13 Ethical & Sustainable Lingerie Brands For Conscious Sex Appeal
Sustainability is sexy. No ifs or but(t)s about it.
So, in the spirit of making patooties more planet-friendly, we stripped down to find some sexy sustainable lingerie brands worthy of bedroom eyes.
We’ve covered ethical underwear and even hemp underwear in the past, but this time we’ve dialed the style up to ten, trading in sustainable basics that cover your bottom for lacy little numbers that, well, don’t cover so much.
Sticking to select vintage eco-lingerie pieces can maximize your minimalist wardrobe –but whatever your preference, you just need a few pieces to spice up those special occasions.
What are the best eco-friendly lingerie sets and brands? Here’s a quick look under the covers for some of our faves.
Everything we recommend to you on Sustainable Jungle is independently researched and we ask all brands to confirm their claims. To avoid waste, we test products on an as needed basis. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about why we do this here.
Organic & Eco-Friendly Lingerie Pieces We’d Love To Wear
Cosabella is a long-standing classic ethical lingerie brand that offers gorgeous, size inclusive Italian craftsmanship and exceptional quality.
Or consider JulieMay, the award-winning UK sustainable lingerie brand providing a perfect blend of comfort and style with their hypo-allergenic, organic cotton and organic silk lingerie.
Understatement gives plastic bottles and deadstock fabric a new (sex) life with their modern line of eco-luxe lingerie made of lace, organic cotton, and recycled elastane
Want to know how we dressed-down these brands? Unbutton your way to the bottom to get a peep.
Now let’s size up our favorite sustainable lingerie brands.
The Full List Of Sustainable & Ethical Lingerie Brands
- Cosabella | Visit Store
- JulieMay | Visit Store
- Underprotection | Visit Store
- Savara Intimates | Visit Store
- Understatement | Visit Store
- Uye Surana | Visit Store
- ColieCo | Visit Store
- Nette Rose | Visit Store
- Vintage Lingerie | Visit Store
- Modern Match Lingerie | Visit Store
- Clare Bare | Visit Store
- Anekdot | Visit Store
- Eco Intimates | Visit Store
1. Cosabella
About Cosabella
Price Range: $46—$445
Cosabella is Italian for “beautiful thing.”
Fitting, because since 1983, this brand has combined Italian craftsmanship and exceptional quality to bring ethical lingerie to the world.
Inspired by traditional artisanship and the modern woman, Cosabella’s lingerie is feminine, timeless, size inclusive and designed for every woman.
Their selection includes bras, panties, ethical lingerie sets, bodysuits, teddys, and camisoles–all of which are available in more than 100 colors.
Cosabella’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
While synthetic fabrics like polyamide and elastane are used in garments, many feature cotton and modal for the body.
In the past, they offered a Lourdes collection, garments from this line were made from a majority of recycled polyamide and recycled elastane. We hope this line makes a reappearance.
The colors are produced from natural dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The company was founded by a husband and wife duo and is still family-owned. That’s why they partner with family-run workshops in villas around Italy.
Representing a slow fashion approach, every step of making these skivvies is thoughtfully done to produce a quality product. Some of the manufacturing practices date back to the Renaissance period.
A single hand-crafted thong could take up to 10 hours to make.
Inclusivity:
Cosabella has a plus size collection that starts at 38-40 bands, DD-F cups, and lingerie sizes 1X to 3X.
2. JulieMay
About JulieMay
Price Range: $60—$86
This year’s winner of the London Prestige Award for Lingerie Brand of the Year, JulieMay’s ethical sustainable lingerie is made of organic Pima cotton and 100% pure organic silk.
Their simple yet luxe selection of sustainable lingerie is hypoallergenic, luxuriously soft, sexy, and consciously made.
You can choose from bras, sports bras, bralettes, and two main styles of bootylicious organic cotton panties.
If you have skin sensitivities, their organic cotton products are scientifically proven to be allergy friendly.
JulieMay’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
JulieMay’s comfy intimates are made from pure organic silk inner layers in both bras and panties.
This sustainable lingerie brand chooses organic Prima cotton to complement the silk inner layers in their comfort bra collections which includes a supportive underwired bra, non-wired bralette, as well as push-up and padded options.
Everything is finished with cotton threads, lace, and trims, and you won’t find any synthetics, exposed plastic hooks, stitched tags, nickel, or latex.
Supply chain & labor practices:
JulieMay handmakes all products at their production site which is certified by ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001, ensuring workplace health and safety, fair wages, water and energy efficiency among other eco-attributes.
Green business practices:
JulieMay steers clear of harsh chemicals, uses only small vats to minimize water usage during the dyeing process, and features recyclable paper packaging.
Inclusivity:
Beautifully diverse models of all ages, races, shapes, and sizes promote their gorgeous eco-friendly lingerie.
The sustainable lingerie brand features a thorough size range of 30+ sizes from 32B to 40G in bras and 8-18 for panties and bralettes.
Community and charitable giving:
Through Greenspark, JulieMay supports various projects which have to date offset 1.1 tons of CO2, removed the equivalent of almost 3000 plastic bottles and reforested 1.18 hectares of trees.
3. Underprotection
About Underprotection
Price Range: $50—$75
The award-winning Danish brand Underprotection has been putting the booty in beautiful ethical lingerie for over a decade, which they claim to be “almost as sustainable as being naked.”
Their product lineup includes sustainable lingerie stockings, teddies, organic bras, hipsters and more, all with plenty of patterns and prints to choose from.
Aside from the name, there’s nothing “under” about this brand. Instead, they’re overqualified, overwhelmingly eco-conscious, and over the top cute.
Underprotection’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Underprotection’s sustainable lingerie uses PETA-approved natural fabrics, including GOTS-certified organic cotton, banana fabric and lyocell, both certified by OEKO-Tex 100 and Union of Natural Fibers.
They’re also one of the only ethical lingerie brands using milk fiber, a silky byproduct of the dairy industry made from soured milk protein.
Underprotection uses OEKO-Tex certified and GRS-approved recycled fabrics like polyester, elastane, and an eco-friendly nylon alternative.
The Q-NOVA nylon makes up all the lace and mesh fabrics and is 99% recycled and made from a chemical-free processing method.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Underprotection was given the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) Young Designer license in 2013.
This means they’re audited to uphold supply chain standards set by both the International Labor Organization and U.N. Declaration on Human Rights.
Most styles are made in a small woman-owned factory called Fashion Forte in New Delhi, India, and Underprotection are fully transparent about their long-term 20-person workforce here.
The also work with fair trade factories in Latvia and Greece to keep production closer to home. Each product description tells you exactly where the garment is made.
Green business practices:
All products are shipped in recyclable paper packaging or biodegradable poly bags.
Inclusivity:
Underprotection writes, “We love women, all kinds, all sizes, and our goal is to make you feel as beautiful and comfortable as possible.” You’ll find a complete range of sizes from XS-XL.
4. Savara Intimates
About Savara Intimates
Price Range: $20—$88
Savara Intimates is “creating a bra revolution to make the planet smile.”
Their eco sustainable lingerie selection includes bras, panties, and bodysuits, in classy cuts accented with floral lace.
There are unique items, too, like ethical lacy nursing bras for new moms who want to reclaim their bodies and to feel sexy again.
Savara Intimates’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their eco-friendly lingerie materials include OEKO-TEX certified TENCEL™, GRS certified and other recycled lace, and GRS certified partially recycled polyester pre-shaped bra cups.
Garments are finished with OEKO-TEX certified elastics, REACH-compliant hardware, and recycled polyester garment tags.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Amsterdam-based Savara keeps things local by sourcing entirely within Europe (from Turkey, Italy, Latvia, Germany, France, and Spain) and manufacturing in Amsterdam, Latvia, and Romania, which is 95% woman managed and rated A by the BSCI.
Green business practices:
Savara designs bras that will last a lifetime (even if your body changes). With their innovative adjustable sizing system, they hope to reduce bra overconsumption.
They also offer free product repair, ship in locally-sourced recycled materials, ask suppliers to reduce packaging when shipping to them, and use all production scraps before buying new materials.
See their impact report for more eco-efforts.
Inclusivity:
Offering more inclusive sustainable lingerie, Savara’s bras run from S-XXL+ (equivalent to A-F cups) and their panties come in S-XXL.
We love seeing all the non-airbrushed model pics, too, stretch marks and all, because let’s be honest: we’ve all got ‘em.
Community & charitable giving:
One item sold = one tree planted. For every nursing bra sold, they donate an additional €1 to supporting refugee families through Because We Carry.
5. Understatement
About Understatement
Price Range: $49—$119
Founded five years ago by Swedish duo Marie Stolt and Maria Lager, Understatement reclaims women’s underwear for women, by women. Founded upon values of body positivity, you can say goodbye to unrealistic beauty standards and airbrushing.
With bold, sleek, modern aesthetics and sustainable lingerie features across high-fashion publications, like Elle and Vogue Understatement is a sustainable lingerie brand you’ll want to keep an eye out for.
They offer a large line of eco lingerie intimates, ranging from lace bralettes, bras, and tops to cheeky briefs, high waisted lace thongs, and even a range of swimwear made of recycled materials from the ocean.
For additional body coverage, they also sell comfy-cute organic cotton-modal blend sweatshirts, sweatpants, tees, boyshorts, and shorts.
Understatement’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Understatement is committed to being a sustainable lingerie brand, and that starts with their fabrics.
The loungewear collection is made with modal and certified organic cotton.
The Understatement swimwear collection and microfiber articles are entirely made from recycled materials via ECONYL® regenerated nylon. This is made by recovering fishing nets from the oceans, fabric scraps from factories, and carpets ready to go into landfills, that are turned into high-quality nylon yarns that can be recycled again.
The sustainable lingerie brand is also taking steps to make the Gatsby Lace more eco-friendly by adding organic cotton and recycled elastane.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Understatement’s collections are produced close to home, by European and Turkish undergarment expert manufacturing partners.
Their partners prioritize the use of recycled, organic or otherwise sustainable materials, without compromising on durability, design, or innovation.
Understatement ensures that all supply chains and manufacturers offer a healthy working environment to employees.
Green business practices:
The sustainable lingerie brand removes all plastic from packaging and shipping. Their iconic Understatement-branded paper bags, boxes and tags are made of FSC-certified recyclable and compostable materials.
Inclusivity:
To say Understatement is inclusive is, well, an understatement.
The brand is women owned and run. They champion body positivity.
Their models are reflective of their values with gorgeous women of all colors and body types strutting their organic sustainable lingerie sets.
Community and charitable giving:
Understatement wishes to create an authentic and inclusive arena for more female voices – highlighting control, ownership and proudness of female bodies and minds.
Through their various campaigns, Understatement donates a percentage of their profits to organizations that contribute towards creating a world free of discrimination against women, supporting the 5th SGDof the UN.
6. Uye Surana
About Uye Surana
Price Range: $32—$82
Uye Surana (pronounced Yoo Sur-ah-nah) is an NY-based ethical lingerie company.
Small batches, handmade pieces, and an inclusive size range are just a few of the ways the brand stands out.
Not to mention some playful, pastel designs that are so feminine, they’re fierce. (Did someone say floral thigh-high stockings and butterfly print translucent bras?!).
They cover all bases with bras, undies, garters, stockings, and nightwear.
Uye Surana’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Pima cotton is one of Uye’s main materials because it’s soft, supportive, and light-as-air.
Nylon and spandex are other common materials found in the mesh undies, bralettes, and stockings.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The lingerie is made by a small, family-owned-and-operated factory in Colombia. They provide safe and comfortable working conditions as well as fair wages.
The designs themselves are sustainably hand-printed in Uye Surana’s NYC studio.
Green business practices:
No water or excess dye is required for Uye Surana’s ethical hand-printing process.
Everything is printed with durable, anti-rip material. That means longer-lasting pieces.
All items are shipped in 100% recycled mailers, boxes, and tissue paper.
Inclusivity:
Uye Surana is woman-owned and their clothing sizes run from XS to 3XL and feature adjustable sizes that accommodate more than 70 bra sizes.
Their garments have been fit tested to ensure that petite, curvy, and plus size women can wear them with confidence.
We love thatUye Surana uses real models that look like real women.
In fact, they make a good case for one of the best plus size lingerie brands.
7. ColieCo
About ColieCo
Price Range: $42—$145
“Seductive, girly and fun” is how woman-owned ColieCo describes their line of ethical lingerie.
Classic or intriguing—like ouvert panties and French knickers—their strappy and sexy collection turns up the bedroom temp (but not the planet’s).
Each one of their bodysuits, panties, bras, and bralettes is made with respect for people, the planet, and quality.
ColieCo’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
ColieCo fabrics are made mostly from recycled materials, like plastic bottles or reclaimed deadstock mesh, lace, and printed fabrics.
This includes the thread in all garments, made from 100% recycled plastic bottle poly.
Their only non-recycled fabrics are their jersey and silk alternatives, made from ECOCERT approved, organically-grown, and closed loop processed bamboo fabric.
Both the rPET and bamboo are OEKO-TEX certified, and the recycled fabrics are GRS certified.
As a vegan brand, there are no animal-derived fabrics, glues, or waxes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All products are ethically handmade at their studio in Sagres, Portugal.
They mostly source locally within the EU and from small, independent businesses who also share their commitment to sustainable fashion.
For fabric suppliers outside Europe, they require certifications (like SA8000) and annual third-party audits for labor and environmental practices.
Green business practices:
The bamboo comes from FSC-certified forests and is processed in an ISO14000-certified environmentally responsible facility.
Hand drawing and cutting the pieces ensures that ColieCo wastes close to no fabric.
All shipments are carbon offset through Carbonfund.org and they package orders in gift-ready, 100% recycled materials.
Inclusivity:
XS-2XL are readily available, but because they “appreciate that every human body is unique”, they offer custom sizing upon request and free alteration services.
Also available on Etsy
8. Nette Rose
About Nette Rose
Price Range: $26—$80
For a sustainable lingerie brand that journeys from fun, flirty florals to fierce, fearless looks in only a few clicks, check out South Africa’s Nette Rose.
They offer knickers, garters, bralettes, and bodysuits in many different prints and styles.
Don’t let the variety fool you; each style run is a limited edition.
Nette Rose’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Nette Rose’s materials are varied–from nylon lace to cotton—and while the materials themselves aren’t necessarily sustainable, they pair them with lasting designs and a zero waste lingerie production model.
Everything is carefully cut and created to ensure bare bottom minimum fabric scrap waste (which they’re saving to upcycle).
Supply chain & labor practices:
All ethical intimates are handmade in their Cape Town studio.
Everything happens here, from designing all the way through packing up orders.
Green business practices:
Nette Rose believes in partnering with suppliers who share their values.
For example, their thread is sourced locally from a zero waste supplier that runs on solar energy and offsets its emissions by planting olive trees.
Their collections are limited because they’d “rather sell out than have wasted fabric added to landfills”.
Orders are shipped plastic-free in locally handmade boxes.
Inclusivity:
Bras range 30 AA- 40DD and bottoms XS-XL bottoms (or 21-36” waist).
Nette Rose is woman-founded and run.
Community & charitable giving:
For each bralette purchased, they plant a tree in their own sponsored forest in Madagascar.
9. Vintage Lingerie
About Sustainable Vintage Lingerie Stores
Price Range: $12—$2000
The most sustainable lingerie is that which already exists—and a LOT still does.
Does the idea of wearing someone else’s old lingerie strike you as too personal? Rest assured, these vintage lingerie brands take great care to curate clean pieces in the best condition.
- Transformations by Tracy: Tracy doesn’t just offer vintage lingerie. She offers a limited collection of reworked vintage intimates and silk deadstock, which she personally transforms by hand into stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces using botanical dyes.
- Velvet Attic: Based in New Orleans, a city known for its quirky style and freewheeling sexuality, Velvet Attic offers hundreds of intimates in every cut, color, and pattern you can think of.
- sfGirlLingerieShoppe: This shop believes in “Lingerie Everyday!” and thus has a huge selection of ever-changing vintage corsets, teddies, slips, bustiers, babydolls, and nightgowns.
- Vintage Lacies: The shop name says it all, but Vintage Lacies probably isn’t the place to go for more modest pieces. They specialize in extra sexy, dare we say kinky sustainable lingerie, think: garters, lace teddies, and more from eras as early as the 1920s all the way through the 90s.
10. Modern Match Lingerie
About Modern Match Lingerie
Price Range: $18—$52
Modern Match Lingerie “is your armor to tackle anything life throws your way. We make intuitive, supportive products designed to live with you.”
This women-owned company wants to shake up the status quo in the lingerie industry, and create a culture of female empowerment and self-discovery.
They have simple yet classy bras (in wireless, classic contour, and “longline” pushup cuts) and underwear (either a thong or lacy cheeky) for every woman and every fit.
Modern Match Lingerie’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Like many pairs of underwear out there, Modern Match Lingerie’s is made with a nylon/spandex blend lined with a 100% cotton gusset.
We’re not sure what materials the bras are made with (yet, we’ll inquire), but we do know a few styles contain a memory foam lining.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All Modern Match employees and contractors are paid a fair living wage with safe working conditions. They don’t condone forced or child labor.
The brand’s main Chinese manufacturer is also woman-owned and uses ethical practices to produce quality lingerie.
Green business practices:
They’re constantly looking for ways to reduce their waste and make sustainability improvements. For now, that means your ethical lingerie will arrive in 100% recyclable and biodegradable shipping materials.
Inclusivity:
Their underwear is available in XS-3XL and bras in sizes 32B-38DD (or XS-XL in the wireless).
They’re also currently in the process of expanding their size range. Expect to find bra sizes that run from 32A to 46DDD in the future.
We’re happy to see that they use models that represent a range of sizes.
Community & charitable endeavors:
MML regularly supports female-forward charities that focus on empowerment, support, leadership, and education—such as the Phoenix Transition Society.
They also support their community with free monthly seminars.
MML founder and female empowerment trailblazer, Shauna Allan also started the Bra Bra Sisterhood online community.
11. Clare Bare
About Clare Bare
Price Range: $46—$198
If you want an edgy, boudoir look for your lingerie, consider Clare Bare’s cute, kinky ethical designs.
Their range of ethical women’s lingerie includes bralettes and panties, lace-back bodysuits, garter belts and shorts, robes, slips, and extra sultry cage bras (for the brave and strap-happy).
Their philosophy is admirable and inspiring:
“Lingerie is a medium for experimentation, play, and empowerment.”
This seductively comes to fruition in their designs, which combine light and flirty florals with bold black lace, trim, and straps.
Clare Bare’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Clare Bare prioritizes salvaged fabrics whenever possible. Each product description tells you where your fabric came from.
If they can’t source a used material, they rely on Lenzing Modal.
All elastic and hardware (which is mostly new rather than upcycled) comes from a local L.A. supplier.
All dyes are 100% organic and include Brazilian Logwood (purples, blacks), Indian Lac (pinks, reds), Caribbean Plants (teals, blues), Osage Orange (yellow).
Supply chain & labor practices:
This made-in-the-U.S. ethical lingerie brand crafts everything by hand (down to the dyeing) in their downtown Los Angeles studio. Each order is handmade and in many cases hand dyed so orders take 1-4 weeks to ship.
Green business practices:
To be zero waste, they meticulously collect their fabric scraps to be remade into one-off and one-of-a-kind pieces, which you can shop.
12. Anekdot
About Anekdot
Price Range: $45—$145
“Upcycle brand” Anekdot creates a beautiful line of eco-friendly lingerie and sexy loungewear.
By combining bold solids with soft, transparent lace inserts, Anekdot pieces are flattering and feminine. They sell bras and high or low briefs individually, or as matching ethical lingerie sets.
Their vintage florals have an authentic old school vibe, with most fabrics sourced from vintage deadstock that would otherwise go to the landfill.
If they can’t find vintage, they source from recent production waste from the luxury fashion industry. This means their collection runs are limited and the designs totally unique.
Anekdot’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Almost every component of Anekdot’s lingerie line is made from pre-consumer production leftovers and fabric trimmings. Even the organic cotton crotch liners are upcycled fabric cut-offs.
Using upcycled materials means their products aren’t always biodegradable, but they only source from production lines certified by GOTS or OEKO-Tex 100 certified.
Besides the precious surplus laces, sheer silks and trimmings Anekdot also uses the recycled nylon Carvico Vita.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Because Anekdot sources deadstock fabric, tracing the specifics of each piece is difficult. They do include a detailed sourcing list in every product description.
Generally, they source hardware locally from Germany, elastic from 1980s fashion production runs in London, and leftover bra straps from Sri Lanka.
Green business practices:
Shipping is minimized by sourcing most fabrics from somewhere in Europe, and everything is handmade in Berlin, Germany, or Poland.
Inclusivity:
Anekdot sizes run XS-XL
Community & charitable giving:
Anekdot participates in Fashion Revolution Week and related events, they support ethical businesses with collaborations (they’re part of a community of eco-conscious creatives in Berlin), and work for change by sponsoring various charitable events.
They’ve previously sponsored the Durham University Charity Fashion show to support the Environmental Justice Foundation.
13. Eco Intimates
About Eco Intimates
Price Range: $29—$82
This bespoke label comes to us from Byron Bay, Australia, where founder and chief designer Madonna Bain (different Madonna) has been lovingly designing every piece of lingerie and sleepwear from her home for well over a decade.
With lots of ruffles and pastel colors, Eco Intimates creates a soft and sensuous bedroom look.
Eco Intimates’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Organic cotton is the core of EI’s virgin materials. Most pieces feature a 100% cotton broderie anglaise. Upcycled materials for trims and accent panels (like lace and elastic) are purchased from local suppliers and tailors.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Madonna designs everything in her Byron Bay home and studio and makes some pieces there too.
Most manufacturing occurs at a small-batch handmade home industry factory in Bali, Indonesia. The home-industry means the seamstresses work from their homes on their own time, which ensures flexible and ethical working conditions.
Green business practices:
When it comes to shipping, they wrap garments in undyed compostable tissue paper, then place them in paper bags or Better Packaging compostable bags.
Inclusivity:
Madonna founded EI “to remind women how truly beautiful they naturally are”. She keeps this in mind with every new design she makes and offers sizes from XS to XL.
Community & charitable giving:
With the goal of promoting body positivity and uplifting women, they recently started the EI Real Girls Campaign to highlight bad*ss ladies just being their wonderful selves.
Did you know we Have a Newsletter?
We cover the latest in sustainable living, fashion, zero waste, beauty, travel, finance and more…
Why Should You Buy Sustainable Lingerie?
The most scandalous part of traditional lingerie isn’t what it leads to. Its the impact on the planet.
Textile waste is already at a critical level.
In North America alone, it’s estimated that 11 million tonnes of clothes are lost to disposal every year. A whopping 85 percent of all discarded clothing ends up in landfills.
Petroleum-based synthetic fibers contribute to the massive amount of plastic waste that will never fully break down. Let’s not even get into the fact that the fibers were likely soaked in toxic chemicals during manufacturing.
We’d all prefer that far from our privates, right?
The truth is, many components of eco-friendly lingerie (and sustainable sports bras for that matter) can’t be made with entirely natural fibers.
Silk is the only traditional option, with peace silk being the most ethical choice though sustainability issues are, well…still an issue.
So how do we gauge sustainable lingerie brands, then?
How We Found The Best Sustainable Lingerie
We used our sustainable fashion criteria to find the most sustainable lingerie brands.
Here’s a quick summary of some of the things we consider:
Materials
Materials matter.
Organic cotton, like that used in these organic cotton bralettes, and eco-friendly fabrics are best because they biodegrade at the end of their life.
Most are even compostable.
Fabrics on this list include bamboo, wool, organic cotton and TENCEL (both Lyocell made from eucalyptus pulp, and Modal, made from beech tree pulp).
We look for sustainable fabrics that are grown and processed organically and chemical-free.
Unfortunately, all-natural ethical lingerie is unrealistic due to necessary components (like lace, straps, and waistbands) that can’t be made from natural materials.
In that case, we look to recycled synthetics sourced from deadstock fabric waste, production trimmings, and vintage clothing.
By using upcycled materials, we give them a better use than going to a landfill.
- Certifications: Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Recycle Standard (GRS), ISO14000, ECOCERT, Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), OEKO-Tex 100 Standard, REACH
Supply Chain & Labor Practices
Transparency of the supply chain is very important.
We want to know #WhoMadeMyClothes and that they were made in Fair Trade working environments. The actual Fair Trade certification is the primary one we seek, but there are other comparable certifications you can read about in our sustainable fashion deep dive.
Fortunately, most of these sustainable lingerie brands have small supply chains, and many have operations based locally.
Green Business Practices
We also consider the sustainability of a brand’s operations.
Do they use renewable energy and offset their carbon footprint? What are their shipping methods and packaging materials? Do they aim for low or zero waste operations by employing handmade production methods or making things to order, so there isn’t deadstock waste?
Inclusivity
The fashion industry is fickle. If you’re not skinny enough or haven’t learned the secret to getting a thigh gap (P.S., there isn’t one), you’re left out.
That’s why we love ethical lingerie brands who make clothing for ALL body types and sizes.
No woman deserves to be excluded just because of the way she’s built. Because we bare more than our skin when we show ourselves in our skivvies.
We bare our hearts and self-confidence, too.
It’s crucial lingerie companies build women’s self-esteem.
We also want to see diversity in their models & marketing to ensure all people feel included.
Community & Charitable Giving
We love it when companies look beyond their bottom line to give to others through charitable endeavors and partnerships.
Alternatively, companies don’t necessarily need to donate money to give back; they can create outreach initiatives that cultivate a more learned, motivated, and empowered community.
Lots of lingerie companies on this list are doing this by highlighting real women and their achievements.
Final Thoughts on Sustainable Ethical Lingerie
Everyone deserves to feel beautiful and sexy, and with these sustainable lingerie brands self-expression doesn’t have to cost the earth.
One last planet pro-tip: wash your lingerie in a Guppy Friend wash bag, which not only protects your delicates but also keeps microplastics from entering the water table (and eventually our food chain!).
If you know someone who’s looking to spice up their love life (or has a love affair with sustainably lacy things), share this article with them.
Together, we can help beautify fast fashion, one (ethical) toosh at a time.
Pin these:
It would be helpful to include relative pricing information here! I’d like to buy more sustainable but can’t afford a $40 pair of underwear – which option might be best for me. Thanks for allowing me to provide feedback! This is a great site 🙂
Thanks for the feedback Anna! We will try do better at mentioning the budget range! Cheers, Joy