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13 Jun

The Ultimate Guide to More Ethical and Sustainable Underwear

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Underwear is often the first thing we put on in the morning and the last thing we take off, so having a quality selection of bras, pants, boxers, briefs and more is of the utmost importance. There’s a growing number of more sustainable underwear brands for everyone, and we’ve rounded up the best picks for you.

The importance of comfy and conscious underwear

Underwear can make or break your day depending on how it feels and fits. And since it’s the thing that sits closest to your skin, it should be made to a high quality from great materials. So forget the polyester, and instead consider breathable, lower impact materials that are better for your skin and the planet, like organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp.

Here, we’ve selected the underwear brands all rated “Good” or “Great” against our methodology—they’re creating better basics, including bras, lingerie, boxers, and briefs that will make you feel comfortable and confident without compromising your values.

PACT

Rated: Good

PACT is a US-based brand that is passionate about being part of a movement transforming the way apparel is made. All of its clothing is sweatshop-free and child-labour-free, and its activewear range is almost entirely made from certified organic cotton, with more than 50% also certified as Fair Trade.

Find PACT in sizes XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop PACT.

Boody

Rated: Good

Founded in Australia by two best friends, Boody is a clothing brand with comfort, style, and health at its core. It creates comfortable, thoughtfully-made everyday essentials made from organically grown bamboo. It reduces waste through lower-waste cutting techniques and using a closed-loop system in its supply chain, supporting the green and ethical movement.

Find the range in sizes XS-4XL.

See the rating.

Shop Boody.

Mighty Good Basics

Rated: Great
A woman in a white vest and a man in white boxers

Mighty Good Basics aims to provide quality, affordable, organic and Fairtrade underwear and basics, for both men and women. The brand uses GOTs certified cotton and also uses renewable energy throughout its supply chain.

Find most items in sizes 2XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Mighty Good Basics.

HARA

Rated: Good

HARA is a clothing label designed for you and our earth collectively. The brand specialises in organic bamboo cotton underwear and loungewear, with its vibrant colours achieved naturally with turmeric, indigo, and madder root plants.

HARA's products are inclusively sized with a range of XS-5XL.

See the rating.

Shop HARA The Label.

Woron

Rated: Good

Copenhagen-based Woron was founded by two sisters, Arina and Anya Woron, driven by the desire to share their take on a responsibly designed lingerie line. The brand produces timeless vegan underwear made in a clean, transparent, and simple fashion to ensure a long lifespan. The range is made of GOTS certified organic cotton and Lenzing MODAL or ECONYL lace fibres, and is fully OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified.

Find most pieces in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Woron.

ASKET

Rated: Good
man wearing asket's sustainable boxer briefs in white

ASKET has been creating timeless wardrobe essentials since 2015 with revolutionary sizing and fair pricing. The brand disregards seasonal collections, cuts out all the middlemen, and only sells directly to you—putting its entire focus on building a single permanent collection.

Find the range in sizes 2XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop ASKET.

A-dam

Rated: Good
funky green ethical boxers by A-dam on a shirtless muscular man wearing a tiger mask

A-dam is a fresh brand with character. It uses a high-proportion of lower-impact materials, like GOTS certified cotton, and limits the amount of chemicals, water, and wastewater used in production.

Find the range in sizes S-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop A-dam.

ColieCo

Rated: Great
Someone reclining surrounded by red roses in white frilled bra and underwear by Colieco.

ColieCo is a Portuguese lingerie, underwear, and swimwear brand that uses a handmade to order process for creating the most premium pieces. Every single garment is manufactured exclusively using lower-impact and responsibly sourced fabrics.

Find the range in sizes 2XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop ColieCo.

Etiko

Rated: Great
black eco-friendly bikini underwear by Etiko

Etiko is an Australian designer of organic fair trade clothing and shoes. The brand constantly sets the bar for upholding and campaigning the human rights of people working in traditionally exploitative industry supply chains.

Find the clothes in AU sizes 8-20, and the shoes in UK sizes 3-13.

See the rating.

Shop Etiko.

CASAGiN

Rated: Good

Italian brand CASAGiN designs apparel for those looking to foster a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle in their closet and beyond.

Find most items in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop CASAGiN.

Honest Basics

Rated: Good

Honest Basics is a GOTS-certified basics brand based in Germany. It's on a mission to make more sustainable fashion accessible to everyone, by keeping prices low, making quality basics that everyone has in their wardrobe, and constantly improving the sustainability of its products and supply chain.

The range is available in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Honest Basics.

KENT

Rated: Good

KENT is a US-based brand that creates timeless organic underwear, ensuring a quality fit and feel no matter what. It produces the first verified compostable underwear, made from organic cotton and designed to return to nature in 90 days when composted or planted, feeding the soil and growing new plants (or future pants).

Find most pants in sizes XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop KENT.

HERTH

Rated: Good
Someone in a luxurious, more sustainably made shirt, bra and pants by HERTH.

HERTH is an Italian lifestyle brand whose design philosophy combines sustainability and ethics with timeless aesthetics. It promotes slow fashion creating contemporary pieces characterised by clean silhouettes with meticulous attention to detail. Crafted by local Italian artisans with lower-impact materials, it embodies effortless luxury.

Find the range in XS to 2XL.

See the rating.

Shop HERTH.

Subset (Knickey)

Rated: Great
People in underwear by Subset.

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).

Dedicated

Rated: Great

If you love a great graphic print, Swedish label Dedicated has you covered. Dedicated is a responsible streetwear brand for men, women, and children. All cotton used in its clothes is 100% organic, and most pieces are Fairtrade certified, which means that you don’t have to sacrifice your ethics to dress in style.

Find the clothes in XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Dedicated.

Shop Dedicated @ Earthkind.

Miakoda

Rated: Good
Two people of different sizes wearing the same lacy g-string ethically made by Miakoda.

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If you’re all about that organic plant-based lifestyle, then you’ll most certainly vibe with NYC-made brand Miakoda and its organic, ultra-cosy active and loungewear. Its pieces include stripped-back colours and designs that are all about comfort.

Supportive of different shapes and sizes, find the range in XS-4XL.

See the rating.

Shop Miakoda.

Shop Miakoda @ Wearwell.

nat’v basics

Rated: Good

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.

NICO

Rated: Good
Someone in underwear by NICO.

Established in 2012 by Lis Harvey, NICO celebrates minimalism and understated luxury. The brand brings high quality basics and underwear to the Australian fashion landscape, featuring clean lines, luxe fabrics, and the styles and colours needed for everyday. NICO’s factories are signatories to The Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Accord and are compliant with BSCI and certified with WRAP.

Find the range in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop NICO.

Nisa

Rated: Good

The responsible option for your underwear drawer. Nisa is an underwear and loungewear label that employs women from refugee backgrounds in its Wellington studio. For the brand, success is not just providing a first job in New Zealand, but in providing a first step in a long career. Nisa is also better for the planet, using GOTS certified organic cotton for its briefs, bralettes, and pants.

Find the garments in sizes XS-4XL.

See the rating.

Shop Nisa.

Pansy

Rated: Good
woman wearing sustainable lingerie by ethical US brand Pansy

Pansy is a California based basics brand that offers organic cotton underwear for all beautiful sizes.

Find products in sizes XS-5XL.

See the rating.

Shop Pansy.

Anekdot

Rated: Good
person in blue lace bra and panties by Anekdot.

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.

Not Basics (Pantee)

Rated: Good

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.

Proclaim

Rated: Good
people in underwear sets by proclaim.

Los Angeles-based Proclaim makes beautiful bras, underwear, and basics from more responsible materials like recycled plastic bottles and TENCEL. Its designs come in three shades of "nude", building inclusivity into the brand. It also ensures the people in its California factory earn a living wage, and visits suppliers regularly.

Find the range in sizes S-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop Proclaim.

ROZENBROEK

Rated: Good

ROZENBROEK is a British brand that features well-made clothing made from the finest organic materials, including solar energy.

Find pieces in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop ROZENBROEK.

tentree

Rated: Good
black plus size man wearing sustainable brief by tentree

Canadian brand tentree plants ten trees for every item purchased to help regenerate ecosystems and provide planting jobs in communities around the world, and has already planted over 65 million trees. All tentree’s products are created with an Earth-first approach, meaning they're made in fair, safe working conditions, and constructed using lower-impact and recycled materials.

tentree’s clothes are typically available from XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop tentree.

The Very Good Bra

Rated: Good
A black comfy wire free bra by The Very Good Bra.

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.

Colorful Standard

Rated: Good
Lemon yellow organic cotton boxer briefs by Colorful Standard.

Colorful Standard is a Danish clothing brand that makes organic fashion essentials for men and women. The brand doesn't care much for seasons or trends, instead, it creates timeless and long-lasting products to avoid the downward spiral that is over-consumption.

Find most items in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Colorful Standard.

Underprotection

Rated: Good
person in white lace bra and underwear by Underprotection.

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.

WAMA

Rated: Good

WAMA is pioneering the hemp clothing industry with premium hemp underwear. It uses a high proportion of more responsible materials including organic cotton and hemp, and is a PETA approved vegan company.

Find the range in inclusive sizes XS-4XL.

See the rating.

Shop WAMA.

BAM Bamboo Clothing

Rated: Good

UK-based BAM Bamboo Clothing makes womenswear and menswear basics from bamboo, and rates “Good” for people, the planet, and animals. The brand traces most of its supply chain and also offers clothing recycling to consumers to help address end-of-life textile waste.

Find most items in sizes XS-L.

See the rating.

Shop BAM Bamboo Clothing.

NUDEA

Rated: Good
NUDEA underwear

NUDEA believes that the items you wear closest to your skin should be more sustainable, comfortable, flexible and stylish, so it crafts its sleep and underwear with this in mind. The British brand uses lower impact materials and partly traces its supply chain.

Find items in XS - XXL

See the rating.

Shop NUDEA.

Bluebuck

Rated: Good
Someone in underwear by more responsible French brand, Bluebuck.

Bluebuck is a French menswear label with a playful, adventurous spirit born out of a love of nature, specialising in technical menswear basics and swimwear designed to last. The brand produces locally to minimise the brand’s impacts and uses better materials like GOTS certified cotton and recycled marine plastic.

Find most items in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Bluebuck.

Editor's note

Feature image via HARA, 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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