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 underwear but this time we’ve dialed the style up to ten, trading in 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 minimalism –but whatever your preference, you just need a few pieces to spice up those special occasions.
What are the best ethical lingerie sets and brands? We’ve looked for brands who prioritize more sustainable materials, treat people fairly throughout the supply chain, are inclusive of more bodies and who include green practices in their business operations.
However, we are extending what we look for to a set of 22 criteria (learn more about these here) as we expand our new Brand Rating System. Keep a look out for rated brands on the list below – we’ll keep adding them as they get rated.
Now let’s take a quick look under the covers for some of our favorite lingerie brands.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
Our Faves: Sustainable & Organic Lingerie
JulieMay’s highly rated lingerie is hypoallergenic and made from organic cotton and peace silk. JulieMay has been extensively rated and reviewed by us here.
Cosabella is a long-standing classic lingerie brand that offers gorgeous, size-inclusive Italian craftsmanship and exceptional quality.
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. We own one of their of lacey sets, a go-to of ours for special occasions.
The Full List Of Sustainable & Ethical Lingerie Brands
- JulieMay Jump to brand
- Cosabella Jump to brand
- Underprotection Jump to brand
- Colieco Jump to brand
- Understatement Jump to brand
- Nette Rose Jump to brand
- Vintage Lingerie Jump to brand
- Uye Surana Jump to brand
- Savara Intimates Jump to brand
- Anekdot Jump to brand
- Eco Intimates Jump to brand
JulieMay
BIPOC Owned
Brand is owned by Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color.Ethical Sourcing
Raw materials have been sourced ethically with people and planet in mind.Handcrafted
Products have been made by hand, typically by an artisan or group of artisans.Inclusive
Brand offers a range of products that are considered inclusive to a wider group of people.Non-toxic
All products are made with ingredients or materials that are currently considered non-toxicOrganic
Products are made from organic materials.PFAS Free
Products have been tested and verified to be free of PFASSmall business
This brand is a small business run by less than 15 peopleThoughtful packaging
Product packaging has been designed and created with the end of life outcome in mind and can be easily recycled or composted.Woman Owned
This brand is owned by a woman or a group of women.Allergy UK
Reviewed or tested and approved by Allergy Research Ltd. May be more comfortable for people living with allergies.JulieMay has been rated by Sustainable Jungle. Find the full rating here.
Winner of the London Prestige Award for Lingerie (Brand of the Year), JulieMay’s lingerie is made of GOTS certified organic Pima cotton and mulberry peace silk.
Their simple yet luxe selection of sustainable intimates is hypoallergenic, luxuriously soft, sexy, and consciously made. Suitable for those with skin sensitivities, their organic cotton lingerie is certified by Allergy UK.
You can choose from bras, sports bras, bralettes, and two main styles of bootylicious organic cotton panties—like the Ashley Cotton Silk Brief, which features an elegant lace cutout.
Beautifully diverse models of all ages, races, shapes, and sizes promote their gorgeous eco-friendly lingerie. The sustainable intimates brand features a thorough size range of 30+ sizes from 30B-40G (and 42DD) in bras and 8-18 for panties and bralettes.
JulieMay is offering Sustainable Jungle readers 10% off with this code: SUSTAINABLEJUNGLE10.
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 sexy 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.
The colors are produced from sustainable 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 lingerie 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.
Underprotection
About Underprotection
Price Range: $50—$75
The award-winning Danish sustainable lingerie brand Underprotection has been putting the booty in beautiful ethical lingerie for over a decade.
Their product lineup includes sustainable lingerie stockings, teddies, organic bras (like the lacy chic Clay Luna Bra), hipsters and more, all with plenty of patterns and prints to choose from.
Underprotection’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Underprotection’s sustainable sexy lingerie uses PETA-approved natural materials, like GOTS-certified organic cotton, banana fabric and lyocell, both of which have Union of Natural Fibers and OEKO-TEX certification.
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 a nylon alternative.
The Q-NOVA nylon makes up all the mesh fabrics and eco-friendly lace lingerie, 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.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
All products are shipped in recyclable paper packaging or biodegradable poly bags.
Colieco
About ColieCo
Price Range: $42—$145
“Seductive, girly and fun” is how woman-owned ColieCo describes their line of recycled alternative lingerie.
Classic or intriguing—like ouvert panties and French knickers—their sexy strappy ethical lingerie collection turns up the bedroom temp (but not the planet’s).
While pieces like the Astrid Strappy Set have a certain ‘bad girl’ vibe to them, rest assured knowing 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 sustainable silk lingerie alternatives, made from ECOCERT certified, 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 being made of post-consumer recycled content.
As a vegan lingerie brand, there are no animal-derived fabrics, glues, or waxes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Their ethically made lingerie is produced by hand in 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.
Carbon commitments & green 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.
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 understated 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.
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 its sustainable materials, like recycled nylon.
The loungewear collection is made with modal and certified organic cotton.
The Understatement sustainable swimsuit collection and microfiber articles are entirely made from recycled materials via ECONYL® regenerated nylon.
They are 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.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
This 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:
The brand is women owned and run and 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 & 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 SGD of the UN.
My Personal Review of Understatement’s Lace Plunge Bralette & Lace High Waist Briefs:
“I personally pair the Lace Plunge Bralette with the Lace High Waist Briefs (in classically sexy Saboteur black, of course). While I don’t typically wear lingerie, I love these lacy little numbers for a special occasion—and I especially love the double-layered bralette cups that leave just the right amount to the imagination when paired with the translucent cheeky lace bottoms.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Nette Rose
About Nette Rose
Price Range: $26—$80
For affordable sustainable lingerie 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.
We personally don’t know why garters ever went out of style, but Nette Rose is on a mission to bring them back, as evidenced by their vintage chic Ghana Longline Garter Belt.
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.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Nette Rose partners 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.
Vintage Lingerie
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.
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 Fantasy 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.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
No water or excess dye is required for their ethical hand-printing process.
Everything is printed with durable, anti-rip material, and shipped in 100% recycled mailers, boxes, and tissue paper.
Inclusivity:
This woman-owned plus size lingerie brand offers sizes 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 that Uye Surana uses real models that look like real women.
Savara Intimates
About Savara Intimates
Price Range: $20—$88
Savara Intimates is “creating a bra revolution to make the planet smile.”
Their inexpensive 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.
The Outlined Bra is the perfect sexy piece if you want to cover only the barest bits—but nothing else!
Savara Intimates’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their lingerie utilizes sustainable materials like 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.
Carbon commitments & green 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.
Anekdot
About Anekdot
Price Range: $45—$145
“Upcycle brand” Anekdot creates a beautiful line of 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 recycled 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 that are OEKO-TEX or GOTS 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.
Carbon commitments & green 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.
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.
For something fun, flirty, and understated, the Ruffle Knickers are sure to ruffle the feathers (in all the best ways) of whomever you’re donning them for.
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.
Carbon commitments & green 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:
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.
Why 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 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 why should you buy sustainable lingerie? Well ideally you shouldn’t. But if you do really really want to, this list of brands are doing the best possible within today’s industry constraints.
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.
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