Ethical Undies: These Underwear Brands Care About Your Privacy and Your Planet

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Written by Jessy Humann

For those captivated by the world of sustainable fashion, having a wardrobe filled with sustainably made clothes is the ultimate dream. Thoughts of handmade, 100% wool jackets and too-soft-to-be-real silk are romantic, but let’s be honest, these dreams die for people just as soon as they see a price tag.    

Image by Cassell Ferere

Sustainability is important, especially since the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters in the world, but sustainably made clothes aren’t something that everyone can afford. It’s a moral dilemma for many people: “ I care about the environment and want to choose better, but I simply can’t afford what sustainable brands are asking me to pay.”

Image by Cassell Ferere

As the demand for sustainably made clothes and shoes increases, hopefully prices will go down, making it easier for everyone to make better buying choices. But not all clothing that’s made sustainably is expensive. Sometimes the smallest choices can make the biggest difference.  

Image by Cassell Ferere

Underwear might not be the most glamorous subject to talk about, especially as it relates to the whole of sustainable fashion, but everyone wears it. Buying sustainably made underwear could be the perfect baby step for people with smaller budgets. Underwear is cheaper than handmade shoes or jewelry made from recycled materials, but it’s just as important. Clothes don’t have to be expensive, beautiful, or visible to the public to make a difference. They just have to stand for something.      

Image by Cassell Ferere

There’s a company out there called Good On You that’s a great resource for shopping sustainably. They rate brands based on how they affect people, the environment, and animals. To get a “great” or “good” rating, a brand has to have high standards. They have to focus on worker safety, payment of workers, energy usage, carbon emissions, and what type of animal products are used, among other things. Users can search for specific brands or by category, but sorting through brands can be time consuming.  

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Here are some of the underwear brands rated as “great” or “good” by Good On You. If nothing else, they’re a good place to start. 

REFORMATION 

Reformation uses eco-friendly and recycled materials, renewable energy in its supply chain, and reuses offcuts to help with textile waste. They also have a Code of Conduct  that covers ILO'S Four Fundamental Freedoms principles. Reformation makes especially pretty lingerie, you know, for those special occasions.   

BOODY

Boody makes the softest underwear for men and women out of organically grown bamboo. They make some of the most affordable sustainably made underwear on the market, and are certified with the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. Boody supports 1% For The Planet and holds the Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production - WRAP certification to ensure safe labour conditions.  

PACT

Pact uses GOTS or Fairtrade certified organic cotton to make almost all of its basic wear for men, women, and babies.  

ORGANIC BASICS

Organic Basics tries to be as transparent as possible about their products processes. They use 100% recycled packaging, use eco-friendly materials, and has a Code of Conduct that covers all of the ILO Four Fundamental Freedoms principles. Organic Basics is committed to making high-quality, organic basics for men and women.    

THUNDERPANTS

Thunderpants are made in the USA in Portland, Oregon. They source their organic, fairtrade certified cotton from India, which is then knitted in Melbourne, Australia. All of Thunderpants underwear and bras are then cut and sewn in Oregon. 

HARA

HARA uses all of its offcuts to help reduce waste, uses non-toxic dyes, doesn’t use any animal products, and ensures its workers are paid a living wage. HARA makes their bras, underwear, and loungewear out of organic bamboo.    

ETIKO

Etiko makes organic, eco friendly, fair trade clothing. All of their products are vegan and GOTS certified. Etiko has a code of conduct that covers all of the ILO principles, and the company pays living wages in all of its supply chain. 

WAMA

WAMA isn’t rated by Good On You yet, but they’re a PETA approved and Green America certified business. WAMA makes hemp underwear for men and women. 

PEOPLE TREE

People Tree has been at the forefront of sustainable fashion for sometime now. They are a World Fair Trade Organization, have a Soil Association certification, and adopt the Fairtrade International - Small Producers Organizations Code of Conduct. Their underwear is made from GOTS certified cotton and come in black, white, nude, stripes, and polka dots. People Tree also makes the world’s first tights made from 100% recycled materials.     

VATTER

VATTER is based out of Munich and makes organic cotton underwear that come in fun prints. Vatter adopts the GOTS Code of Conduct, uses 100% vegan materials, and uses eco-friendly materials like GOTS certified cotton.  

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Thunderpants

Every purchase we make matters. What good is a sustainable brand if no one wears, buys, supports, and promotes the concept of sustainability? What we choose to wear says a little bit about us with every choice, and sustainable choices show that we care. Even starting small with something as simple as underwear can make a difference.         

Thunderpants

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