Can my pants improve the world and my well-being?

As I replace worn-out items from my wardrobe, I’ve realised the importance of buying clothes that are good for me, as well as the planet and the people who make my clothes. Prioritising my personal style and comfort over feverishly following trends has helped me feel happier with my wardrobe overall, but there is one particular item of clothing where this has been particularly important.

I suffer from vulvodynia and endometriosis, so a bad choice of underwear can be a pain in the bum - literally. Comfort, and soft, breathable fabrics are a necessity, so I had resigned myself to buying packs of basic cotton undies from the high street. They do the job, but at an average price that works out as only a couple of quid per pair, their makers are unlikely to be paid a fair wage, and the cut and shape is usually rather... uninspiring, shall we say? When you are dealing with conditions that sap your energy and your confidence, wearing boring pants isn’t going to help matters. 

I wanted to find some everyday underwear that was made under better conditions, and with a bit more design flair, but at a price that would make it an affordable alternative to fast fashion undies. One day I’d love to do a post about luxury ethical knickers, but for now I’m working on an alternative to the multipack of comfy pants.

People Tree, £7.95

A go-to brand for ethically made clothing, People Tree also make a small range of underwear. These briefs are made from organic cotton with a pretty lace trim. They aren’t quite a full brief, but they don’t ride up or dig in and are a great fit.

Boody, £8.95-£9.95

These sleek and seamless bamboo knickers are a great alternative to synthetic “no VPL” pants and come in a range of styles. I bought a high-waisted brief as well as a regular brief; the high-waisted style gives a great seam-free shape under fitted pencil skirts or dresses. Breathable but well-elasticated bamboo fabric make these pants a great choice for exercising. 

Little Black Pants Club, £7.50-£10.50

Every other month, Alice from LBPC sends you a pair of pants in a paper envelope that folds out into a zine featuring topics like intersectional feminism and garment workers’ rights. I love the cut of her vintage-inspired high waisted knickers, but if you prefer something a little skimpier she’s got you covered there (or not), as she makes a range of styles, and every purchase earns points that you can put towards bespoke items. 

Y.O.U underwear, £15

I supported the Kickstarter for Y.O.U’s first capsule collection, and chose these cute shorts from their range of styles. As well as being ethically made (and another great No VPL style), Y.O.U also donate pants to people in need: usually to menstruating teenagers who would otherwise be unable to go to school. 

Considering periods (a perfectly natural occurrence for anyone with a uterus) a “taboo” subject has disadvantaged people all over the world and held them back, either from school, work, or well-researched medical treatment for a common but painful and debilitating condition like endometriosis. “Period poverty” is a problem in the UK, with teenagers too embarrassed to go to school if they don’t have access to sanitary products. Even people who are well-informed and unembarrassed by periods often won’t seek medical help because period pain is considered to be so subjective. It’s all too easy to think that maybe you just have a much lower pain threshold than people who don’t seem to suffer so much. It wasn’t until I fainted during my first official day at my new job and had to be sent home in a cab that I finally felt I had “proof” that my periods weren’t “normal”. It still took three years, and discouraging incidents when I was just dismissed from the doctors surgery with some painkillers, before I got a diagnosis and treatment to suppress the symptoms.

If you’re struggling with painful periods or chronic reproductive-system-adjacent pain, please don’t suffer in silence like I did. Keep going back to the doctors until you have a treatment plan that you are happy with. If you suffer from vulvodynia this post on the Lingerie Addict blog by Catherine Clavering, the founder of lingerie brand Kiss Me Deadly, is a must-read; it was such a huge relief to know that I wasn’t alone. Support and information can also be found at Endometriosis UK.

Being bombarded with information about global injustices can sometimes make me feel that I should be able to push my problems aside and focus on the “real” issues. My health problems are certainly not life-threatening, but they do affect my life, and I soon realised it was impossible to make a useful contribution to the issues I cared about when I was feeling run down and miserable. I have been trying to take my physical and mental wellbeing into account while making thoughtful purchases, and it’s turned out to be a great shopping strategy.

I did worry that I would be limiting my choices by trying to buy underwear that fitted my requirements from strictly ethical or sustainable brands. I actually discovered that I had a great choice of styles to pick from (there are plenty of amazing brands that I haven’t bought from because they didn’t make the *exact* style of knickers that I like, but that other conscious customers would love) and I never had to choose between my personal comfort and my principles. Brands that care about the environment and their workers are also going to care about choosing quality materials and perfecting a well made, well fitting garment. So paying a few extra pounds for a feel-good knickers drawer is well worth it.

Bespoke Bras: sustainable luxury to make you look and feel fabulous!

At a time of year that's become synonymous with frenzied shopping and last-minute panic-buying, I thought I'd write about sustainable luxury that rewards the patient conscious consumer: beautiful bras that are made to order right here in London, using sustainably sourced or recycled materials!

Lovely lingerie may seem like a luxury, but as everyone who has worn a bra can confirm, comfort and correct fit are a necessity! A great bra can enhance the look of your clothes, make you feel fabulous (even if you're the only one who sees it), and is all but essential for exercising. If the prices of bespoke bras seem expensive, can I gently suggest you take a closer look at a bra? All those component parts are painstakingly pieced together by people, not machines, with pinpoint accuracy to ensure a prefect fit. This is skilled labour, and I want the people who sew my bras to be fairly compensated for their work. 

If you're interested in the lingerie industry, or have burning questions ("Why isn't X available in my size? Why is Y so expensive, when Z is so cheap?"), I recommend checking out The Lingerie Addict, and following its founder Cora Harrington on Twitter. She has been writing about lingerie for over a decade, and she has great insights into manufacture and materials as well as trends. Cora is an advocate for appreciating craftsmanship and financially compensating artisans accordingly, while making it clear that we shouldn't feel guilty for wanting to have beautiful things. That sounds like the perfect argument for sustainable luxury to me! 

I've treated myself to very different styles of bra, one frilly and fanciful, the sort of bra that you want to show off because it's just so *pretty* and two that are practical but stylish, and the sort of bra that you want to show off because it feels barely-there but it's so supportive! Of course, even the fanciest bra needs to be comfortable and well-fitting (otherwise I won't feel fancy, just annoyed), and a practical bra needs to have some flair about it that elevates it above a basic bralet.

I had been skeptical about a bralet being supportive enough for my (usually) 32DD bust, but when I saw that Lara Intimates made a cute range of soft-cup bras in specific sizes rather than just 'S', 'M' and 'L', and offered a fitting service, I was hopeful I would be able to find something suitable. 

Lara Intimates is run by two LCF graduates, who crowdfunded their first collection and run their business out of a studio in Soho. When I went in for my fitting I chatted to them about their business plan; having their bra designs made by a specialised factory would have required a minimum order for every style, in every size and every colour, and they didn't have the money for that sort of initial outlay. By making bespoke they can form a better idea of their customer base, which style, size and colour combinations are the most successful, and use their money wisely. 

I was able to try on samples in my size - different from the size I would usually buy for an underwired bra (as I mentioned in my blog post about ethical swimwear, it's always best to take sizing advice from small businesses who know their product really well) and the main difficulty was narrowing my choice down to two styles! These bras would be great for yoga or Pilates, if a very structured sports bra feels restrictive, and I was thrilled to finally find a comfortable halterneck bra that will work under some low-backed vintage 70s sundresses I have in my wardrobe. The bras are made from deadstock lingerie fabrics, and with prices ranging between £55 and £72, they are a great investment as they are so versatile. 

Buttress and Snatch's marketing focuses on pin-up glamour, but their sustainability credentials are pretty good too: their bras are made to order in a workshop in London, often using vintage fabrics, so I'd say that makes them more sustainable than a lot of brands, with the added bonus that their made-to-order business model means they can offer a really diverse range of sizes. They have a really specific brand aesthetic, and I think it's important that we don't see sustainable or ethical fashion as a "style" in its own right. At the end of the day, people aren't going to spend their hard-earned money on a piece of clothing just because it's sustainable, they are going to buy something that looks great, and works with their personal style. 

Buttress and Snatch offer several different styles of "patchwork" bra, made from offcuts of vintage fabric. Each one is unique, and the bra that was specially made for me is a kaleidoscope of floral prints, trimmed with beautifully soft leavers lace. I bought my usual size and the fit is spot on; despite the fancy detailing the overall cup shape has a smooth finish, so it disappears under all but the clingiest clothes.

Do I *need* such a delightfully frivolous bra? Technically, no. But living sustainably doesn't have to mean denying yourself fancy things, it means making better choices and treasuring your fancy things for years to come.  With prices ranging from £70 to £150+ these bras aren't going to be everyday purchases for most people, but I also think it's really important that ethically run small businesses can be part of the luxury goods market too. If you have the money for something with a designer label, wouldn't you rather have something unique made just for you? I firmly believe that clothes should help you to the best version of yourself, so buying bras that have made me feel fabulous without having to compromise on my principles is money well spent!