9 of the Best Brands with Gorgeous Ethical & Sustainable Lingerie
As I’m sure you know, fast fashion trends and the overconsumption of clothing are causing great harm to our planet. But does that apply to lingerie? And is it worth investing in ethical and sustainable lingerie?
Well, for me personally, lingerie is the only type of garment that I’ve always held on to for long periods of time, even before I knew about the harmful effects of fast fashion.
But, those garments still need to be replaced eventually, so why not make an investment in high-quality ethical and sustainable brands next time? Especially since we need them to be comfortable and need them to last!
So even though lingerie might not contribute to the problem as much as the rest of our clothing, every bit matters. And considering the quality of the items listed below, buying sustainable lingerie doesn’t just benefit the planet, but it benefits you too!
With that thought in mind, I decided to find the best and sexiest sustainable options out there. And the following list shows what I found.
As I mentioned in my blog post, What Is Fast Fashion?, one good way of being able to tell whether or not a brand is socially responsible is to look it up in the app Good On You. There, you can find out what a brand’s ratings are in terms of labor, environmental and animal practices.
That’s how I found out a bit more about each of these brands and it’s great tool to use if you don’t have the time to research a brand yourself. So, if you don’t find anything you like here, that’s another great place to look for ethical and sustainable alternatives!
With that said, I’m going to get started!
Keep reading to see my favorite gorgeous, ethical & sustainable lingerie brands.
I thought I’d start things off with my favorite new lingerie brand, Sokoloff Lingerie. And I think the reason why it’s my favorite speaks for itself – just look at how gorgeous this lingerie is! I have yet to find an item from Sokoloff that I don’t like and this will definitely be the first place I’ll go when buying new lingerie. The prices are also very reasonable.
They’re also all about confidence and comfort while enhancing your natural look and highlighting body positivity. Plus, they’re inclusive of all shapes and sizes.
How this brand is ethical/sustainable: encourages slow fashion, garments coming from France are shipped oil-free and carbon-neutral by sailboat, 90% of garments locally-made in Montreal, made from organic and recycled materials.
What I like about Well Made Clothes is that they’re technically a marketplace with a well-curated variety of interesting and flattering basics for women of all sizes. And not only do they sell lingerie, but all kinds of garments from loungewear to dresses to jackets. And all their garments seem to be the perfect mix of classy, fashionable and wearable! I also love how they talk about the fact that the fashion industry can have a positive impact, just as their brand minimizes harm, empowers individuals and sustains communities.
How this brand is ethical/sustainable: for an ethical fashion label to be stocked on the site it must meet the requirements for one of these values: local; handcrafted; transparent; gender equality; fair; vegan; minimal waste; and sustainable.
What’s great about Tizz and Tonic is that it’s just plain fun! Not only do their products stand out in the world of sustainable fashion, but their products are even cuter and more fun than most regular lingerie I’ve seen. Plus, they’re super transparent about all the good they’re doing with their brand. This is lingerie you can feel good in and about, and that’ll brighten your day!
How this brand is ethical/sustainable: they control every part of the process and make each step ethical and sustainable with organic cotton and garments made in small batches, ethically made in Germany by a female team, compostable recycled and repurposed packaging, no chemical pesticides, fertilizers or genetically modified seeds, and more.
Ashley, the Founder and Curator for Azura Bay has done an incredible job putting together pre-vetted brands that offer gorgeous, ethical and sustainable lingerie. They’re clearly also all about being inclusive of women of all sizes and races. This is a brand that’s very easy to support and find beautiful garments from!
How this brand is ethical/sustainable: low-waste and recycled packaging, most brands woman-owned, all brands either Fair Trade certified or have transparent and ethical practices to treat their employees with respect, fair wages and safe and positive work environments, sustainable fabrics and production (from zero waste collections by up-cycling fabric that was discarded by a bigger brand, to organic fabrics to waterless dying processes).
Azura Bay’s lingerie is just plain beautiful. You can see the craftsmanship that goes into each garment and imagine how luxurious they must be to wear. Their lingerie is a little pricier than the other brands listed so far, but it’s definitely an investment worth making. It’s also crafted with soft, high-quality fabrics made to make you feel as comfortable and confident as possible.
How this brand is ethical/sustainable: garments are upcycled from fabrics that haven’t been worn (sourced from production leftovers, end of lines, off-cuts, deadstock and vintage trimmings), they’re committed to collaboration with skilled craftsmen, artisanal techniques and transparent supply chains, production takes place in Berlin or nearby Poland, allowing them to oversee the whole production process, dramatically reduce their carbon footprint, ensure fair wages and support local talent.
Only Hearts has a mix of bold, fun and super sexy unique lingerie choices. I love that their brand is so different and interesting design-wise. And aside from how fashionable their lingerie is, it’s also very flattering and keeps comfort top-of-mind.
How this brand is ethical/sustainable: ethically manufactured in New York City using local, deadstock, organic, recycled, and certified made in green textiles in order to keep their footprint gentle and light.
Underprotection is another brand that makes lingerie that’s just gorgeous. There are so many different styles and fabrics to choose from and they all look super comfy and sexy. This is one of my favorite new brands and they also sell luxurious loungewear. For other sustainable loungewear brands, check out this blog post.
How this brand is ethical/sustainable: They only use sustainable materials like recycled polyester, recycled wool, Tencel lyocell and organic cotton, all packaging, paper and polybags are either recycled or biodegradable, most products are vegan approved, and if not, it is because they’re recycled (wool) or a waste resource (milk), they believe that fair working conditions and a fair wages are human rights and only work with certified factories.
What’s great about Naja is that they have a good mix of fun garments with a sense of humor, sexy/chic garments and basics. It’s a great one-stop-shop for all your lingerie needs! I also love that their garments are all a little bit different than what you might be used to seeing design-wise. Plus, it’s important to them that their lingerie and models empower women instead of objectifying them. And when it comes down to it, at its’ core, the brand is all about making a difference. Keep reading to find out how.
How this brand is ethical/sustainable: their garment factory mostly employs single mothers or female heads of households and pays them above market wages and provides them with health benefits, they implemented flexible work policies with mother’s needs in mind, every child of a Naja garment worker receives books, school supplies, uniforms and all school meals paid by the company, “Underwear for Hope” program employs women in slums of Colombia in order to help marginalized women find employment opportunities, 2% of revenue also donated to help educate these women, little to no water waste through digital printing, many fabrics made from recycled plastics.
La fille d’O is definitely the most expensive lingerie brand on this list, but it really is about more than just lingerie. This brand represents REAL women – the ones we don’t necessarily see in the media – who are intelligent, curious and have a lust for life. This is a safe haven where women are encouraged to be their truest selves. I love the boldness and uniqueness of this brand, as well as the women pictured on the site. And, of course, their lingerie is beautiful! Plus, the local craftsmanship, quality, sustainable materials, etc. that go into each garment make it well worth the price.
How this brand is ethical/sustainable: repair service offered to increase lifespan of garments, looks made to be timeless and promote slow fashion, contribute to circular economy, limited stock so nothing goes to waste, don’t outsource to other factories but instead make everything in-house and know each seamstress by name!, they also have same wages as everyone else and same medical insurance, supplies sourced locally and sustainably, and so much more! Check out this page to find out more.
That's all! Those are my 9 favorite ethical and sustainable lingerie brands.
I hope this list has been helpful and that you find a brand or two you like! If you know of any other good sustainable lingerie brands that I missed, feel free to comment below and I’ll add it to the list.
And, since I know lingerie isn’t something we buy everyday, don’t forget to pin this for whenever you are ready to buy! These are definitely great brands to support.
If you’re interested in other sustainable clothing options, check out this post with sustainable swimwear brands and this one with sustainable loungewear options.
Also, with warmer weather finally here, you might be looking for sustainable swimwear options as well. If so, check out this blog post with 8 of my favorite sustainable swimwear brands.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more sustainability tips and recommendations!
Love,
Emily