Hello everybody! So I buy almost all my clothes in thrift shops or at least second-hand, and because of this, I get a lot of questions about how and where to buy socks, stockings, and underwear. Completely fair a question, it can be super difficult to navigate which clothing brands are greenwashing and which ones are doing a great job, and for most people, second-hand underwear is a no-go. Again, I get it. I don’t buy second-hand underwear either, although I don’t actually mind thrifting stockings, socks or even swimwear – but we all have different preferences. Underwear is something I have struggled with ever since going zero waste because it has been so hard to find good sustainable and ethical brands. However, one I have sworn by for the last couple of years is Organic Basics, except my old pre-zero waste underwear, most of my undergarments come from this brand. I have worked with them several times as well. I also really like Under Protection and Troo for underwear as well, those are the three brands I use.
Find sustainable underwear and socks here (affiliate)
But what makes these clothes more sustainable than going down to any fast-fashion store? I haven’t purchased anything from a fast fashion store in more than 5 years because of the complete disregard of nature and people this industry continuously shows. Most of our clothes today are produced in sweatshops where workers are not getting paid fair wages and the waste and chemicals from these factories are flushed directly out into our water systems. The price might be cheap – but we get what we pay for. Rather I look for brands that make an effort to differentiate themselves from the fast fashion practice.
I have used organic basics’ products for a long time because they pay their workers fair wages and they are mindful of their materials and production. The socks I am wearing are made from organic GOTS certified cotton, they are made without the use of toxic chemicals and pesticides. Conventional cotton is the number 1 consumer of pesticides in the world, so going for something organic and GOTS is definitely the way to go.
The bra is made from Tencel, a material that is derived from wood pulp. Although it is technically a synthetic material, it is much more sustainable than many conventional natural fibers, it uses 80% less water to produce than conventional cotton for instance.
The briefs are made from recycled nylon, so I’ll have to wash them in my guppy bag to filter any microplastic during the wash. But recycled nylon is GRS certified and it’s basically stronger and more durable than the highest standard conventional nylon. It’s made from pre-consumer textile waste that would otherwise go to the landfill, or worse. Plus, it takes 80% less water to make and creates 90% fewer CO2 emissions in comparison to the virgin fabric.
I was SO excited to log onto Organic Basics after I saw your vids, I’ve been looking for plastic free knickers and bra’s for ages, and now I feel confident about what fabrics to look for – so thanks! 🙂
I was super disappointed to find out about their sizes though – their ‘large’ model looks to me like. a UK size 12 or 14. I’m a size 20 – so I’m chunky, sure, but only 2 sizes bigger than the UK average! Anyway, I went down a rabbit hole searching other sustainable underwear brands, and they’re all similar sizings. I’m not normally very sensitive about my size (in fact, I’d say I’m usually really confident!), but this has really made me feel excluded and abnormal 🙁 I can’t be the only chubby woman wanting to be more clothing conscious?!