16 Ethical and Sustainable Underwear Brands To Love
Sometimes, to get him in the mood, I whisper in my husband’s ear “my underwear is ethically made”. This trick doesn’t do much, but at least I have a giggle.
Jokes aside, knowing that the people who made your underwear were paid a fair wage is really important. Living life in underwear that is made from sustainable materials is essential for the planet and your body too.
Together, with my sister, we’ve put together a list of the best ethical and sustainable underwear brands we think you’ll love.
Please note: we acknowledge these brands are imperfect. But they’re trying, really hard. We applaud transparency over perfection (mainly because perfection doesn’t exist).
“Kate’s Review” : Some of these brands sit in my underwear draw (some I bought, some where gifted). To help you navigate your sustainable underwear decisions, I’ve written a short review below the ones I have trialled. All sustainable underwear I don’t love is not featured on here (because you don’t deserve horrible underwear).
They Are Delicates
Designed and handmade in small batches in Northland from organic cotton, each pair is unique and limited edition. Rut, founder and maker, studied at one of the best fashion schools in Madrid at 21 and has worked in the industry since. Rut turned her disappointment of the harsh fashion industry into a passion; creating sustainable underwear that is comfy, practical and still feminine and sexy.
Kate’s Review: My pair of underwear, made by Rut, is definitely the pair I would least like my mother in law to see on my washing line! They’re freaking beautiful but also incredibly comfortable. Often sexy sustainable underwear lacks in comfort, but these do not.
They Are Delicates
$70-$90
Organic cotton, handmade in Aotearoa, limited edition
International shipping
Nisa
Nisa is a social enterprise, employing women from refugee backgrounds in their beautiful Wellington studio. For the Nisa team, a job is about so much more than a pay cheque - it's about making friends, practising English and feeling like a valued member of a team.
Kate’s Review: I’m lucky enough to have visited the Nisa workroom many times and have bought Nisa undies since they began. Simple colours, basic designs, and the Quinn Low Full Brief avoids underwear lines when you wear jeans FYI - I reckon the most sustainable underwear is the stuff we can wear under ANYTHING.
Nisa
$36-$100
Organic cotton
International shipping
Nico
Tees, briefs, bras - Nico has the lot! Australian founded, Nico celebrates the philosophy of “minimalism and understated luxury” and they do it so well. The colours stand out, while the soft organic fabrics fit in. Both for people and the environment, Nico uses chemical free dyes and guarantees fair and ethical treatment for all of their workers spread across Australia, India, and Bangladesh.
Nico
$30-90
Organic cotton, silk, merino & TENCEL
International Shipping
Thunder Pants
Thunderpants are a small, family-owned and operated company based in New Zealand. They focus on transparency and have fun with their bright, unique fabrics. The Thunderpants team have a culture of ‘people over profits’ and have been a New Zealand staple since 1995.
Kate’s Review: These are my cosy/comfort underpants that I put on in the winter or when I’m feeling sick. They cover the most surface area out of all of my sustainable underwear, and they are favourites of my Mum and Mum-In-Law. Now that I think about it, my husband and my dad wear Thunderpants too.
Thunderpants
$28-$70
Organic cotton & spandex
International shipping
PansyCo
An American dream created by two girls hunting for comfy, ethical and quality - PansyCo materials and manufacturing all happens in the US too! These guys keep ‘local’ on the agenda with stunning organic cotton sustainable underwear made to last. Simple staples, PansyCo tick so many boxes.
Pansy
$60-$100
Organic USA cotton
International shipping
Olly Lingerie
Based in France, Olly Lingerie manufactures ethically in Europe. Recycled lace seems to hold double the beauty with Olly. Not just ethical, but elegant - Olly knows what we want!
Olly Lingerie
$36-$100
Recycled lace & organic cotton
International shipping
Hara The Label
Vegetable dyes, extensive range of sizes, and comfiness in oodles. Hara The Label are easily one of the most known and well loved sustainable underwear companies in the Southern Hemisphere. All products are naturally dyed, cut, sewn, packaged and shipped in Melbourne, Australia.
Kate’s Review: Super comfortable, hand wash only, the dyes leak a little at the start (wash colours separately), but so worth it. The unique colours they’ve achieved with the vegetable dyes are exceptional- even better in real life than what you see on the website. I know one of the seamstresses personally, and it makes me happy to know they are legit when it comes to staff treatment, living wages, and general respect.
Hara
$45-$60
Bamboo
International shipping
Nette Rose Lingerie
Made ethically in Cape Town, Nette Rose hates waste. They produce a limited amount of items at a time to assure nothing is wasted. Fabric and thread offcuts are a favourite that they reuse to make other beautiful things!
Nette Rose
$50-$110
Cotton, lace & mesh
International shipping
The Very Good Bra
The very good bra is a comfort and waste-free driven staple, made with zero waste ideologies from completely natural fibres. The very good bra is home compostable! This is a world first, and hopefully not a world last.
The Very Good Bra
$50-$100
TENCEL & organic cotton
International shipping
Powerpants
Made with organic cotton and non toxic dyes by certified ethical companies, and shipped to the distributor without unnecessary plastic means it’s easy to buy Powerpants guilt free. These undies quite literally carry inspiration and even better, Powerpants donate $1 of profits to female survivors of violence.
Kate’s Review: I love them. I love the whisper of an empowering message when I put my underpants on, and they are so damn comfy. Even though I don’t have a particularly large bottom to vouch for this, the cut of these sustainable underwear should be ideal for those wanting a low cut (so they don’t show over top of jeans), but full butt coverage.
Powerpants
$30 - $82
Organic cotton
Australia & New Zealand only
Unde
Made in Aotearoa New Zealand, founded by a lovely family on the Kapiti Coast, Unde are truly one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most sustainable underwear companies. They pay living wages, use organic cotton, and make in small runs.
Kate’s review: I’ve bought 3 pairs of these over the last 6 months. The sustainable underwear is super high waisted which means it doesn’t suit some of my pants, but ideal under dresses and OH SO COMFY. I could live in these.
Unde
$35
Organic cotton
Australia & New Zealand only
Jackfruit
Bamboo and cotton makes for a dreamboat pair of soft undies. Jackfruit have kept the earth in mind by creating this humble line of body loving sustainable underwear. Certified by Ethical Clothing Australia, they strive for long lasting sustainable underwear with manufacturing honouring a long lasting planet.
Jackfruit
$45 - $65
Blend of bamboo & organic cotton
International shipping
Le Buns
Le Buns have style with a conscience. Natural dyes and thoughtful production. Enjoy organic cotton basics, alongside recycled nylon that make up a wide range of different pieces.
Lé Buns
$38 - $96
Organic cotton & recycled nylon
International shipping
WAMA
Great for everyone in your home, WAMA underwear are made from hemp and made to last. PETA approved and pioneers of the Hemp Clothing Industry, WAMA are change makers in the sustainable underwear space.
Kate’s Review: A little expensive to ship to the Southern Hemisphere, but having put them to the test for over two years, I can confirm they are some of the best quality sustainable underwear I own. Tim (husband) loves his pair too.
WAMA
$30-50
Hemp & organic cotton
International shipping
Organic Basics
It’s all in the name. From bras to socks, they’ll cover you head to toe. Transparency is key for Organic Basics, with their Certified B Corp factories spread across Europe. All information about the conditions of the workers is available and Organic Basics are even carbon neutral!
Organic Basics
$60 - $150
Organic Cotton & TENCEL
International Shipping