sustainable lingerie

Inspired by her love of colour and print – and her pet peeve of elasticated waistbands that dig in – Lucienne Rutherford set out to create a lingerie line that was fun, feminine, ultra-comfortable, and created with environmental responsibility in mind. And she’s giving one of our readers a chance to win something!

Earlier this year I wrote about the lingerie brands providing a repairs service as a way to embrace sustainability, and it got me thinking about other things that brands can do beyond simply choosing a sustainable fabric. One important thing to consider is what they do with the leftovers from that fabric.

What is a sign that a clothing brand is really, truly committed to sustainability? One answer I keep coming back to is providing a repairs service on its products. This is not to say that brands have to offer repairs to be sustainable. Very, very few lingerie brands currently offer this, even among the ‘eco friendly’ ones.

If you’re practising yoga in lingerie, there are a few important considerations to keep in mind when purchasing. The right lingerie can enhance your experience, providing comfort, support, and an empowering sense of inner beauty and confidence.

Founded in 2021 by Ella Campion, Hermit London is fighting against textile waste by creating stylish sleepwear out of old hotel bed linens. Hotels dispose of their bed linens after an average of just 9 months, and the tiniest stain, tear or pull in the fabric is enough to get them thrown out.

I’ve previously written about how I’ve been trying to live more sustainably since 2019, and as time goes on I’m finding that the less I buy, the less I feel the need to buy. I also know I have way more lingerie already than is actually necessary for one person to own.

When it comes to sustainable lingerie, there’s a lot of talk about fibres and fabrics. Something that I haven’t seen discussed quite so often is the dyes used to colour those materials, and yet you can hardly call a natural fibre-based fabric sustainable if it has been coloured using toxic, environmentally-polluting dyes.

As someone who works day-in, day-out in the lingerie industry, I see a lot of underwear that looks very much the same. But part of the reason I stay so interested is that about once a year or so, I’ll stumble across an independent brand that’s just so utterly and refreshingly different. This year, it’s Elyse On Mars.

I want natural, biodegradable fabrics. I also want lace – so much lace! And unfortunately the two don’t really seem to be compatible. That’s why I was very intrigued when a newsletter landed in my inbox about a new, biodegradable lace lingerie range by Fleur of England.

Period underwear is great because it’s so versatile. The brands in this article offer underwear that can replace up to 12 tampons, or lighter options that you can use as a backup for when your tampon or menstrual cup overflows. Plus, a growing number of brands now offer period swimwear and activewear.