Green Options

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The hardest part for me when hunting for sustainable clothing is finding cute, comfortable lingerie. Enter Blue Canoe Organic. They have a whole line of organic cotton bras, undies and nighties! Not only is everything made from soft, sustainable materials, it’s made here in the US and is sweatshop-free.

The company is a member of Co-op America Business Network, a group of companies with a mission to promote environmentally and socially responsible business.

Stella McCartney’s new eco-friendly lingerie line is very fun to wear underneath with sweet designs reminiscent of the French style. Her sheer silk chiffon, organic cotton, and

1. MAS Holdings, Sri Lanka’s biggest apparel company, has a new lingerie factory backed by Marks & Spencer (M&S), who is one of their best clients. The undergarment factory uses 40% less energy than a factory of the same size and the electricity is from renewable sources like 10% from on-site solar panels and the other 90% from hydro-power plant energy. MAS is reported to be the world’s first carbon-neutral clothes factory.

This week I got a chance to catch up with Etsy’s eco lingerie designer Clare Bare. Clare has incorporated thrifted & vintage fabrics into all her designs, taking a once tablecloth, bed sheets, curtains or old granny’s nightie and transforms it into retro eco lingerie. If that isn’t earth hugs and kisses enough, she uses organic cotton to line her sexy & imaginative knickers. These are the kind of skivvies that a green crafter can get all gushy over. Clare is obsessed with her pet bunny, felt frustrated with pro-fur classes in fashion school, and gives advice about how to get started making your own upcycled creations.

Who taught you to sew?

When I was in sixth grade, I took a mandatory sewing/cooking class- we learned how to make nachos and duffle bags…need I say more? Our teacher was the biggest nerd- it wasn’t a very serious class, but I took it pretty seriously. I remember everything so vividly- I bought all this white cotton fabric with little blue cows and red hearts printed all over it and a pin cushion that looked like a mouse, and for my final project I made a stuffed animal rabbit! Even though it wasn’t considered “cool,” I secretly loved that class. I didn’t really sew again until high school when a relative passed away and left behind an amazing old Singer home machine with a sewing table and an entire sewing kit full of fabric, thread and trim. I had a friend whose mother is the ultimate homemaker and she taught us basic construction skills such as darts, hems, interfacing, etc. We were inspired at the time mainly by the Victoria’s Secret catalog (and our lack of funds necessary to buy their bikinis) so we would stay up all night sewing, thriving off of our creative energy, then drive to the beach and lay out all day in our creations. Ironically, now I think that Victoria’s Secret makes overpriced, poor quality garments that don’t fit well-I strive to do the opposite of what Victoria’s Secret is doing in so many different ways.

You went to Parsons School of Design in NYC, did your studies there influence your decision to begin designing lingerie?

While I was in school, I pretty much learned more about what I didn’t want to do than what I did want to do. Originally I went to school thinking that I would be a fashion design major, but after foundation year I felt that I couldn’t chose just one thing.

This week I interviewed Leslie Richard who writes for our sister site Crafting a Green World and runs an amazing online eco-boutique called the Öko Box, featuring eco-styles like these:

Here is our Q & A:

1. Tell us more about how you came up with the name for your organization? I also dig your blog. Which one came first the blog or the company?

I have been deeply involved with the organic movement since the first day I walked into a health food store as a teen growing up in New Orleans. I naturally knew any business I would run would have to be related to health and preserving nature. So when my childhood best friend moved to Germany and began bragging about his “oko box” of affordable organic goods delivered from the farmers each week, his excitement really stuck with me. “Oko” is german for organic, and his descriptive stories of what arrived in his “oko box” left me feeling inspired- I knew I wanted to be part of a movement that made organic more accessible and affordable in the US with the ease he was experiencing in Europe.

Being that I have chemical sensitivities and some health probs I quickly became conscious of the connection that not only did our food need to be ecological & organic, but that every purchase we made, every product we used, every consideration must be done with the earth in mind. When I saw that there was plenty of organic baby products out there, but eco minded adults were being left behind by the organic fashion industry I decided to start “The Oko Box”. The catch for me, was it had to be affordable and break certain style barriers. I think I have a little something for everyone now, whether classy, hippy, punk, or suburban there’s a garment to love. The blog was born after the store and fairly recently, but has gained a huge following already which is a lot of fun for me! I really love to interact with customers and readers, your opinions totally matter to me.

2. The Öko Box mission is wonderful and we love that- “The Öko Box donates monthly to the National Wildlife Federation, in support of their Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program,” Please tell us more about your wonderful connection to these organizations and nature.

Hanky Panky is taking its ultra comfortable line eco-chic. Now, their lace trimmed undies (that can convert any thong phobic into a fan) come in all organic supima cotton. Fabulously stylish and shockingly comfy, it’s nice to have one of my favorite lines taking some of their products organic. I’ll hope for the day that all companies take the hint and go ‘all in,’ but for now, I’ll stock up on this organic line (available at Neiman’s) to [...]

New fiber blends promise to make the future of lingerie natural, and organic. Sleepwear, undies, teddies, slips and chemises add wonderful accents to our intimate drawer and most importantly they make us feel beautiful inside and out!  InStyle online now features the “Stars Go Green” and showcase this pink teddy plucked from a star’s wardrobe. New earth friendly intimate lingerie is one of the best places to start greening the spring undie drawer. Natural intimates in fabrics made of organic cotton, soy, hemp and other organic materials are better for your skin and peace of mind. Brilliant new develpoments in soysilk, hempsilk, organic blends with stretch and soft comfort are all on the horizon. Future textile developments promise a sunset of beautiful skin kissing undergarments that make you feel good all day and into dreamtime.  

A UK company, By Nature, announces that they will start selling “sexy ethical lingerie”…made of wood!