Ethics when it comes to lingerie

Life not fair, but at least your lingerie can be.

Here are some boffy facts for you, they are tips that you might not know but you should because they are all associated with our beautiful environment.

They are really interesting though so make sure you give it a read.


We know the best way to green your wardrobe is to buy less and wash less. But what about your underwear? The thought of second hand lingerie or stretching out time between underwear washes (shiver) isn’t appealing at all!

The issues of climate change, the environment and ethical issues such as the working conditions of people manufacturing goods in poorer countries are constantly being brought to the forefront of our minds by the media. The fashion industry has been revealed to be guilty of pollution and exploitation. We know that you make your underwear purchasing decisions based on how good they make you feel.

Have you thought about how good you’d feel wearing underwear that is good for the environment?!

British women spent £2.75 billion on luxury lingerie in 2009. The unfortunate truth is that the majority of the underwear in our drawers is made from conventional cottons and polyesters. When it comes to ‘fair’ undies, fabric selection is the key.

We have created a few simple steps to follow to transform your underwear drawer in to any tree huggers dream. You don’t have to get rid of all the stuff you already have, just be more critical of your next purchases.

Step 1 – Ditch conventional cotton – especially anything bright white!
Conventional cotton alone is responsible for one fourth of the worldwide insecticides and pesticides used globally. Not only are these poisons intoxicating and (we hate to be dramatic but) killing the workers who grow the cotton but they are absorbed into the fibres and then slowly absorbed by your skin. They are still present in the fabrics after a few washes. Yes, your intimates are dangerous to you as well as the environment! The solution is natural organic cotton dyed with natural dyes or perhaps even try a new eco-friendly fabric.

Step 2 – Plastic pants? No thank you.
Man-made fibres like acrylic, nylon, polyester and polypropylene may be cheaper to produce. Petrochemicals produce fibres of uniform strengths, lengths and colours which make mass production an awful lot easier. Petrochemicals use more non renewable energy resources (i.e. oil, coal) than any of the natural fabrics. We think plastic panties are a big, ‘no, no’.

Step 3 – Bonjour bamboo
Bamboo is more breathable than cotton, it’s more absorbent than cotton but it dries as quickly, it’s naturally antibacterial, it’s softer to the touch yet it is more durable than cotton, and it’s much more ecologically sustainable. Bamboo is fast growing and extremely versatile; and even a quick search online will divulge vast amounts of bamboo lingerie. Even Stella McCartney has incorporated the fabric in to her designs.

Step 4 – Heavenly hemp
We know what you’re thinking; ‘hemp is far from heavenly’, you’re wrong. It is no longer the rigid, industrial, scratchy fabric it once was. Hemp is in fact the world’s softest natural fibre and it means the most comfortable, flattering and environmentally sound lingerie you’ll ever wear.

Step 5 – Peace silk
Leather and fur have long borne the brunt of the criticism of animal products in fashion, but silk usually gets a free pass. During the process of creating conventional silk, the silk worms are purposely destroyed. Peace silk — also known as vegetarian silk — is made from cocoons that have been collected after the moths have hatched and flown off and alive to create silk another day. The reason they destroy the silk worms is because just before hatching, the moth secrets an acidic chemical that weakens the thread allows it to tear a hole in the cocoon. Because the thread is torn when the moths emerge, peace silk thread cannot be unwound in a single continuous piece as conventional silk thread is. It instead has to be broken down and spun like wool. The result is not commercially accepted, thicker and loftier weave with some color irregularities.

Step 6 – Hunt out rare eco-fabrics
New eco friendly fabrics are being created all the time. Why not search out a soy, coconut or milk bra?!

The more eco and exotic your undies the more exotic you’ll feel, we promise!