Mrs Balls’ ‘not-so-smalls!’ by Nikky Corker
Surprisingly, underwear is one of the few clothing items, where it’s difficult to find 100% organic cotton or hemp, usually due to brands containing a little latex for stretchy comfort.
Nearly all undies at present contain a little synthetic elastane, so launder in a microfiber filter.
Some of the better brands include:
Thunderpants uses fair trade organic cotton, and local workers in northern England. Fabric scraps are used to make cleaning cloths and they use unbleached brown card and water-based black ink for packaging.
- YOU Underwear is made with fair trade organic cotton and made ethically. Sent in biodegradable and recycled packaging, they donate two pairs for each pair you buy. You can also recycle your underwear through their partnership with Terracycle.
- Rapanui (Isle of Wight) offers organic cotton undies for women and men. Made in a green factory using zero waste packaging, and you can send back items for recycling, at end of use.
- Arlo Hudson makes mens’ underwear from a blend of Tencel and a little elastane. The boxers have horizontal fly design with no-roll leg binding for perfect fit without adjustments, and the fabric lets you stay cool all day and night.
Elliot Organics is a brand of sustainable organic cotton underwear in flattering styles for women. Organic cotton costs a little more, but as the fibres have not been damaged by chemicals, they should last longer.
This tank top is made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, and sits just below the waist with a lovely curved hem. Made in a small family factory in Spain, it’s sold with a 5-year guarantee and fits true to size, sent in recycled paper packaging.
How to Care for Organic Cotton Undies
Wash your organic cotton undies in cold water to prevent shrinkage and preserve the fabric’s integrity. Use a gentle detergent that’s free from strong chemicals to keep them soft and safe on your skin. Remember, less is more – don’t overload the machine.
Air drying is your best bet to avoid damaging the fabric. Lay them flat on a drying rack or hang them in a shaded area.
Avoid using a tumble dryer, as high heat can shrink and weaken the fibres. The soft and snug fit you love will last longer with a bit of care.
Where to Buy More Sustainable Hosiery
Although tights and stockings are more worn by older women, hosier (from the old English word ‘to cover’) are still sold in their millions. Although pop socks these days tend to only be worn by sailors and majorettes!
Invented over 5000 years ago as ‘knitted socks’ to keep legs warm, hosiery gradually evolved into ‘silk stockings’, worn by Queen Elizabeth I, back in the late 1500s.
In the 1940s, stockings became extremely popular. Women would queue for hours to get their hands on a pair!
Today, around 8 billion pairs of tights are produced each year, which are mostly worn a few times until they develop ‘ladders’, then thrown in the bin.
Although modern hosiery is not made from silk (a good thing, as this involves boiling silkworms – even ‘peace silk’ can cause silkworms to starve as they are too tired to find food), most brands are made from nylon (plastic).
Tights and stockings are sold in deniers, which means ‘thickness’. 30 denier is the most common thickness. Thinner deniers ladder more frequently, which is why there is so much waste.
The Most Sustainable Hosiery Brands
There is a caveat here. Because (like socks), most ‘eco brands’ still use a little elastane for stretch. So again launder in a microfibre filter, to stop synthetic fibres breaking off in the washing machine, and going out to sea.
Hēdoïne offers (partly) biodegradable tights, which it says will break down in around 5 years. These cost a little more, but are designed not to ladder so easily. Made in Italy, they may tear with ‘dog handshakes!)
But what’s great about this company is that you can send (any brand) of old tights to them for recycling, to receive £10 credit on your next pair.
EcoOutfitters (which makes Teflon-free organic school uniforms) offers knitted tights for children (or small people!)
These are comfy and soft, with flat seams that are good for sensitive skin or eczema. Sold in several colours (black, white, brown, grey, navy and bottle green).
How to Make Hosiery Last Longer
- Remove jewellery before putting tights on.
- Keep nails smooth, to avoid snags.
- Don’t ‘pull on’ tights (like socks). Just roll up moisturised legs.
- If wearing shoes with zips, wear socks on top of your tights.
- Wash hosiery by hand (and not alongside other clothes, or zips).
- Do not use fabric conditioner (nor tumble dry).
After washing, pre-stretch your hosiery: Place one hand on the foot, and the other on the top. Then gently pull.
For snags, gently pull on both sides to make it disappear (or reduce).
Do You Always Need Support Hosiery?
GPs sometimes prescribe support stockings (but most people don’t need them, and some people say with artery disease should not wear them).
Support stockings work by ‘squeezing your legs’ slightly, to encourage good blood flow to the heart. But in most cases, you can do this naturally:
- Regularly raise legs above your heart. This could be as simple as placing legs on a pouffe (higher than the sofa) while watching TV.
- Walking causes your calf muscles, to squeeze blood to your heart. Regular exercise also reduces weight, which is good for circulation.
- Drink water, eat well, don’t smoke and avoid alcohol.
- A handful of Epsom salts in the bath (sold in indie chemists) can help achy legs. Not for inflamed/infected skin, open wounds or burns. Check with GP for medical contraindications.
- Wear comfortable (vegan) shoes that exercise your calf muscles. Ahinsa Shoes are super-comfy, made by physiotherapists.
- People who stand all day (like hairdressers), fly regularly or are confined to bed/wheelchairs benefit from foot/leg exercises to get blood pumping from the legs to the heart. Talk to your GP if if you see brown areas (or ulcers) on your feet or legs.
How to Choose Greener Pairs of Socks
Socks are not the most sustainable brand of clothing, because nearly all (even) organic socks still have a small percentage of elastane (used for stretch and comfort).
Sold in grey, pink or blue, you can buy separate or mixed sets (in cardboard packaging). A blend of recycled cotton, polyester, fishing waste and a few other fibres, the socks feature reinforced heels and toes, and are hand-finished and inspected for quality.
Nearly all socks contain elastane, so launder in a microfiber filter to stop synthetic fibres escaping washing machines.
Buy elastane-free socks from Ecooutfitters or Eczema Clothing (also for men).
Keep socks away from pets. This is because they smell lovely to animal friends, but can cause choking, constipation and intestinal blockage.
Signs of sock ingestion are lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite, a tender abdomen and difficulty pooping.
Get together as a community and order a one-off TerraCycle Fabric & Clothing Box. Fill with all your socks, fabrics, textiles and hosiery and send it off (using the prepaid) label to recycle into other things.
Recycled Yarn Socks (Leicestershire)
Socko is a brand of socks made from end-of-line yarns, made by artisan craftmanship in Leicestershire. Each pair includes instructions (with colour-matched yarn) on how to darn socks in 10 minutes, to help stop the thousands of pairs of socks thrown away.
Sold in grey, pink or blue, you can buy separate or mixed sets (in cardboard packaging). A blend of recycled cotton, polyester, fishing waste and a few other fibres, the socks feature reinforced heels and toes, and are hand-finished and inspected for quality.
