Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Who Made YOUR Pants? (Or, Shall We Say, Undies?)

Victoria’s Secret drove me nuts even before they were accused of their most recent child-labor scandal. With high prices for low quality, their kinda-cheesy designs that have to be dug through to find anything cute, and their puke-pink-overload stores (hey, I like a little pink, see above but VC takes it to a level that’s just insulting to the color), I finally gave up on the retailer a few years ago.

I know I’m not the only one looking for alternatives.

Enter Who Made Your Pants, a British project (but they ship worldwide) that upcycles unused lace from the garment industry into new undies. And they benefit refugee women.

And I’m so into the way they talk about their company: C’mon, this just sounds like they are directly addressing all the unethical lingerie companies out there: “We also think that it’s not really on for anyone to be made to work in bad conditions just for a cheap pair of pants. Who could feel lovely in something made in a bad place? So we make our pants in a great place.” LOVE!!!

And these undies aren’t just making the world a better place – they are making your butt a smoother place too. They are designed to have no visible panty line (VPL), stay in place, and (GOOD GOD) be comfortable all day long. I’ve died and gone to underwear heaven!

“Who Made Your Pants is structured as a worker co-op, creating jobs and training for refugee women in Southampton. Who Made Your Pants was set up specifically to empower women. The women it employs and works with are primarily refugees, from Afghanistan, Somalia, the Sudan – often places where there have been wars. They may have been educated or worked, they may not, so their needs are all different and Who Made Your Pants’ training and support varies in relation to need.”

More Great Green Undies from Eco Chick:
Artful Undergarments: Rio Wrenn’s Eco Lingerie
Collection
Lovely Lingerie That Just Happens to Be Eco
Under the Root: Sexy Eco Lingerie

Mi-Bra Organic Cotton Sports Bra: Running with A Great Idea

As a runner who definitely finds inspiration to go a little further (or a little faster; I love to sprint) through music, I thought the Mi-Bra was total genius as soon as I saw it. A sports bra with a pocket up front to hold your iPod or MP3 player in (and a wee space for your headphones cord to thread through), it’s ideal for those of us who run with iPod in hand (which is really annoying).

Like me, Mi-bra creator Carolina Baker found that the arm band music holders didn’t work for her, and instead of just complaining about it, she solved the problem herself:

I created the mi-bra while training for several marathons. I was having chafing issues with my other sports bras and running with my music was becoming a nuisance because my armband kept sliding down my arm. I started putting my iPod in between my sports bra and tank top and it stayed put quite well. I started searching the internet for sports bras with pockets and couldn’t find any! That’s when I knew I had an idea I could run with (no pun intended) and so I did.

We have a close family friend whose in manufacturing and he put us in touch with someone that could create the mi-bra. We went back and forth a couple of times with samples and received our first order January of this year. It was exciting and nerve wrecking to see so many boxes of sports bras arrive.

And the bra’s ecofriendly to boot, made from 90% organic cotton! The pocket is on the OUTside of the bra, for easy access so you can change up your songs mid-run if you like, and could obviously be used for cash, Metrocard, or credit card (I like to combine runs with trips to the post office for stamps or a one-way run, one-way walk store stop-over instead of taking the car).

Available for a very reasonable $20 plus shipping, a portion of the proceeds of the bra benefit Back on My Feet, a charity organization that uses running as a means to get homeless men and women back into jobs and school.

Artful Undergarments: Rio Wrenn’s R.A.W. Eco Lingerie Collection

Portland, Oregon based textile designer Rio Wrenn has a unique vision for lingerie, combining modern eco friendly materials and dying techniques, antique constructions and ethical manufacturing to create her line, R.A.W. “I started R.A.W. in 2007, which is inspired by vintage undergarments ranging from the 1800′s to the 1950′s to modern day,” says Rio. Her collection of corsets, bras and undies has a special look, and with the Summer and Autumn 2010 trend of exposed undergarments, she’s right on target with perfect base layers for style mavens and lingerie fans alike.

And not only is Rio a conscious creator of unique pieces, she’s an advocate for women’s bodies and all the curves that go with them, and explained that her corsets aren’t meant to be restrictive or to reshape a body (she’s a fan of hips especially). “Corsets are actually very therapeutic, they make you stand up straight! I think people have a bad vision of corsets, but I don’t make them to be oppressive, they should be comfortable and supportive,” she says.

Each piece in R.A.W.’s collection is also a work of art and are handmade in Portland. Rio is a visual artist, but found that fine art was often out of reach to many people; fashion is a way to take a creative project and make it more accessible, wearable and affordable, she says.
More »

Lovely Lingerie That Just Happens to Be Eco Friendly!

I think lingerie might be the toughest thing to find in sustainable fabrics. Here are five lovelies to inspire you, since Summer weather means that bra straps will be peeking out!

Clockwise from top left: Cosabella organic cotton thong and underwire bra, g=9.8 bra and panties made from recycled pine fibers, Spreegirl bamboo underwire bra and panties, Enamore, UrbanFoxEco bamboo and vintage lace cami and panties.

And check out this cute video for Enamore!

Under the Root: Playful, Sexy Eco-Lingerie

What could be more enticing than saucy recycled and vintage handmade lingerie inspired by Vaudeville, Parisian Can-Can, burlesque and cabaret? Under the Root creates stunning sustainable lingerie sets and accessories from light, airy fabrics like jersey knit and cotton voile. The materials used to create these textile confections are recycled, reclaimed and repurposed. These Under the Root designs are so pretty and flattering, you might be tempted to become an exhibitionist just to show them off.

Under the Root designs are available in sizes XS-XL and can even be custom-made to your measurements. Colors range from soothing pale hues to vibrant, sassy brights. And the prices are extremely reasonable for such beautiful hand-crafted goods!

Pictured above: Sprite Lite Nite Lingerie Set – Brassiere/Bloomers

Pixie Patch Set – Halter/Tap Pants

Hush Satin Halter

Blasphemous Blumen

Makes you long for warm weather, doesn’t it? This is lingerie for impromptu backyard photo shoots, frolicking in the grass.  Way too cute to stay hidden. Perhaps they should start designing swimwear!

Check out the full selection at the Under the Root Etsy store.