sustainable lingerie

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.

In an industry where brand after brand are claiming to ‘reinvent’ the bra simply by removing the underwires, it’s refreshing to come across a lingerie company actually doing something different. Tensengral has merged antique and modern technology to create a whole new type of lingerie fabric: “performance lace”.

I’ve been curious to try hemp underwear for a while, but I’ve had less-than favourable experiences with hemp clothing in the past. I often find the fabric itchy, and it can feel thick and heavy against the skin. Obviously, that’s not ideal for something you’re wearing on sensitive parts of your body.

Sustainable lingerie options are becoming increasingly easier to find – and increasingly stylish too. But if you’re thinking ‘sustainable’ automatically equals expensive, and that’s out of your price range, then you’ll be glad to know that there are brands making eco-friendly lingerie accessible for all budgets.

German brand AIKYOU creates timeless, minimalist lingerie for small cup sizes using regionally-sourced fabrics and ethical production standards. Their brand mission is in two parts: to create beautiful lingerie for small busts, and to do so with the highest caliber of sustainability.