I discovered ethical lingerie start-up, AmaElla, during the first lockdown last year. I was looking for good sustainable underwear brands to feature in my Slow Fashion Weekly newsletter, and including them turned out to be an absolute no-brainer.
This brand ticks all the boxes when it comes to ethical credentials and what you’d expect in terms of comfort and style from a lingerie brand. It’s also from the UK, and I like to shop as locally as possible these days.
We originally worked together on a collaboration/competition to win the gorgeous pyjama set I’m modelling in these pictures. Funnily enough, the Airbnb we stayed at in Lisbon (after the lockdown) had a set of crockery in the exact same colour combo as the pyjama set. I thought it was a sign, and the rest is history 🙂
Why is ethical lingerie worth it?
So why is investing in ethical lingerie and sleepwear worth it, you may wonder. I’ll dive into details about this particular brand and why I like it below, and stick to general considerations in the first part of this post.
Non-synthetic, sustainable underwear and pyjamas
Brands use harmful and toxic chemicals to produce clothes, especially when they’re mass-making them in the Global South. For example, according to this article by industry insights specialists, Common Objective, around 60% to 70% of all fabric colorants are AZO dyes, which release chemicals when the fabric comes into contact with the skin.
Toxic chemicals such as Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs) enter the clothing supply chain even before the dyeing process. NPE’s were banned by the The European Union’s REACH Chemicals Committee in 2014 and manufacturers within the EU cannot produce textiles or clothing containing nonylphenol (NP) or NPEs.
However, most clothes in the world aren’t produced in the European Union and restriction on treated textile products imported from outside the EU has yet to be developed. In Asia, legislation is very weak or non-existent.
According to the Ellen McArthur Foundation, 2400 chemicals are present in the fashion supply chain, 30% of it posing risks to human health through the environment. The production of cotton is estimated to require 200,000 tonnes of pesticides and 8 million tonnes of fertilisers annually.
Flattering, eco-friendly and ethical lingerie
If this information has put you off buying cheap lingerie from fast fashion, welcome to the club. One of the best ways to avoid chemicals is to shop clothes and underwear made in the European Union – if you’re based in London or anywhere in the EU.
You can also seek out materials, dyes and fabrics that meet third party certification standards such as the Global Organic Textile Standard, Oeko-Tex Standard 100, bluesign® or the EU Ecolabel. AmaElla’s sustainable underwear and pyjamas are both GOTS and Oeko-Tex 100 certified, and they are made in Portugal by garment workers paid a living wage.
Timeless quality basics
AmaElla is the brainchild of Lara San Gil, a young woman who launched the brand from Cambridge and powered it through a crowdfunding campaign originally. It’s a good alternative if you’re looking for timeless, high quality, basics such as soft triangle bras, seamless knickers and toxic-free flattering nightwear.
Contrary to fast fashion, you won’t find an endless amount of choice in the AmaElla e-shop. The brand focuses on 4 or 5 core styles instead of pumping new collections every season. As such, it won’t suit everyone, which is the downside of being a small ethical brand. However, I’ll cover other slow, sustainable underwear brands that use non-toxic, organic fabrics in future blog posts.
Website: AmaElla
Follow: @amaella_lingerie
Pyjama set gifted. Photos: Nick Morosi
