Tag Archive for: ethical underwear

A guide to men’s ethical + organic underwear

Last updated November 2021.

Underwear is something that most of us buy new. It’s something that I buy new. 90% of my wardrobe is second-hand, and I try to make sure that those things I do buy new are as sustainable and ethical as possible.

(Because I buy most things second-hand, I can afford to spend a little more on underwear.)

I try to support independent and sustainability-minded businesses (not only by choosing to buy their products, but also by purchasing from them directly rather than a third-party platform beginning with A), choose well-made, organic and fair trade products, and avoid unnecessary plastic packaging.

It’s not always possible, but with underwear there are some options.

Slowly slowly I’ve been putting together a bit of a guide for ethical, organic and fair trade underwear. I’ve previously written about ethical and organic women’s underwear brands, and ethical bras and bralette options. Today, I’ve put together a list of options for men’s underwear.

This post contains some affiliate links. You can read more at the end of this post.

All of these brands are ones I’d recommend (I wouldn’t list any that I didn’t). Because they all offer something different and it is impossible to have favourites, I’ve listed them below in alphabetical order instead.

Bhumi

Company HQ: Australia / Fairtrade: YES / Organic: YES / Made from: 95% cotton, 5% elastane / Made in: India / Ships: Worldwide

Bhumi is an Australian company selling organic cotton products. Their mens’ range includes briefs, trunks (pictured), mid-length trunks and boxers.

Sizes: S – XL

Website: bhumi.com.au

Etiko underwear

Company HQ: Australia / Fairtrade: YES / Organic: YES / Made from: 95% cotton, 5% elastane / Made in: India / Ships: Worldwide

Etiko is a family-owned and operated clothing company with an emphasis on protecting human rights and transparency. All their products are certified organic, fair trade and vegan. They make mens’ trunks in four colours: heather grey, black, peacock and eclipse stripe (pictured).

Sizes: S – XXL

Website: www.etiko.com.au

John Lewis & Partners

Company HQ: UK / Fairtrade: No / Organic: YES / Made from: cotton / Made in: not declared / Ships: Worldwide

John Lewis & Partners are more corporate than any others on the list, but I included them as the business is actually owned by the people who work there (there are no external shareholders) and they are more committed to sustainability than most. Plus I was struggling to find a UK option, and John Lewis have a surprisingly good mens’ range in organic cotton: briefs, keyhole briefs, button boxers, hipster trunks, trunks (pictured) and button fly trunks.

Sizes: S – XL

Website: johnlewis.com

Laura’s Underthere

Company HQ: Canada / Fairtrade: N/A / Organic: N/A (second-hand and upcycled fabric) / Made from: upcycled jersey / stretch knit / Made in: Canada / Ships: USA and Canada

Laura’s Underthere makes unique limited edition underwear made from upcycled jersey and stretch knit material. All of the designs are gender inclusive (Laura calls it genderful) and for every pair purchased, another pair is donated to someone in need. The pouched boxers are pictured.

Sizes: XXS – XXXXL

Website: laurasunderthere.com

Living Crafts

Company HQ: Germany / Fairtrade: YES / Organic: YES / Made from: 95% cotton, 5% elastane or 100% cotton / Made in: India / Ships: Worldwide

Living Crafts is a German company specializing in organic cotton textiles, with a good range of men’s underwear. They offer boxers (which they call pants – pictured) and longer, looser boxer shorts either with or without elastane. Their factories are 100% wind powered.

Sizes: S – XXL

Website: livingcrafts.de

Nisa Men

Company HQ: New Zealand / Fairtrade: No / Organic: uncertified / Made from: cotton or merino, elastane / Made in: New Zealand / Ships: Worldwide

Nisa have a line of men’s organic cotton boxer briefs in three colours: black (maroon trim), grey (mustard trim – pictured) and navy (grey trim).

Sizes: S – XL

Nisa employ women from refugee backgrounds to sew their underwear in Wellington, New Zealand. They state that they aim to source organic certified cotton ‘wherever they can’.

Website: nisa.co.nz

Organic Basics

Company HQ: Denmark / Fairtrade: No / Organic: YES / Made from: 95% cotton, 5% elastane / Made in: Turkey / Ships: Worldwide

Organic Basics have three styles of boxer: organic cotton boxers, Tencel (an eco-friendly fibre made from wood pulp) boxer shorts (pictured) and Silvertech Active boxers made of 93% recycled nylon and 7% elastane.

There are a few colour options depending on the style (all styles come in black). Bonus: they package and ship their products without plastic.

Sizes: S-XXL

Website: organicbasics.com

Pact

Company HQ: USA / Fairtrade: YES (Factory) / Organic: YES / Made from: 95% Cotton 5% elastane / Made in: India / Ships: USA and Canada (International shipping currently on hold)

A US company with a good range of mens’ underwear styles and colours: briefs, trunks, boxer briefs (pictured), extended boxer briefs and knit boxers

Sizes: S – XXL

Website: wearpact.com

Peau Ethique

Company HQ: France / Fairtrade: YES (SAB000) / Organic: YES / Made from: 95% cotton, 5% elastane / Made in: India? / Ships: Worldwide?

Peau ethique is a French mother-and-daughter company making organic cotton underwear. They have two styles for men: briefs and boxers (pictured).

Sizes: S – XXL

Website: peau-ethique.com

Thunderpants

Company HQ: New Zealand / Fairtrade: YES / Organic: YES / Made from: 90% cotton, 10% spandex / Made in: New Zealand / USA / Ships: Worldwide

Thunderpants have two styles for men: original and fitted boxers. They have a lot of fun, printed designs which change regularly – black is also currently available.

Sizes: S – XL

Website: thunderpants.co.nz

(They also have dedicated site for the USA thunderpantsusa.com, with products made in Oregon, Portland stocking one men’s style: boxer briefs. Their newly launched UK site thunderpants.co.uk will be supplying products made in the north of England but current stock – men’s fitted boxer – is made in Australia)

Wama underwear

Company HQ: USA / Fairtrade: NO / Organic: YES uncertified / Made from: 53% hemp, 44% cotton, 3% spandex / Made in: China / Ships: Worldwide

WAMA have four styles: boxer briefs (pictured), trunks, boxers and briefs. All styles come in black; the boxer briefs come in green and hemp (a sandy colour) also. They are the only brand I’ve found that blend hemp with cotton.

WAMA are a Green America Certified Business and a PETA-Approved Vegan brand.

Sizes: S – 3XL

Website: wamaunderwear.com

Wonderpants

Company HQ: Australia / Fairtrade: YES / Organic: YES / Made from: cotton / merino, elastane / Made in: Australia / Ships: Worldwide

Wonderpants have a single boxer style of mens’ underwear, available in either cotton or merino. Cotton colours are black, charcoal, green, red ochre, grey marle (pictured) and charcoal with black; merino colours are blaze red, charcoal and midnight navy.

Sizes: S – XXL

Website: wonderpants.com.au

As always, I’d love to hear from you! If you have any great brand suggestions that I’ve missed, would like to give an impromptu product review (good or bad) or have any other comments or thoughts at all, please share below!

Disclaimer: this post contains some affiliate links, meaning if you click a link to another website and choose to make a purchase, I may be compensated a small amount at no extra cost to yourself. My recommendations are always made with you, my readers, as my priority. I only align myself with companies whose products and ethos I genuinely love, and I only share companies and products with you that I believe you will be interested in.

A Guide to Ethical + Organic Bras (and Bralettes)

Last updated November 2021.

As I’ve said before, many things can be purchased second-hand and pre-loved. Undergarments, not so much. A lightly used bra might possibly be an option for some (versus lightly used underwear, which is a no from me). Personally though, I’ve always purchased my bras new.

And I’ve always struggled to find a bra that isn’t made of polyester or synthetic fabric. Crop top style bras can be found made of cotton, but they don’t tend to be very supportive, so they don’t work for everyone.

Fortunately, as demand for ethical and sustainable products has grown, so have the options available to us. I thought I’d put together a post of all the sustainable bra brands that I’ve come across. I’ll add to the list as more become available, so if you know any great ones I’ve missed, be sure to let us know!

(This is the second part of this series, you can find the women’s ethical underwear post here.)

This post contains affiliate links. You can read more at the end of the post.

AmaElla

Company HQ: UK / Fairtrade: No / Organic: YES / Made from: Cotton / Made in: Portugal / Ships: Worldwide

A Cambridge-based UK business with a focus on ethical and organic lingerie offering a small number of organic cotton bras.

Sizes: S – L (32A – 38C)

Tried and tested: I’ve not tried this brand but it’s one that my readers have recommended.

Website: amaella.com

Julie May

Company HQ: UK / Fairtrade: No / Organic: YES / Made from: Cotton and silk / Made in: Hong Kong / Ships: Worldwide

A UK company specializing in certified organic Pima cotton and silk bras and briefs, with a range of styles including underwired and non-underwired options, and sports bras. Their products are accredited by AllergyUK to be friendly for those with allergic reactions to synthetic fibres.

Sizes: 8 – 18 / 32B – 40G (size options vary with style)

Tried and tested: I haven’t personally tested this brand. If you have, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Website: juliemay.co.uk

Le Buns

Company HQ: Australia / Fairtrade: No / Organic: YES / Made from: Cotton / Made in: Indonesia / Ships: Australia

Boutique Australian company specializing in organic cotton intimates and swimwear made from discarded fishing nets. They have a range of organic cotton bralettes mostly in a crop-top/sportswear style, in natural colours.

Sizes: XS – XL

Tried and tested: not a brand I’ve tried, but one that has been recommended to me by my readers.

Website: lebuns.com.au

Living Crafts

Company HQ: Germany / Fairtrade: YES / Organic: YES / Made from: Cotton and elastane / Made in: India / Ships: Worldwide

The bras offered by Living Crafts are all cotton. There are a few styles (pictured is the Triangle bra). The Irelia has recycled polyamide straps.

Sizes: XS – XL (The Irelia bra has regular bra sizing from 75A to 85C)

Website: livingcrafts.de

Organic Basics

Company HQ: Denmark / Fairtrade: No / Organic: YES / Made from: Cotton / Tencel / recycled nylon Made in: Turkey / Portugal Ships: Worldwide

Organic Basics have two regular bras: the triangle bra, made from cotton, and the lite bralette, made from Tencel. (They also have a sports range made out of recycled nylon.)

Sizes: XS – XL

Tried and tested: I have the triangle bra in size M (I’m usually a 34C). I think I’m probably between their sizes, and so I don’t find the bra as supportive as the Very Good Bra, but I do find it incredibly soft and comfortable, and it’s the bra I’ve lived in for the last few months.

Website: organicbasics.com

(For readers outside Australia: Organic Basics have given me a 10% discount code to share with you TREADOBC. For Australian readers: Organic Basics have a newly launched Australian website that doesn’t accept this code and only stocks a small range. When I purchased my products this site didn’t exist and I used the US site which has the full range.)

Pact

Company HQ: USA / Fairtrade: YES (Factory) / Organic: YES / Made from: Cotton Made in: India / Ships: USA and Canada (International shipping currently on hold)

A US company selling organic cotton products with few different bralette styles (all 95% organic cotton, 5% elastane). Several bras are recommended for A – D cups, others for smaller cups only.

Sizes: XS – XL

Tried and tested: I’ve not personally tried this brand, but several of my readers recommended them to me. I like that they offer a number of different styles and patterns.

Website: wearpact.com

Peau Ethique

Company HQ: France / Fairtrade: YES (SAB000) / Organic: YES / Made from: organic cotton Made in: India? / Ships: Worldwide?

Living Crafts is a French mother-and-daughter company making organic cotton and silk underwear. They make cotton bras with and without underwiring and also a nursing bra. If you want something a little more glamorous, this is where to look.

Sizes: 85A – 100E

Website: peau-ethique.com

The Very Good Bra

Company HQ: Australia / Fairtrade: YES / Organic: YES / Made from: Tencel / Made in: Hong Kong and China / Ships: Worldwide

If there is one bra I would recommend above all others, it is the Very Good Bra. The creator, Stephanie, wanted to create a bra that was totally zero waste, right down to the thread (Tencel, which is compostable), elastic (tree rubber) and labels (organic cotton).

Sizes: AA – E. Currently available in black, vintage pink, navy and Liberty fabric with a few different patterns.

Tried and tested: It’s firmer and offers a little more support than the cotton brands I’ve tried that tend to be a little stretchier. I have size 34C in black. I love everything about this bra, from the fit to the ethics to the 100% compostability.

Website: theverygoodbra.com

Now I’d love to hear from you! Especially if you’ve tried and tested a brand – and whether you loved it or actually not so much! Any other comments or thoughts? Please share below!

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click a link to another website and choose to make a purchase, I may be compensated a small amount at no extra cost to yourself. My recommendations are always made with you, my readers, as my priority. I only align myself with companies whose products and ethos I genuinely love, and I only share companies and products with you that I believe you will be interested in.

8 Tips for a Zero Waste Wardrobe

My wardrobe wasn’t the first place I thought of when I went plastic-free and zero waste. No, the first place was the kitchen, and the second place was the bathroom. After all, these are the places where we generate a lot of packaging, because many of the things we buy are consumables (meaning, we use them up and they need replacing).

But once I’d been on the zero waste journey for a while I started to think about clothing. I’m the kind of person who wears things well past their life expiration date – things will have holes and be almost threadbare before I’m ready to part with them.

At this point, clearly they aren’t fit for the charity shop.

It was then that I realised that many of these fibres in my wardrobe were synthetic, not compostable and not really recyclable.

  • Textile recycling is limited in availability (meaning recovery rates are low – in the USA recovery rates are estimated to be 15%);
  • Textile recycling is also limited in effectiveness and is generally not closed-loop: many textiles are recycled “thermally” (meaning incinerated for energy) or using chemicals;
  • Let’s not forget the sheer volume of textile waste created every day. (It’s estimated that Australians discard 6,000kg of fashion and textile waste every 10 minutes. That’s just the waste in one country…)

Figures like this can be a little depressing, and I don’t like to focus on the problems. I much prefer solutions! Over the years I’ve been working on making my wardrobe as zero waste as possible, and I want to share what I’ve learned.

There’s a lot to say. I’m going to start with what choices I make when I let things into my home to ensure they get the best use and last well, and how I plan for zero waste with the purchases I make.

Next week I’ll share how I let go of things I no longer need, or things that have life expired, without chucking them in the bin.

1. Buy Stuff You Will Actually Wear

This sounds so obvious, but I have definitely been guilty in the past of buying clothes that then just sat in the wardrobe, tags still attached, unworn.

There were a few reasons for this:

  • Choosing items that were a little too tight, or that looked good but weren’t actually comfortable;
  • Choosing an item that I loved the look of in the shop (or on the model) but that didn’t actually suit me;
  • Choosing something that wasn’t the kind of thing I actually had an occasion to wear (I might love the idea of dresses in reality, I love to wear jeans more than anything else);
  • Not being practical about whether the item I bought matched the things I already owned.

It was only after I decluttered my wardrobe down to my essentials that I really began to understand exactly what I wore – the colours, the styles and the materials. Now I’m much more strict when I chose things.

If it’s not a definite yes then it is a no. There’s no room in my wardrobe for maybe.

2. Don’t Be Tempted by “Bargains”

I’ve purchased many “bargains” in my time that have sat in my wardrobe, unworn (usually for the reasons mentioned above). I used to have a real weakness for labels telling me the item was 70% off.

However, I can get an even greater bargain, and save 100% of my money, by not buying things that I then never wear.

When I first started shopping for clothing second-hand, the same thing happened. There were so many great items that were so cheap! Rather than thinking – Do I need it? Will I wear it? Is it worth it? – I’d think, wow, what a bargain!

Cue more things I didn’t wear.

A bargain is only a bargain if it is something that we will wear, and often. Now I ask myself, would I buy this if it was full price? Meaning, do I love it that much? I need to love the item more than the price tag for it to be worth bringing it home.

3. Choose Clothing You Can Wear 30 Times

Yes, it is better to only buy clothing that we love, that fits, that suits us and is practical for our lifestyle. If we want a zero waste wardrobe, we also need to think about how well made things are.

Buying something we love only to find that after 3 washes, it is bobbled and misshapen to the point of being unwearable is disappointing, frustrating, and a waste of resources (the materials it is made from, the effort that someone put into making it, and the work we’ve done to to pay for the item and bring it home).

Whenever I’m thinking about whether to buy an item, I ask myself two questions:

  1. Will I wear it 30 times?
  2. Can I wear it 30 times? (Will it last?)

If I can’t honestly answer yes to both of these questions, then I don’t make the purchase.

(Of course, things don’t always go the way we intend. We can mean to wear an item, and then change our minds later. But the more honest we are with ourselves the less likely we are to buy things we think we like, but don’t. If an item disintegrates after 5 washes, we can learn from this and be more mindful about choosing that material or brand next time.)

4. Avoid Excessive Embellishments

Beads, sequins and tassles might look fantastic on a brand new item, but they make an item much more difficult to wash (often meaning handwash or dry clean only) and they tend to fall off quickly.

If we’re not inclined to sew things back on, this can mean a premature end for our clothing. However, most beads, sequins and embellishments come off and are lost (meaning we can’t sew them back on, even if we are inclined to do so). Plus many are plastic, meaning plastic pollution.

I’ve made purchases like this in the past. I had a dress covered entirely in sequins, and whilst I loved that dress, it didn’t make it to 30 wears.

I still have a jumper sewn with tiny black beads that I’ve owned since 2011, that has lasted more than 30 wears. I’ll snip all the beads off before I compost the jumper, but it’s not something I’d purchase again.

However pretty sequins or beads are, now I choose not to buy these things. That way I don’t have to worry about where they will end up. I want clothing that will last, and I don’t want my clothing contributing to plastic pollution.

5. Shop Second Hand

I’m often torn between wanting to shop second-hand and wanting to support ethical, Fair Trade clothing companies by purchasing their (new) products.

With only 15% of all clothing donated to charity shops actually re-sold (the rest is dumped overseas, processed into rags or landfilled), I tend to lean more towards the second-hand option.

Buying second-hand means less new resources used, and less items heading for landfill. I shop at a couple of charity shops that I know sell good quality items and don’t have an overwhelming amount of choice. If I’m looking for something specific I use eBay.

6. Choose Natural Fibres (Where Possible)

I would love my wardrobe to be entirely natural materials, but let’s just say that is a work in progress. I’m very conscious of the materials I buy, and I always check the label before making a purchase.

It can be hard to find natural fibres in charity shops or second-hand.

I’ve had some great successes, for example this skirt (cotton and elastane, percentages unknown), denim shirt (97.8% cotton) and silk top (100% silk) were all second-hand from the charity shop.

Recently I needed some shirts for my talks/workshops, and I had to settle for two polyester numbers. I can tell the difference when I wear them immediately (I feel like I’m wearing a plastic bag), and I’m planning to re-donate them to the charity shop once I can find a natural fibre replacement.

7. Choose Recycled Synthetics (If Natural Fibres Aren’t An Option)

Whilst I try to limit my use of synthetic fibres as much as I can, sometimes it is unavoidable. When I headed off on my camino adventure, I purchased a rain jacket. I’ve really needed one for years, but the trip pushed me over the line.

The raincoat I purchased was made by Patagonia, who are well known for and committed to pursuing sustainable practices. The outer is made from 100% recycled nylon.

8. Shop Ethical

When I need to make a new purchase, I try to support ethical, sustainable brands. I don’t buy many clothes brand new, but it does happen.

One thing I always buy new is underwear. There are two brands I buy, Etiko and Mighty Good Undie: both are Fair Trade and use organic cotton. I don’t have a preference, but usually one brand is out of stock when I go to order so I go with whichever has my size.

Etiko is slightly cheaper but also slightly lesser quality, and the sizes also come up slightly bigger than Mighty Good.

Yes, both brands are more expensive than regular non-organic big box store brands. After I have a minor heart murmur over the price, I remember that I don’t buy new underwear often (maybe once a year) and I don’t buy new things often, and when I do make purchases, I want to act in line with my values.

That means supporting small business, supporting organic farming, and supporting Fair Trade practices.

To me, that’s worth the extra few dollars. In reality the difference is less than the price of a glass of wine or smashed avo on toast, and supporting a better world is worth prioritizing.

I don’t purchase everything second-hand, nor do I purchase 100% organic, Fair Trade and natural fibres. My ideal would to be able to find everything that fitted all of these criteria (except perhaps for second-hand underwear!) but the reality is, there’s often compromise.

My goal is to do the best I can with the options available to me and the resources I have; to learn as I go, and strive to do that little bit better next time around.

Now I’d love to hear from you! How do you reduce your eco footprint when it comes to your wardrobe? Do you love second hand stores, or do you prefer new ethical fashion? Is there anything you particularly struggle with? Any tips to add? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!