Disclaimer- This blog covers topics like intimate wear. Parental guidance is advised.
While we covered some great brands which are catering to women’s intimate wear and lingerie needs in our piece on Sustainable Intimate Wear for Women, cute innerwear is a need that needs options. Hence, we went looking for five more brands which carry products in this category. Underwear isn’t where my activism began, but WearEqual does say their brand is where fashion meets activism. And even if you aren’t an eco-activist, you still need new innerwear annually.
Let’s reduce the amount of textile waste India generates with slow fashion shopping and ensuring we return underwear when we are done with them to organizations like India Wasted which upcycles them in a hygienic manner. But to return something, we must get one first, which we can at the brands we shall soon learn about.
nude & not
From camisoles and underwear to accessories and tote bags, this brand calls itself feminist, even if it also mentions a matriarchal setup. They say that their clothing is sewn ethically in India but provide no certification except the GOTS, which while a good certification to look for, reminds us of the land use issue and water needs of organic cotton, a fabric which is going to be covered in my upcoming book. Yet, organic farming, for all its flaws- especially when mismanaged manure ends up in our fresh water systems- has perks. The team at Coco Custo, an eco-friendly chemical free detergent brand in Mumbai, shared a peer-reviewed article that showed the methane emissions of artificial fertilizer factories in the US. Methane is much more powerful greenhouse gas when compared to Co2 and we can not forget the biodiversity loss of pollinators and insects. Hence, we must innovate to make recycled cotton better for underwear or perhaps make hemp underwear affordable and healthy.
Moving back to nude & not…
Proud to not contribute to doom scrolling, nude & not enhances their game with refusing returns to reduce carbon emissions, with their intimate wear starting at around Rs. 300 a pop. Their return policy, though that makes one wonder what exactly are consumers supposed to do with misaligned items. Regifting can be done but is this a lack of systems thinking or simply an attempt to reduce something that is causing half the world’s carbon pollution according to nude & not? You let me know in the comments, while I tell you that nude& not also has certifications for organic and ethical dyes for their bags, making us more inclined to believe their susty claims. However, some proof of their fair-trade working conditions would be extremely helpful. Alongside a line of bras.
Next up, we have…
Nood NY
Do you want n*pple covers or tape? Well, alongside intimate wear you will get these necessities at Nood NY. While the brand is sold at susty e-commerce store and has an impact page, nothing concrete about it’s social or eco-friendly policies is shared there, leaving consumers in the dark. Their products also seem to be high-end with one adessive or strapless push up bra being upwards of Rs. 5000.
Let’s not look at…
Upcycleluxe
From bras priced above Rs. 1000 to briefs starting at around Rs. 300, this brand has it all. Including swimwear. Upcycleluxe claims to be India’s first carbon neutral marketplace which carries zero-waste innovative pieces and also upcycled items. Their packaging is 100% recyclable and compostable but we don’t know where. And they also have sales, which could be red flag or a marketing necessity. We wouldn’t know because while they have certifications, those cannot be found on their website whether they be for social or ecological principles. Yet, the brand comes highly recommended and is worth a through appraisal from potential customers.
Next up, we have
Intimate Queen
For sustainable and cute lingerie sets, which might seem expensive at first glance but are actually at par with high-end pieces, Intimate Queen is the brand to go. From underwear and brands to lingerie they have it all. Including a maternity line and a page detailing the fabrics they use. We love the transparency. These fabrics also contain some innovative sustainable raw materials such as upcycled corn plant waste or lemon peels, and of course, Tencel MODAL which is known for its sustainability, even if it is as always slightly complicated. The brand boosts some certifications, such as OKEO-Tex, and claims to promote responsible consumption without explicitly starting how. It also has plastic-free packaging but that can be more harmful if single-use paper is used and query tree plantation drives, which good, need to ensure that non-invasive species are planted and cared for. And since carbon offsetting has huge greenwashing potential, more details would be nice, Yet, these don’t take away from the fact that this is a plant-based brand using innovative fabrics that help maintain the pH levels of our bodies. All they need? A fair-wage certification.
Are any of these brands perfect?
No.
Whether it is the lack of ethical wages guarantee or eco-friendly claims with little backup, they all could use some work, but the fact that they’re sold on certified stores like Our Better Planet and Brown Living India (even if they’re imperfect themselves) makes me likely to trust them. Would I still look them on Good on You when the directory covers them? Absolutely. But in a pinch, buying from these when viable would still be better for my soul and eco-anxiety. After all, healthy sustainability means doing our best- and to aid in that, aka allow us to build high-impact sustainable habits instead of one-time actions that burn us out and fuel further guilt at not being perfect, I have created something. It is a recycled paper or digital low-waste planner that aims to tailor your sustainability journey to your resources. Or if you wish to save paper, you can also email me on roongta.bw.anjali@gmail.com and get the know-how of the planner as a paid webinar. After all, while individuals actions did not cause and green shopping will not solve climate change, making sure we are doing our part can inspire others until we are all a force of nature. Plus, individuals can impact induvials workers as Gittmarie Johanson shows.
Which essential should I cover next? Let me know in the comments.
Author’s Note: Hope this was valuable. If you wish to support a share or a shoutout, a subscription to the YouTube, or paying what you can goes a long way but no pressure.
Updated-12.03.25
