A Guide To Ethical & Sustainable
Underwear In Australia
Guest post from Christian Antonoff - content writer at Independent Fashion Bloggers.
Few things feel as personal to me as what I’m wearing under my clothes.
But my undies also represent my personality, and I want them to reflect the values and principles I stand for: environmental and social consciousness.
In a way, I want my underwear to protect not just me, but nature and the voiceless minorities, as well.
Underwear is more than just a piece of cloth that we wear under our clothes. It’s an extension of ourselves. It needs to help us feel comfortable without hindering our movement, cutting into our skin, or making us feel we have had to sacrifice some of our values.
And for women who don’t fit a particular beauty standard, finding good lingerie and underwear can be even more difficult than normal; we struggle with less selection, higher prices, and more moral dilemmas.
What We'll Cover
Why Ethical Underwear
Is Sustainable The Way To Go?
How Easy Is It To Find The Right Underwear?
Why Ethical Underwear
Ethically produced undergarments are made with fairly sourced materials under fair-trade conditions. On top of that, they are size inclusive and designed with practicality in mind.
What does it mean to buy sustainable underwear? Why should you bother when, at first blush, it looks like any other brand on the market.
A garment’s label will refer to the point of origin of the products, the conditions under which it was fabricated, and the materials used (which are often environmentally friendly). Garments made under Fair Trade practices pay higher than average wages, give staff time off for sick leave and holidays, and offer other benefits that are often taken for granted in places like the US and Europe.
Sustainable fabrics are natural fibers produced in a way that impacts the environment as little as possible. This can include the use of solar energy, locally sourced materials, and the safest dyes and other chemical processes possible.
Keep in mind that not all natural fibers are equally biodegradable. Given the right conditions, silk could degrade in about four years, whereas linen takes mere weeks.
According to expert dermatologist Dr. White from DryScalpGone.com, wearing underwear made from organic materials is not only beneficial for the environment, but for your health as well.
Besides the pesticides sprayed on crops before they are harvested and turned into fabrics, manufacturers also use a number of chemicals on non-organic materials as they are processed, turned unto undergarments and sold to the end consumer. Many of these chemical compounds are linked to health issues like cancer, allergies and hormonal disruption.
You want your underwear to feel comfortable every single day. There are some ethical, sustainable, and conscious brands making eco-friendly underwear basics that are must-haves.
Now do you see why eco friendly underwear is more than just a piece of fabric? Whether it be lingerie or underwear, it's imperative that all Australians choose wisely.
Powerpants
Is Sustainable The Way To Go?
“Sustainable,” “eco-friendly,” “ethically sourced,” and “zero waste” are not buzzwords targeting the uninformed consumers. The brands that self-describe as ethical aim to lower the carbon footprint humans leave, and teach us to equally respect people and our planet.
By shopping from such brands, we are voting with our wallets for more human rights in factories and promoting fairer business practices. Many sustainability initiatives fight to reduce water usage, fossil fuel consumption, and toxic chemicals used in the production process.
At the end of the day, your money doesn't just buy a piece of cloth; it helps someone somewhere get a fair wage, work under humane conditions and provide for their local community. Think about these things the next time you go shopping.
As a consumer, you hold all the power in mobilising the fashion revolution.
Don't try to change the whole world overnight though - find ethical and sustainable clothing in Australia that aligns with your values and build from there.
Because small changes x millions of people = a global impact.
How Easy Is It To Find The Right Underwear?
Women of all sizes now have a wider selection of clothes and undergarments than a decade or two ago. Still, it can be a challenge to find underwear that fits well and made of sustainable materials.
Even harder is to find something that doesn’t look like it escaped my grandmother’s closet!
We see big brands proclaiming their love for women of all sizes and shapes, but most of that is just marketing talk. Most fast-fashion brands have a very limited selection of various sized clothing and underwear, and some don’t cater to bigger sizes at all.
Depending on where you live, dressing fashionably and according to your figure could get tricky (and quite expensive). Finding the right size of underwear when you are not exactly skinny is close to mission impossible.
A great solution is to shop brands who offer curvey sizes for sustainable underwear, as well as made to order lingerie that can be customised for your body.
For GOTS certified organic underwear, be sure to check out Powerpants (sizes 6-22).
And for made to order ethical lingerie that sculpts perfectly to your body, then Lazy Girl Lingerie is your new go-to brand!
Conclusion
We hope this guide helped to better inform you about ethical and sustainable underwear in Australia.
It can be tough to navigate, but Christian's breakdown will have definitely answered some of your questions!
Remember - with every purchase, we are casting an economic vote for the world we desire
Will you be shopping Powerpants or Lazy Girl Lingerie today?
About Christian:
Christian is a content writer at Independent Fashion Bloggers. He has worked as a journalist and is passionate about music, concerts, and coffee. In his spare time, he loves to travel and attend art exhibitions.
Connect with Christian:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cantonoff
https://twitter.com/chrisantonoff
https://medium.com/@chrisantonoff
