Updated for 2021
Ethical fashion brings compromises and sacrifices, but there is one thing we cannot live without. Underwear.
It’s what we put on first in the morning, and the last thing we take off of an evening. The more thought we put into our underwear, the more comfortable and confident we are during the day.
Why not put thought into how your underwear was made too?
We’ve uncovered the very best ethical, sustainable, and organic underwear brands that look and feel good for you and the planet.
Organic Basics
What they make: Danish design; simplistic and clean-cut with quality handpicked fabrics and sustainable practices. Organic cotton basics, soft cup bras, and underwear in an array of cuts.
Ethics: Ethically certified factory partners, 1% For The Planet Member, B-Corp Certified and a carbon-neutral business.
Naja
What they make: Socially conscious luxury lingerie using natural fibres and recycled materials. They use closed-loop processes for fabric dying to save water.
Ethics: Naja employs women through their Underwear for Hope program working with single parents providing an opportunity to work from home. They also donate 2% of their profits to education programs for their employees.
Hara
What they make: Luxuriously soft organic bamboo bras and underwear using natural dyes. Hara is all about empowerment with a mission to bring change and awareness to the human and environmental issues within the fashion industry
Ethics: All products are naturally dyed, cut, sewn, packaged and shipped in Melbourne, Australia.
Tentree
What they make: Known for their outdoor wear Tentree have just added a new line of underwear to their range. The collection features underwear and bralettes made using organic cotton and Tencel.
Ethics: They work closely with their factories ensuring compliance and labour rights. B-Corp Certified and uses traceable organic cotton in the majority of their clothing.
Eco Intimates
What they make: Beautiful soft organic cotton underwear basics, bras and lingerie.
Ethics: GOTS Certified – meaning the cotton is completely traceable from seed to garment and every person in the supply chain is paid fairly.
Boody
What they make: Affordable everyday underwear for the whole family made from soft bamboo fabric.
Ethics: They work closely with their factories ensuring living wages. They’re also Ecocert, FSC, OEKO-TEX certified and a 1% For the Planet member.
Jackfruit the Label
What they make: Slow and ethical underwear that is made in Australia using bamboo and organic cotton offering a range of pretty pastel colours.
Ethics: Made in Australia by founder Charada. Collections are made in small batches so there’s no waste, they also utilise solar energy to construct and dye the pieces.
Allbirds
What they make: Everyday basics and sports crops made with their signature Eucalyptus Tree Fibre and merino wool. The fabric is temperature regulating designed for working out.
Ethics: B-Corp Certified, the fabrics are made using less water, energy, and fertilisers than synthetics and cotton.
First Base
What they make: Ethical alternative to Calvin Klein with seamless underwear that won’t ride up during your sweat sess. They come in bikini, thong, and boyshort styles in black and nude.
Ethics: First Base’s products are ethically made in China and suppliers are WRAP certified and listed on their website.
Nisa
What they make: Organic cotton basic underwear and bras made to be worn and loved for a long time. Nisa works with refugee women in New Zealand proving employment and training opportunities.
Ethics: Every piece is made using GOTS certified cotton knitted in Melbourne and made in their sunny Wellington studio.
WAMA Underwear
What they make: Hemp underwear for both sexes. WAMA believe everyone deserves to cover their privates with one of the world’s most natural fabrics.
Ethics: They manufacture in China using GOTS certified fabrics.
Nico
What they make: Nico are about minimalism and understand luxury, they have a gorgeous range of soft-cup and underwire bras in pretty pastels to suit all sizes.
Ethics: They work with an ethical supply chain in Tirupur, India and their natural dyers are a small scale group of artisans. Fabrics are GOTS certified.
Indigo Luna
What they make: Specialising in yoga and loungewear inspired by thoughtful Scandinavian and Nordic simplicity. Made using organic cotton, eucalyptus fibre, and natural plant dyes with all run-off and waste being organic or compostable.
Ethics: GOTS certified and small family-run brand working closely with suppliers.
Thunderpants
What they make: This New Zealand brand makes bright, fun, and comfy organic cotton underwear basics for the whole family.
Ethics: every aspect of production, from the cotton growers in India to the clothes being sewn in Carterton is traceable, tested and controlled for quality.
Azura Bay
What they make: A one-stop marketplace with a curated collection of ethical, eco-friendly, organic, and Fair-Trade underwear and loungewear.
Ethics: Every brand is vetted to ensure they meet their criteria and you can find that info on the brands about pages for each product.
Mighty Good Basics
What they make: Premium basic underwear for all sexes designed to be practical, comfortable, and fit bodies of all shapes and sizes.
Ethics: Certified Fairtrade and organic with 100% traceable supply chain. They partner with suppliers who are working to improve sustainability in farming and increased profitability to its farmers and factories.
Base Range
What they make: Baserange works on the principle that sustainable products should not be a luxury and aim to create an affordable range of underwear and everyday basics.
Ethics: Every piece is made using GOTS certified organic cotton and OEKO-TEX certified natural dyes. They also work closely with their factories to ensure ethical production.
Anekdot
What they make: This upcycle brand uses vintage and deadstock fabrics to create their luxe-looking lace underwear. Collections are made in small runs so there’s no waste.
Ethics: Production takes place in Berlin or nearby Poland, allowing them to oversee the whole production process, which also reduces their carbon footprint, ensure fair wages and support local talent.
Woron Store
What they make: Scandinavian simplicity using organic cotton, prioritising comfort Woron’s aim is to create underwear that will be the first thing you want to put on and the last thing you take off.
Ethics: Every piece in the range is GOTS certified and plant-dyed with a 100% traceable supply chain.
Pact
What they make: Pact are leaders in good quality basics and have an impressive range of styles to suit every body. Their underwear is designed for comfort and made to last.
Ethics: Every piece in the range is GOTS certified and plant-dyed with a 100% traceable supply chain.
Luva Huva
What they make: Gorgeous lacy lingerie using eco-friendly fabrics like bamboo, hemp, Tencel and organic cotton.
Ethics: Every piece is made in their Brighton studio by their small team of four and their whippet Millie.
