When you try to explain sustainable fashion and in particular lingerie made using recycled materials to people outside of the fashion industry you get a frown of confusion, more commonly a cheeky smile as they’ve immediately thought recycled used underwear or clothing or something along those lines. No, it’s not that, OK. Now we’ll make it a little clearer.
Recycled materials, doesn’t necessarily mean pre-worn
There’s potentially wastage in any production and it’s the same with fabrics. The fabric sustainability part of many of eco fashion ranges ranges out there are made up from materials that would otherwise have been consigned to waste processes. Its these off cuts or trimmings from the production processes, fabric materials that are stripped back to their original fibres to then be reused into superb looking lingerie like the Chantelle Motif collection.
The Motif lingerie collection brings Chantelle firmly into the world of sustainable fashion. The reuse of unused high-quality materials saves on the further use of virgin raw materials and the environmental impact of processing them. As an example, 74% of the Chantelle Motif covering half cup bra is made from high-quality recycled fibres. These fibres are seamlessly blended in to new fabrics and materials to make up the various components of the bra including the tulle, lace, straps, elastic bands and bords.
The wider idea of producing a sustainable fashion line doesn’t stop with just the fibres. The processes of remanufacturing the recycled material has to, or should meet various guidelines to comply with ethical processes and of course give the consumer/wearer the confidence, in not only the quality of the products but also that the credentials of the product are real.
In the case of the Chantelle Motif bras and knicker styles that make up the collection they are all Oeko-tex and GRS (Global recycled standards) certified that no harmful substances are used in the production and there are control standards in place for environmentally friendly sources of materials and safe production. Not only making fashion sustainable but making ethical clothing.
Sustainable Underwear is relatively new to our collections at Mysmartypants and the modern design, superb support and shaping of the Chantelle Motif covering half cup bra and short knicker are just the first part of the expansion in this area of the lingerie market.
Recycled fibres are not the only options out there, there’s also biodegradable options
One of which is the biodegradable Pretty Polly Eco Wear tights. And no, they won’t fall apart whilst you’re wearing them!
The Pretty Polly Eco-Wear Biodegradable 40 denier tights are made from the first sustainable biodegradable Polyamide in the world. Even better is that the yarn is can also be recyclable if committed to the correct processes. Put simply this new and innovative fabric technology will decompose in approximately 3-5 years when disposed of in landfill, helping to reduce the environmental impact. Even better the material can be recycled back into some kind of fabric for use outside of the fashion industries.
Pretty Polly’s process is rather neatly visually demonstrated here:
The above collections and items from both Chantelle lingerie and Pretty Polly are just the start of a wider revolution in sustainable and ethical manufacturing of underwear. All of this is designed to reduce the impact on raw materials, which in some cases can be easily and sustainably sourced but at the same time reduce the impact on the environment. Here at Mysmartypants.co.uk we’re looking forward to widening the sustainable lingerie choices for our customers and welcome the innovative technologies that our trusted brands like Chantelle and Pretty Polly are employing to make sustainable, wearable and practical fashions.