DAY 1: ETHICAL UNDERWEAR AND SWIMWEAR
Welcome to day 1 of the series! Below are some incredible underwear and swimwear brands! Most of these brands aren’t limited to only these things, while some are! My priority in shopping is always that those who have made my clothing have been paid fairly so you will see that all of these brands mentioned here, and across the whole series mention explicitly on their website or in answer to my questioning on emails or Instagram that they pay a fair wage, a living wage or above. Feel free to dig into these brands yourself though and ask them the questions you need to ask that allow you to feel comfortable in buying.
Emjoy! Let me know any others you may know of! Also let me just say…bamboo underwear= game changer.
Organic Basics*
Who: Men and Women
What: Underwear, everyday basics, and activewear
Where: Based in Denmark, made in Portugal, Italy, UK and others
Favourite items: Cotton rib socks, Invisible bra, Tencel lite briefs
Price: ££
Bcorp
They only ever look for the most responsible fabric material and technology available- use a high volume of recycled materials
High level of transparency on their website where you can see their factories, their certifications, working hours etc. and measure their environmental footprint
Workers paid a living wage
New circular denim line
Low impact website
The company is also carbon neutral and sells carbon credits from Chooose that shoppers can purchase themselves as well.
They support grassroots environmental initiatives through the Organic Basics Fund. A certified 1% for the planet member which means that they dedicate at least 1% of online sales to environmental causes.
Get 10% off when you sign up to their newsletter
Who: Men and Women
What : Underwear
Where: Based in the UK, made in China and Leicester
Favourite items: Khaki Knicker, Black Four Pack Knicker Box, Cami-sand
All products made with TENCEL™ Micro Modal (wood pulp)
All packaging is 100% biodegradable
All workers paid the living wage or above
Close relationship with their factories in both China and Leicester- you can see images on their website.
Many certifications from Oexo-tex and sustainably sourced materials certified.
Partners with Ecologi, an amazing initiative, helping to take on the climate crisis in the form of planting trees and reducing our carbon footprint. For every order placed with us, they plant a mangrove tree in Madagascar.
5% of profits go to women’s empowerment charities
Use MEGAN10 for 10% off your order
Who: Women, men and kids
What: Wool Underwear and basics
Where: Based in Denmark, produced in Europe
Favourites: Ribbed merino wool midi briefs- dark grey melange, Ribbed top-sand, Cotton thong-rose
Price: £-££
Happy sheep for the production of their organic merino wool from Patagonia, Argentina.
No heavy metals in any of their production
Fourth-generation company lead
Their dyehouse is Nordic Swan Ecolabel certification (strict demands for eco friendly production) - the only dyehouse in Denmark to hold that certification
All Clothing produced in Europe with fair pay- you can see more about where their products are manufactured here
only use the purest materials
Oekotex 100 (confidence in textiles)
10% off your first order by signing up to their newsletter
Who: Women
What : Lingerie and intimates
Where: Based in Brighton, made in Barcelona
Favourite items: Annie and Bettie set, Leila and mia set, Hattie cami
Price: ££
Premium organic fabrics
Made in limited numbers
GOTS certified
Fabric sourced from co-operatives in Uganda and Kyrgyzstan
Paid a fair wage
Female founded
Get 15% off by signing up to their mailing list
Who: Women, men and baby
What: Basic essentials
Where: Founded in Australia
Favourites: Full brief, Everyday sock, Seamless bra
Price: £
Founded in 2011 by two best friends
Ecocert certification / WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) (products made under ethical and human conditions)
Pay workers a fair wage
Their products are made from organic toxin-free bamboo plants
Eco-friendly processing system and zero waste manufacturing
Donating some profits and bras to UK charities
Who: Women
What : Smart double function clothing for pregnancy and nursing
Where: Based in Sweden produced in Portugal, Turkey, Italy, Greece, India and Morocco
Favourite items: Fast food bra, Fastfood classic, Maternity tights
Price: ££
The idea of boob was born in 1999 when founder, Mia, watched her sister breastfeed her newborn son with the wind sweeping around her bare waist. She said: ‘There and then, I realised that mothers, like all superheroes, deserve the right gear.’
Entire collection is made of sustainable materials that are all traceable from fibre to final garment including recycled materials and leftover matierals.
You can see more about their factories on their website.
GOTS certified
Customers in Sweden have the opportunity to rent garments rather than buy
If you no longer need a ‘BOOB’ garment you can send it back to them to keep it in the loop.
10% off first order when you sign up to their newsletter
Who: Women
What: Underwear and loungewear
Where: Denmark made in Turkey, Italy, Hungary and Germany
Favourite items: Lace trimmed soft-bra, Low rise undies venus lace, Socks- dusty rose
Price: ££
Copenhagen based company started by two sisters
Oeko Tex standard 100 and GOTS certified
Cruelty free
Fair wage
The Base Collection is sewn from Lenzing Modal (beech wood) and cotton
10% off when you sign up to their newsletter
Who: Women
What: Underwear
Where: Based and made in London
Favourites: Ava bra, wren bra, thong olive
Price: ££
All female team
Everything made in house in London
Offer one of the world’s widest range of sustainable bra sizes, from 26A-36GG
They work with a UK supplier who sends them perfect, unused surplus luxury lingerie fabrics that would have otherwise gone to landfill.
Fair wage paid
Other brands to check out: The white briefs, Swedish Stockings, Hara, Kind socks, Clo stories, modibodi, Thought clothing, Rapanui, Project Pico
Swimwear
Who: Women
What: Apparel and swimwear
Where: Based in Germany, Produced in Portugal
Favourites: Giulia bikini top, Mary bikini, Rachel bikini top
Price: £-££
Only use organic or recycled materials
Nearly 100% of the energy needed for the production of our swimwear is generated by the factories' own solar panels.
Swimwear made of ECONYL® (regenerated nylon made from fishing nets/waste)
Ship 100% carbon neutral.
Fair wage paid
Oeko Tex Standard 100
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Who: Women
What: One size fits all swimwear
Where: Based and made in the U.K
Favourites: Aplomb one piece, Eva high waist two piece, poise one piece
Price: ££
production runs entirely in England — everything from the weaving of the fabric, to the production of the plastic-free packaging.
Fair wage paid
Made using nylon- which the brand recognises is not a very sustainable option so are looking to switch this as soon as possible to recycled nylon.
high focus on inclusivity
Who: Women
What: Underwear and swimwear
Where: Based and produced in London
Favourites: Nomad bikini top, Odyssey one piece, Lunar one piece
Price: ££
Swimsuits made of ECONYL® - which is made from unwanted waste from around the world, such as fishing nets pulled from the ocean and fabric scraps left over from industry (their other products are made of natural or recycled fibres too)
Sedex member and SMETA certified
Carbon neutral shipping
Fair wage paid, and high level of care for employees
Everything is made to last
They are working on becoming circular
They are taking your old swimwear to recycle
Who: Women
What: Swimwear
Where: Designed in Padstow, made in China
Favourites: Lobster, Squiggle, Cockatoo
Price: £
Makes all its swim styles from 100% recycled plastic waste
Collections are small and they ensure they never over produce.
Have done a collaboration with the National Lobster Hatchery in Padstow, Cornwall; as the conservation of the European lobster becomes increasingly important (stocks have collapsed in the Mediterranean), for every piece sold, a baby lobster is reared and released back into the sea.
Fair wage paid
workplace powered by renewable energy
zero waste packaging
Other brands to check out: Girlfriend collective swim, Finisterre, Deakin and blue, Ruby moon