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torso shot of person bending back wearing panties and bra by Anekdot
30 Nov
torso shot of person bending back wearing panties and bra by Anekdot

16 More Sustainable Alternatives to Victoria’s Secret

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If you like trendy and sexy lingerie, you might be wondering where you can find more sustainable alternatives to Victoria’s Secret. We’ve got you.

The issues with Victoria’s Secret

For a lot of us, when we think of “trendy and sexy lingerie”, our minds automatically default to Victoria’s Secret. The brand has been around for almost 50 years and has grown into a massive global underwear empire.

But if you’re here, you’ve likely started questioning what goes on behind the scenes of the biggest fashion brands. You might’ve also begun looking for alternatives that’ll be better for you, the Earth, and its inhabitants. The next brand on your list? Victoria’s Secret.

We previously decided to dig a little deeper to look at Victoria’s Secret’s impact on people, the planet, and animals, and answer the burning question: how ethical is Victoria’s Secret?

Before we give you the alternatives to the underwear giant, let’s have a quick look at why we don’t recommend Victoria’s Secret.

Victoria’s Secret rates “Not Good Enough” for its impact on the planet and people. While the brand has a few lower-impact materials in its collection, it’s missing a policy to minimise the impacts of microplastics or textile waste when manufacturing its products. The American brand also signed up to Greenpeace’s Detox My Fashion program back in 2011 and had set a deadline to eliminate hazardous chemicals by 2020. Unfortunately, 2020 has come and gone now, and we found no evidence it met its target.

When it comes to workers, none of Victoria’s Secret’s supply chain is certified by labour standards, ensuring worker health and safety or other labour rights. More importantly, we found no evidence that the brand provides payment of a living wage in its supply chain or that it implemented adequate policies or safeguards to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic.

That is why, based on our research and thorough methodology, we gave the brand an overall rating of “Not Good Enough”. The brand has to do better for the planet, people, and animals, be more transparent, and treat all its workers fairly.

So if you like lingerie, what more ethical and sustainable alternatives to the underwear giant are there? Let’s take a look.

16 better lingerie brands you’ll love more than Victoria’s Secret

Underprotection

Rated: Good

Underprotection is a Danish brand combining ethics and aesthetics, creating underwear, loungewear, and swimwear from lower-impact materials like organic cotton. All of its packaging, paper, and polybags are either recycled or biodegradable, and it only works with certified factories as it believes “fair working conditions and fair wages are human rights”. Underprotection exists to celebrate women of all kinds, and its goal is to make them feel as beautiful and comfortable as possible.

You can find the full range in XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Underprotection.

la fille d’O

Rated: Good

la fille d’O (which translates to “the daughter of O”) is the voice of a generation. In 2003, designer Murielle Scherre created this lingerie brand with the vision of being a role model. The brand produces long-lasting products, adhering to the principles of slow fashion. It manufactures locally and also uses low-impact non-toxic dyes. The brand is gender and size-inclusive, with a size range of XS-10XL for every body.

See the rating.

Shop la fille d'O.

Luva Huva

Rated: Good

Natural beauty has never been so sexy. Luva Huva (pronounced Lover Huva) offers comfortable lingerie in an elegant feminine style. It uses environmentally friendly fabrics like organic cotton, bamboo, soy,  remnant material, and vintage lace.

Find pieces inclusively sized from XS-L or even have them customised.

See the rating.

Shop Luva Huva.

Subset (Knickey)

Rated: Great

Made in a Fairtrade certified factory, US brand Subset’s organic cotton underwear sets are some of the best in the responsible fashion market. Taking it a step further, the brand has also partnered with an NYC non-profit to recycle old undergarments, turning the fibres into insulation and rug pads. Sending in your old undies will not only help cut down on the amount of fibres that wind up in the landfill, but it’ll give you the freedom to buy new, responsibly made sets.

Find most items in sizes 2XS-4XL.

See the rating.

Shop Subset (Knickey).

Naja

Rated: Good

Naja makes beautifully designed lingerie and helps educate and employ women through its Underwear for Hope program.

The underwear is available in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Naja.

Stella McCartney

Rated: Good

A member of the Ethical Trading Initiative and Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Stella McCartney has set some excellent environmental standards across the luxury fashion industry. Stella uses some lower-impact materials, including recycled polyester and organic cotton, and has a strategy in place to reduce waste across its entire supply chain. It has also adopted the ETI Code of Conduct that includes a living wage definition.

Find most items in sizes 34-52.

See the rating.

Shop Stella McCartney @ LVRSustainable.

Shop Stella McCartney Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Shop Stella McCartney.

nat’v basics

Rated: Good
Three examples of nat'v basics responsibly-made lingerie in black and pink varieties.

nat'v basics is an Australian responsible underwear label designed for the everyday woman. Made from recycled and lower-impact materials, nat'v basics pieces are designed to be the most comfortable basics you’ll ever wear. No frills or trims or awkward bits—so you can put them on and forget you’re wearing them.

Find the range in AU sizes 6-20.

See the rating.

Shop nat'v basics.

Araks

Rated: Good

Araks is a lingerie, swimwear, and sleepwear brand that offers delicate pieces made from luxurious Italian fabrics.

Find pieces in sizes 2XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Araks.

Shop Araks @ Rêve en Vert.

Swedish Stockings

Rated: Good

Swedish Stockings creates high quality, responsibly made stockings, knee highs, tights, socks, and pantyhose. The brand also offers a recycling program to help clean up the hosiery industry—if you send in three or more pairs of synthetic pantyhose from any brand, you'll receive a 10% discount code to use next time you purchase Swedish Stockings.

Find the perfect pair in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Swedish Stockings.

Shop Swedish Stockings @ Urbankissed.

Hopeless Lingerie

Rated: Good

Hopeless Lingerie is an Australian luxury lingerie label that offers inclusive sizing, from 2XS-5XL.

See the rating.

Shop Hopeless Lingerie.

ColieCo

Rated: Great
Three examples of ColieCo's colourful responsibly-made lingerie.

ColieCo is a Portuguese lingerie, underwear and swimwear brand that uses a handmade to order process for creating the most premium pieces. We love the super soft, organically-grown bamboo silk Ataya Tap Pants. Find it in sizes XS to 2XL.

See the rating.

Shop ColieCo.

The Very Good Bra

Rated: Good

The Very Good Bra is an Australian womenswear label that houses lingerie and other basics for the modern woman.

Find most bras in cup sizes A-E, and clothes in S-L.

See the rating.

Shop The Very Good Bra.

Not Basics (Pantee)

Rated: Good
Three examples of basics responsibly-made underwear by Pantee.

Not Basics is a women's wardrobe essentials brand based in the UK with a focus on comfort. The brand, which began with a line of underwear made from deadstock t-shirts, incorporates a high proportion of lower-impact materials including recycled materials, and its limited production run minimises textile waste.

Available in sizes XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop Not Basics.

Eco Intimates

Rated: Good

Eco Intimates is a basics brand that features organic cotton lingerie, intimates, and sleepwear for women who care about their bodies and the Earth.

Find the loungewear in XS-2XL, and some lingerie up to 4XL.

See the rating.

Shop Eco Intimates.

The Ethical Silk Company

Rated: Good

Irish brand The Ethical Silk Company produces scarves, wraps, loungewear, and more that are responsibly made from 100% mulberry silk. For ultimate comfort, indulge in a pair of the mulberry silk pyjamas, printed by hand using the traditional craft of blockprinting.

Find most of the range in XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop The Ethical Silk Company.

Anekdot

Rated: Good

Anekdot is a clothing brand that offers more sustainable designer underwear, swimwear, and loungewear handmade in Berlin. They create exquisite intimates upcycling materials from production leftovers, deadstock, and vintage trimmings giving them a new chance to be enjoyed in the process creating limited edition products.

Find most products in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Anekdot.

Editor's note

Feature image via Anekdot, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world's most comprehensive ratings of fashion brands’ impact on people, the planet, and animals. Use our directory to search thousands of rated brands.

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