UK. The company is also dedicated to supporting as many UK companies as possible, from lace mills to printers.
Buttress & Snatch
Approach | Made to order, made in London
Products | Burlesque lingerie, bridal lingerie
Pricing | Luxury
Buttress and Snatch are a London based burlesque and bridal lingerie is custom made, to order, in their Hackney workshop, and buy all of their materials from UK companies.
Floripawear
Approach | Sustainable fabric, Made in London
Products | Eco friendly underwear, bra, thongs, briefs
Pricing | Mid range
All Floripawear‘s (our sister brand) are affordable eco friendly lingerie collection is made out of the much more eco-friendly micro modal fabric by hand in small batches in our London studio. Fess time! Floripawear is part of the same family as Super Bulky. But we still think they’re the best certainly if you like comfort and a sports look!
Lara Intimates
Approach | Eco-friendly approach, Made in London
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Mid range
Lara Intimates create beautiful affordable collection from their Soho factory, made from reclaimed and luxury surplus fabric from large factories or brands. Even the elastics and packaging are made in England with eco-friendly practices.
Luva Huva
Approach | Local sourcing (where possible), made in UK
Products | Underwear, Lingerie
Pricing | Mid-upper range
Luva Huva is one of the best affordable lingerie brands in the UK. Luva Huva uses local suppliers and producers where possible, as well as using remnants, vintage fabrics, and end-of-line fabrics and trims.
Martha Rose
Approach | Local sourcing (where possible), made in UK
Products | Underwear, Lingerie
Pricing | Mid-upper range
Martha Rose sell lovely British made lingerie.
Neon Moon
Approach | Yes
Products | Eco friendly underwear
Pricing | Affordable
Neon Moon sells a range of hand made sexy knickers and unwired bras and are a great affordable sustainable underwear brands uk brand.
Organic Basics
Approach | Sustainable
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Affordable
Organic Basics made in GOTS certified organic cotton (Licence number: USB TEX 2015) – a soft, natural fiber grown and manufactured in observed working conditions.
Ciel
Approach | Sustainable
Products | Undies
Organic | GOTS certified organic cotton
Pricing | Affordable
Ciel only uses environmentally produced fabrics & production throughout the design and making process of their fab underwear and use sustainable rapid growth textiles, such as lyocel and hemp, and organic natural fibres, certified by Control Union and GOTS to recycled fabrics.
Nui Ami
Approach | Ethical, GOTS certified organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Affordable
Nui Ami brings a new approach to sleepwear, combining versatility and comfort with luxury and sophistication. Our collections softens the boundaries between night and day, between sleepwear and loungewear.
Rossell
Approach | Ethical, GOTS certified organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Affordable
Launched in January 2016, Rossell underwear brand was created by founder Jo Rossell from a personal desire to make underwire free, contemporary designed underwear made from natural fibres.
Cotton and Push
Approach | Ethical, GOTS certified organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Affordable
Cotton & Push have a passion for creating beautiful skin friendly lingerie from natural fabrics
Zuela
Approach | Ethical
Products | Lingerie
Pricing | Mid
At Zuela we focus on making lingerie a part of your daily wellness routine.
Y.O.U
Approach | Ethical, GOTS certified organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Affordable
Every piece of Y.O.U underwear is made from 100% Fairtrade & GOTS certified organic cotton that is PETA-approved vegan.
It has been sustainably sourced and produced by people who have been paid a fair wage.
Rapanui
Approach | Made in the UK, renewable energy, returns
Products | Basics
Pricing | Mid range
Rapanui are based on the Isle of Wight and make all of their items in the UK using organic materials in a factory powered by renewable energy and manufactures orders in real time when the item gets sold, so there’s reduced waste.
Additionally, worn-out items can be sent back and get recycled into new products. How cool is that…
If you live in the USA
Everlane
Approach| Strong production values, high transparency
Products | Cotton undies, bras, bodysuits
Pricing | Affordable
Everlane argue that for decades you undie collection has been designed with someone else in mind. Bras that push, pad, and squeeze. Fabrics that suffocate. Everlane aim to change that…
Thinx
Approach | Use of organic cotton, responsible transparency, recycles fabric
Products | Period proof pants and body clothing
Pricing | Mid range
Thinx position themselves as the only period-proof undie brand. Because every person with a period deserves peace of mind.
Tomboyx
Approach | Fair trade, Oeko-tex 100 certified (not all), sustainability approach
Products | Undies, bras, bedwear & swimwear
Pricing | Mid range
Tomboyx want you to be fiercely and unapologetically you. Browse their collections of bras, undies & loungewear made for all genders, bodies & styles.
WAMA
Approach | GOTS-certified
Products | Sleepwear
Pricing | affordable
WAMA eco friendly undies produces comfy hemp undies made from a blend of hemp, organic cotton and a small amount of spandex for stretch. The hemp is sourced from GOTS-certified suppliers in China who are audited annually and they are a PETA-Vegan approved brand.
PACT
Approach | GOTS-certified organic
Products | Undies
Pricing | Affordable
PACT is a US eco-friendly eco clothing brand that produces eco friendly undies for women, men and babies with everything made from GOTS-certified organic cotton and produced under Fair-Trade certified conditions.
Only Hearts
Approach | Eco-friendly approach, Made in New York
Products | Underwear, Sleepwear, Loungewear
Pricing | Mid range
Helena Stuart founded Only Hearts in 1978 and working alongside her daughter Kaya, offers a full range of lifestyle lingerie from sexy sweet undies and bralettes to sleepwear.
Only Hearts is proudly manufactured in New York City using local, deadstock and certified made in green textiles.
Me Undies
Approach | Eco-friendly approach, Made in USA
Products | Fun mens and womens
Pricing | Affordable
MeUndies source only the finest, softest materials for our undies and work only with factories that take exceptional care of their employees.
Knickery
Approach | Organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Affordable
Knickery want us all to be more vocal about women’s health. Around the world, about 300 million women suffer from yeast, vaginal, and bladder infections each year—in part due to the synthetic fabrics that don’t breathe and harmful chemicals found in our undergarments and feminine care products.
Knickery’s certified organic cotton undies are free from toxic chemicals so you and your vag can breathe easy.
Sokoloff
Approach | Made by Women
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Mid market
Sokoloff lingerie designs and manufactures fine lingerie consciously made with love by women. Created by designer Sofia Sokoloff, the label breathes delicacy, confidence and comfort, while driving an modern production model.
The undergarments are recognized for their exceptional fit and their high standards of craftsmanship.
White Rabbit
Approach | Undies
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Reasonable
White Rabbit started out of a frustration with available underwear options. In a world where we care so much about what goes into our food, our bodies, our clothes, how is it that no one paid attention to how our underwear is made?
Proclaim
Proclaim is an inclusive nude lingerie brand made in Los Angeles from earth conscious fabrics
Approach | Made in the US
Products | Undies
Pricing | Affordable
Thunderpants
Approach | Made in USA, Organic cotton
Products | Basics
Pricing | Mid range
Thunderpants USA clothing is made in the USA from organic cotton and all of the production process is as local and transparent as they can feasibly make it.
If you live in Canada
Azura Bay
Approach | GOTS certified cotton, Tencel sustainable fabric
Products | Bras, undies, bed clothing, leggings
Pricing | Affordable
Azura Bay carries a curated collection of undies and is one the best eco, organic, & fair trade best affordable lingerie brands
Thief & Bandit
Approach | Sustainability commitment, non toxix dyes
Products | Undies
Pricing | Mid range
Firstly, what a great name Thief & Bandit have! Thief & Bandit are a brand with a wild spirit combined with a commitment to sustainability means they work with only organic textiles: jerseys, cottons, raw silks, georgette, french terry.
In addition the water based acrylic inks they print with are non-toxic, making them safe for waterways and our oceans.
Mary Young
Approach | OEKO-TEX® certified
Products | Basics
Pricing | Mid range
All of Mary Young products are ethically-made with each fabric chosen to be beneficial to you,
Their main fabric is a rayon of organic bamboo knit sourced from China and the bamboo yarn is GOTS™ certified and limits the use of toxic bleaches, dyes and other chemicals during production.
It’s also OEKO-TEX® certified and has passed UV testing. To reduce our carbon footprint, none of our fabrics include chlorine bleach or dyes that release carcinogenic amine compounds and the use of synthetic sizing agents are prohibited during the knitting and weaving process to avoid waste.
Fortnight
Approach | Made in Canada
Products | Basics
Pricing | Mid range
Every Fortnight garment is made in Canada with precision and purpose – designed to extend beyond seasons and trends.
By stripping away the excess and focusing on enduring, well-designed classics, their garments celebrate minimalism and the natural female form, championing the idea of curating a personal wardrobe with style and intention, special piece by special piece.
If you live in France
Klow
Approach | Undies, GOTS certified organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Reasonable
Klow is a sustainable clothing retailer that sells ecological products.
Olly
Approach | Made in Europe
Products | Basics
Pricing | Mid range
In theory, no one can do sustainable lingerie like the french. And with Olly anf their dream of sustainable and eco-responsible fashion they are certainly representing the allure of french fashion heritage.
Olly was started by Mathilde and Clementine, two friends who one day imagined a brand of lingerie made of organic cotton, recycled lace and made in Europe. One to watch!
If you live in Germany
Anek
Approach | Eco-friendly, Recycled, deadstock
Products | Lingerie
Pricing | Mid range to upper
Anekdot is an upcycle brand from Germany. which means that they source their superb materials from production leftovers, end of lines, off-cuts, deadstock and vintage trimmings turning them into something beautiful and meaningful for your everyday life.
Comazo
Approach | Fairtrade Organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Very affordable
Comazo launched into the German market the first Fairtrade underwear collection made from 100% fair trade organic cotton under our brand label “comazo | earth”.
Vatter
Approach | GOTS certified organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Affordable
VATTER underwear is finest organic cotton dressed in a fashionable design. When talking about organic underwear, many people first think of unappealing underpants in off-white. We call them “passion killers”. They may be good for your ecological conscience, yet are anything but a feast for your eyes. With VATTER underwear we proof that things can be different and that the terms “organic” and “sexy” are not mutually exclusive. All our products are GOTS certified and thus sustainably produced.
Aikyou
Approach | Small sizes
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Reasonable
Sustainability – that was never a marketing trend for us, but always a matter close to our heart. We handle all resources responsibly. For us, this is not just a question of labels and certifications. It goes far beyond that. We live this claim both professionally and in our private lives.
Our brand AIKYOU, inspired by a Japanese female name, exactly expresses this attitude: it translates as “love and respect”.
Scandinavian Brands
Woron
Approach | Vegan, GOTS certified organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Affordable
Woron is a Copenhagen based collaboration between two sisters -Arina and Anya Woron.
They have a passion for life in the slow lane and both share an enthusiasm for sustainable underwear &everyday essentials.
Swedish Eco
Approach | Ethical, GOTS certified organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Affordable
Swedish Eco produce and sell organic and ethical clothes including GOTS certified ethical underwear for both men and women.
Australian and NZ Ethical lingerie brands
Nico
Approach | Transparency, Recycled where possible
Products | Eco friendly underwear
Pricing | Reasonable
Nico is a Brisbane based label first launched by creator Lis Harvey in 2012 and offers an elegant range of high quality basics while always staying true to its roots as demonstrated by having the longest standing accreditation with Ethical Clothing Australia.
NICO has always been committed to transparency in the production process and uses organic, recycled materials wherever possible including sustainably sourced and resource efficient Modal which we are massive fans of.
Eco Intimates
Approach | Ethical, GOTS certified organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Affordable
Eco Intimates launched in 2008 by Madonna Bain and has evolved into a thriving business offering custom made and small batch runs of quality ethical lingerie.
The natural fabrics used include Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified organic cotton treated with low-impact dyes.
Le Buns
Approach | Ethical underwear, GOTS certified organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Reasonable
Founded in 2016 by Keisha Dessaix, LÉ BUNS combines eco-friendly materials with minimalist designs to offer a chemical-free and super comfy collection of ethical lingerie
The Melbourne-based label designs are cut from GOTS-certified organic cotton to minimise waste and reduce chemical toxins and packaging when shipped uses biodegradable boxes made from recycled paper. Hats off to Le Buns!
Mighty good basics
Approach | Ethical, Organic cotton
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Super affordable
Mighty Good Basics believe in a world of transparency and supreme respect for people and the planet.
That’s why they partner with the world’s best ethical factories and source the finest organic Fairtrade cotton.
Their underwear is incredibly comfortable and designed to perfectly fit bodies of all shapes and sizes.
Hara
Approach | Ethical & Sustainable supporting of community projects
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Affordable
Melbourne based HARA use sustainably sourced bamboo for their ethical underwear which includes briefs, bras and g-strings in dun colours and are all naturally dyed. HARA has also teamed up with the EJFoundation in supporting projects in remote areas of the world that are under environmental distress.
The Very Good Bra
Approach | Natural fibres
Products | Underwear
Pricing | Reasonable
The Very Good Bra is an eco friendly underwear brand specialising in wire free bras in natural fibres and proper cup sizes.
