More and more ethical and sustainable clothing brands are entering the market. Yet we often get the question whether sustainable lingerie and underwear also exist. We found women underwear and lingerie brands that you can find at the ethical Ghent entrepreneurs stores!
Do you know another ethical, fair and/or ecological brand? Or do you know a sustainable entrepreneur in Ghent who sells underwear and/or lingerie? Let us know!
Comazo has been operating at the production of underwear for 135 years, reinventing and innovating themselves. Their main focus relies on being environmentally friendly during the manufacturing processes, by the control of water waste and a heat recovery system. The brand also focuses on offering their designs in a wide range of sizes, which is possible to check through their online website where the models are not professional but employees at the company.
On the website it is stated their responsibility on the environmental aspects of the production through transparency and by the use of organic cotton. The manufacturing process takes place in Europe, making the production chain short. However, they are still working on the transparency related to the raw materials they work with.
They are fully committed to find different and new ways of reducing emissions in every step of the production, as well as implying new ecological textiles. Beyond that, Comazo is working on multiple projects to enhance the ecological process on different aspects like the use of more sustainable materials.
Just Hazel , Burgstraat 14 Ghent
Danish sisters Anya and Arina Woron didn't like bras until they produced their own comfortable lingerie. The design is simple, the colors (black and white) are too, which makes the product timeless and therefore very durable. The fabric, production and transport are even more sustainable. Woron is made with Lenzing Modal®, a fabric derived from beech wood that is very soft. It requires less water to produce than cotton and also shrinks less. The brand that the wood comes from sustainably ensures managed beech forests.
Woron uses an innovative fabric, Lenzing Modal®. The fabric is produced in Europe, where most of the production is located. However, the final stage of the production takes places in countries with high risk of labour abuse and it is not fully transparent, but they guarantee their workers fair living wages. The product shrinks slower than other usual fabrics, which ensures a longer duration.
Supergoods , Brabantdam 56b, Ghent
Gently lingerie brand la fille d'O strives for an (eco)logical production and it is fair within its own company. “No brand works like us,” says founder Murielle Scherre. "I AM FAIR, WITHIN MY OWN COMPANY."
“Textile is a dark chain.” Ghent entrepreneur and lingerie pioneer Murielle Scherre – herself usually dressed in black– knows that the clothing production chain is not a black-and-white story at all, but a complex chain without any real guarantees. The entrepreneur does not look far. Most of our fabric is treated in Belgium. For the production I mainly work with Liebaert in Deinze and I attach great importance to transparency.”
“Many Belgian lingerie brands are outsourcing production”, critics say Murielle. The entrepreneur, on the other hand, just wants to stay in our country. “Otherwise the profession would be lost. I employ six women full time to make sure that doesn't happen – thanks to the choices I make, I am fair within my own company.”
Lingerie is often made of high-tech fabrics. Such as polyesters with elastane or vulnerable lycra that can withstand sweat, sun, chlorine and sunscreen. They mostly come from Belgium. “Why should I do fair trade on location when it can also be done here? Transporting clothing from the south is also polluting in itself. I have the luxury of being able to do it here. That is ecological, but above all logical: the word 'eco' is added to that.”
La fille d'O focuses on transparency, short chain and production in countries with low risks of poor working conditions. La fille d'O wants to work more with ecological substances, such as Tencel®, and works locally, in Belgium and Europe, which keeps the chain short and is less polluting in terms of transport.
La Fille d'O , Burgstraat 21, Ghent
The Danish brand was founded in 2010 to provide desirable and comfortable lingerie, loungewear, hosiery and swimwear with the principle of sustainable fashion. Under the slogan -ethics and aesthetics- Underprotection offers fashionable and elegant products with sustainable and certified materials in a recycled or biodegradable packaging. Underprotection is concerned about the comfort of their underwear, so they dedicate a page of their website to explain their sizes and how to get the best fit for you.
The majority of Underprotection products are vegan. They work with certified environmentally friendly materials including TENCEL™ lyocell or banana fibers, and recycled materials like polyester, nylon and wool. They also state their support to gender equality through female owned companies. Nevertheless, there is no evidence of a Code of Conduct regarding the labour. Underprotection counts with a formal statement regarding workers' rights but the final stage of the production takes place is countries with extreme risk of labor abuse, and it is not clear if they provide a fair living wage to their workers. However, they audit the final stage of the production.
Supergoods , Brabantdam 56b, Ghent
People tree call themselves pioneers of fair fashion, the company was founded in 1990 in the UK along with the People Tree Foundation. This way, they wanted to promote the ethics of sustainability, fair labor and environment protection internationally through their own charity. People tree also takes accountability quite serious by undertaking reviews from their stakeholders every year with the purpose of enhancing every step of the process. It is possible to check them on their website.
People Tree collections use eco friendly materials including Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell. Most of their products are hand made by traditional artisans and the brand was the first one to be awarded with the World Fair Trade Organization label, which guarantees compliance to fair labour, environmental respect, gender quality and animal respect.
Supergoods , Brabantdam 56b, Ghent
