7 Organic Underwear Brands: No Ifs & Butts About Saving the Planet
Looking for au naturel underwear?
Don’t get your panties in a bunch—here’s a brief (pun intended) list of the best organic underwear brands.
What’s covering your bum is probably the last thing on your mind, but what’s “down there” deserves attention, for a number of reasons.
Reasons that include health problems, pollution, and worker hazards.
The underwear scene has seen improvements in recent years, much of which is thanks to the world of ethical underwear. While many brands are doing fine for your fanny, the best underwear is underwear that’s, well…natural!
Hence our narrow focus on only organic underwear.
Brands like Thunderpants are cleaning up the underworld with knickers made from organic cotton and a charitable business model. While Pansy takes that one step further by using USA-grown organic cotton.
Brief, boy cut, thong, or boxer—whatever your style, you’ll find a planet-friendly pair in the list below. See how we chose these brands at the end of the article.
*This post contains affiliate links
QUICK LINKS FOR ORGANIC UNDERWEAR BRANDS
1. KNICKEY
About Knickey
Knickey believes that standards were made to be raised.
And they’re proving that point in their range of some of the best organic cotton underwear to grace your glutes.
They’re designed to help the 300 million around the globe who suffer from bladder, yeast, and vaginal infections every year.
They’re doing so by replacing chemical synthetic fabrics that don’t breathe with GOTS- certified organic cotton undies—”so you and your lady parts can breathe easy.”
Knickey’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Say “bu(tt) bye” to petroleum-based fabrics and pesticides and “hello” to getting dressed in certified organic cotton. Knickey takes it one step further by keeping their organic fabric free from harmful toxins and using OEKO-TEX approved dyes.
A teeny tiny amount of elastane (5%) is blended in for stretch.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Knickey will make you blush with how transparent they are (or maybe it’s just all this talk about bums).
The Knickey HQ is based in Chelsea, NYC, but the rest of the magic happens in India. They work with an organic farm located in Ahmedabad, an organic ginner/spinner in Tamil Nadu, and an organic fair trade factory also in Tamil Nadu.
Safe and healthy working conditions, along with living wages, reasonable hours, and the right to unionize are standard along each step of your Knickey knickers’ journey.
Green business practices:
Not only is organic cotton great at absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and supporting ecosystems, but it doesn’t require as much water to grow as convention cotton.
Knickey, too, uses processes to reduce water usage and safely recycle it on their farms and in their factories.
Knickey will also accept your old intimates to transform them into new materials, like mattress batting and insulation! In exchange for participating in their recycling service, they’ll offer you a free pair of undies.
Additionally, recycled packaging is used for shipping, along with low-impact inks.
Inclusivity:
Sizes run from XXS through XXXL (and they offer plus size lingerie too) and a good range of models represent each size. Your organic thong may not cover much, but it has a cost that’s just as skinny (AKA affordable and sexy organic underwear).
Available: Knickey
2. BOODY
About Boody
Boody wants to cover your booty with organic bamboo underwear.
The Australian-American brand is an affordable and ethical fashion company and they’re improving all of our wardrobes thanks to the use of bamboo.
Organic bamboo is the foundation of their eco friendly leggings, bamboo pajamas, bamboo socks and organic women and mens’ ethical underwear.
Boody’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Boody uses organically grown bamboo in most of their garments.
If you remember our deep dive into bamboo fabric, you might recall that it can be a legitimate material used in sustainable fashion—and it can also be used for greenwashing lip service.
In Boody’s case, their bamboo falls into the former category.
Why?
Because they use a closed-loop system that reuses the water and solvents, instead of dumping them into the environment.
Your bottom will also be covered in bamboo undies that are certified by FSC, Ecocert, and OEKO-TEX, and SGS tested for performance and toxin traces. That means no azo dyes, heavy metals, and formaldehyde here.
In most pairs, the bamboo is combined with a bit of nylon and spandex.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Boody has even more certifications under their belt, including the prestigious Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) certification.
At a minimum, their manufacturing patterns are ISO-14001 and ISO 9001 compliant, don’t use child or forced labor, and have strict policies against harassment/abuse.
Green business practices:
When you’re ready to fill your underwear drawer, you’ll unwrap a package that’s made with recycled materials and plant-based inks. This packaging is also SGS tested for any toxic components.
Inclusivity:
Sizes run the standard XS-XL because “Boody fits who you are, naturally”.
Their affordable organic underwear prices are as low as some of their available cuts especially with their additional discounts (like 15% off when you subscribe to their newsletter…) and interest-free 4-payment plan.
Community & charitable giving:
Boody is a member of 1% for the Planet.
Available: Boody (US) | Boody (AU)
3. PANSY
About Pansy
Pansy is almost a 100% organic underwear company.
The brand began with founders Rachel Corry and Laura Schoorl’s dreams of the ideal undies.
You know, “minimal, sturdy, beautiful, locally-made underwear you can feel good wearing.”
And we’re so happy they decided to make their dreams come true, because now women around the globe can benefit from truly comfortable ethical underwear.
Pansy’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The USDA-certified organic cotton used in these undies is grown in Texas and milled in North Carolina. The only thing not domestically sourced is the organic cotton thread, which comes from India, though they hope to one day create a USA grown organic cotton thread.
Some pairs incorporate elastic which is a rubber/cotton blend made in Rhode Island. Other pairs also include 10% spandex, made out of recycled PET.
Non-toxic, compostable, and fiber-reactive dyes are used across the product line.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Sourcing isn’t the only way Pansy keeps it local. Production also takes place entirely in the US, in a factory (read: NOT a sweatshop) in San Leandro, California 20 minutes from their design studio.
The company shares its email with customers and welcomes additional questions / concerns about transparency.
Green business practices:
The panties are sent in an organic cotton jersey bag, made from the company’s own scraps. They recommend you fill this with lavender and make a scented sachet for your undies drawer.
Even the invoices are printed on deadstock paper from a local reuse shop.
Inclusivity:
How does S-XXXL sound for sizes?! Sounds great to us and all those seeking underwear to don under their ethical plus size fashion.
Available: Pansy
4. PEOPLE TREE
About People Tree
London is home to Big Ben, Queen Elizabeth, and the maker of some of our favorite eco friendly jeans, organic cotton pajamas, dresses, fair trade sweaters, and the garments that go underneath them.
People Tree began almost three decades ago and has been leading the way in fair trade fashion since. In fact, they were the first fashion brand to receive the World Fair Trade certification.
Each piece is made with the highest environmental and ethical standards, making them one of the best organic underwear brands for women.
People Tree’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All of People Tree’s underwear (briefs, thong, high-waisted, hipster, low-rise) are made with 95% organic cotton that’s certified by Fair Trade, GOTS, and the Soil Association. Like others on this list, it’s combined with 5% elastane.
Across their entire product range, 93% of PT’s used cotton is GOTS-certified organic.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Nearly all of PT’s Bangladesh and Nepalese manufacturing partners are independently certified Fair Trade.
The brand works with a range of designers and artisans, creating livelihoods and sharing knowledge along the way. You can even meet the artisans, farmers, and producers who make People Tree products.
Green business practices:
People Tree has an environmental policy that includes the use of natural fibers and azo-free dyes, implementing closed-loop processes and rainwater harvesting, and the promotion of organic farming. They go further to support practices that protect local environments.
Inclusivity:
Sizes run from 6-18 UK (2-15 US).
Community & charitable giving:
The People Tree Foundation supports farmers and artisans in a way that supports fair trade fashion as a whole.
It has funded projects like Bombolulu, a workshop that provides opportunities for Kenyans with disabilities.
Available: People Tree
5. THUNDERPANTS
About Thunderpants
Thunderpants is more than a clever name.
The family-owned business keeps it stylish with underwear that should be called overwear, i.e. it’s so cute you’ll want to be like superman and wear it on the outside.
Get matching tie-dye sets for you and your boo, or even some for your kid.
While Thunderpants was founded in New Zealand, they now have a US based factory for those seeking organic cotton underwear made in USA.
Thunderpants’ Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Your bits will be sustainably covered in underwear made from fair trade and GOTS-certified organic cotton that’s been dyed with non-toxic and water-based ink.
All underwear is blended with 10% spandex to give it a soft stretchy feel, which adds to that fact that these undies are designed to not ride up or roll down. Wedgie-free undies? Sign us up!
Supply chain & labor practices:
Like other brands, transparency is not at the bottom of Thunderpants’ priority list. They’re clear about where and how their underwear is produced.
For the nontoxic organic underwear sold in the United States, garments are produced in a factory in Portland, Oregon factory only seven miles away from their main office. The factory shares Thunderpants’ values of ethical manufacturing and the Thunderpants team visits it regularly.
The New Zealand branch is just as committed to ethical manufacturing. They print their fabric in Auckland or at their headquarters in Martinborough, before the undies are sewn in Carterton.
All organic cotton is grown in India.
Green business practices:
In addition to buying from bulk online stores to minimize shipping emissions, Thunderpants is conscious about composting and/or repurposing any fabric offcuts.
They even provide tips for what to do with old clothes (or underwear in this case) for mulch, ties in the garden, or stuffing for non toxic baby toys.
All undies ship in recyclable packaging.
Inclusivity:
Just a minute or two on their website and you’ll see how important inclusivity is for the brand. They use a diverse range of models and offer sizes to fit anybody (S-3XL for women and S-XL for men).
While their underwear is labeled for men or women, they can be worn by those of us who don’t identify along gender lines.
Community & charitable giving:
Thunderpants is big on donating to nonprofit organizations they align with. In the US, this includes organizations like the Black Resilience Fund, the NAACP, and the Mitakuye Foundation.
Available: Made Trade
6. BROOK THERE
About Brook There
Brook There started when founder Brook went on the hunt for ethical lingerie.
When she couldn’t find anything—except for other women looking for the same thing—Brook There was born.
Inspired by nature, their simple yet sexy organic underwear is for all those occasions when you need a little extra confidence and comfort.
Ladies, these little numbers are all for you!
Brook There’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
GOTS-certified organic cotton yarn is the material of choice for Brook There. It’s combined with fiber-reactive dye and a small amount of spandex.
They also have a collection of silk underwear, which adds a 92% silk side panel. While natural, these are not vegan.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The organic cotton comes from mills in either California or South Carolina before it’s cut and sewn by a small team of artisans in Massachusetts.
Having a domestic supply chain isn’t just best from an environmental standpoint, but it also allows BT to really know their team and ensure their strict ethical standards are met.
While they prioritize USA-made materials, some of their elastic trims and laces come from abroad.
Green business practices:
EcoEnclose recycled poly bags and recycled tissue paper for shipping aid in Brook There’s efforts to avoid single-use plastics whenever possible.
Inclusivity:
They recently added a new XXL underwear size and anticipate their size range will continue to grow.
Available: Brook There
7. ORGANIC BASICS
About Organic Basics
As their name suggests, Organic Basics is one of the best sustainable basics brands.
The Danish organic clothing company is improving the fashion industry with the help of organic fibers in their range of sustainable socks, tees, ethical leggings, and more.
At their inception, Organic Basics specialized in just one item: organic mens underwear.
No surprise they do this category justice, and they’ve got knickers for women, too.
Organic Basics’ Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
While Organic Basics uses an impressive list of sustainable materials, for the most part these are organic cotton underwear. The organic cotton is certified by GOTS and saves an average of half a kilo of CO2, 282 grams of chemicals, and 21 grams of waste compared to conventional cotton.
Some of the organic cotton underwear also contain SilverTech (a polymer thread with sustainably-sourced silver) which helps to keep you fresh and odor-free.
Supply chain & labor practices:
To be a partner with Organic Basics, farms and factories must use safe working conditions, ensure living wages, and prohibit child and forced labor. These entities are audited by SA8000 standards and OB is both a Sedex member and BSCI-compliant.
You can even see these factories for yourself.
Green business practices:
Compared to the fast fashion world, Organic Basics has a minimal environmental impact.
This starts with their use of sustainable materials but is supported by a low-impact website, free carbon neutral shipping, and supply chain based entirely in Europe.
Rather than NO impact, they’re trying to create a positive one by participating in regenerative agriculture for their cotton farming—which converted an impressive 60,000 meters of farmland to land that goes beyond organic by capturing carbon.
Inclusivity:
A wide range of models represent Organic Basics’ equally-inclusive size range of XS-XL.
Community & charitable giving:
Supporting European environmental activists/organizations, the Organic Basics Fund provides biannual grants to projects like Green Kayak, Amazon Watch, and Rewilding Europe.
Available: Organic Basics
WHY CHOOSE ORGANIC UNDERWEAR?
Your skin is the only barrier between you and the outside world. Which is especially important when you’re thinking about your bits down there.
Chemicals are the last thing you want to get close and personal with, but unfortunately, they’re a common ingredient in the conventional pair of underwear.
Take dyes, for instance, they may produce formaldehyde (a known carcinogen) when washed and worn. Who wants all of that down there?!
Even conventionally grown cotton is typically dyed and bleached—which can cause irritation and provide a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast. We’d like to keep that far away from down there, thank you very much.
Not to mention, all that plastic in synthetic fabric skivvies which leaves our planet with a terribly uncomfortable wedgie…
HOW WE FOUND THE BEST ORGANIC UNDERWEAR
What comes to mind when you think of sustainable fashion? Flowy fair trade dresses and ethically-made jeans perhaps?
But what goes on underneath all that is just as (if not more) important.
Materials:
We’ll keep pesticides and plastic away from our patooties and opt for organically grown cotton and bamboo fabric instead. While hemp underwear brands were missing from this list, we’d happily wear their panties, too.
But in this list, like the one covering organic period underwear, we looked for these accreditations.
- Certifications: GOTS, OEKO-TEX, FSC, Fair Trade, Soil Association, Ecocert, USDA
Supply chain and labor practices:
If dirty supply chains are like dirty underwear, then we’re glad these brands are cleaning up.
At a minimum, this means no child or forced labor. Going beyond that, we look for fair wages, safe working environments, no tolerance of abuse or harassment, and extra efforts to help support farmers and garment workers.
- Certifications: Fair Trade, ISO-14001, WRAP, SA8000, Sedex, and Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI)
Green business practices:
Recycled/reusable packaging is great and all, but we’re getting to the point where we want more! They say too much green makes you greedy…
We love seeing brands recycling production water, paying for carbon-neutral shipping, and accepting old undies to responsibly recycle them.
Inclusivity:
All bottoms need covering (unless you’re a nudist), and we’re thrilled to see a range of sizes and models are represented with these organic underwear brands. Many of them keep their underwear affordable, too.
Community & charitable giving:
Whether through donations to charities or a company fund to support environmental and social projects, brands should show that a new pair of underwear can mean so much more.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON NON TOXIC ORGANIC UNDERWEAR
Underwear is the most intimate of clothing you’ll ever use and own.
So, finding something that’s chemical and pesticide-free is pretty darn important. Makes you think twice about what’s in your top drawer, doesn’t it?
If you were wondering where to buy organic underwear and what to look for in the process, we hope these brands have answered your questions.
This is the part where we usually remind you to shop at an online thrift store first, but in this case, we’ll skip that cringey thought.
You’ll be excused for not buying secondhand underwear…Just make sure you’re supporting an ethical underwear brand when you do!
