We found the perfect sustainable underwear brand

According to the fact retriever, women should replace their bras every 6 months.  I don’t know about you guys, but I have the utmost of ten bras in my collection (and I’ve had them for quite a while). I really go in on a good bra but I’ll be the first to admit that a good set isn’t my usual high-priority purchase. 

Spending so much on something nobody but you or a loved one will see is possibly one of the most self-indulgent choices you’ll make whilst aiming to become a more sustainable consumer. It can be a difficult leap, especially as sustainability teaches us to be so, well, unselfish in our buying habits. 

But, I recently came to the realisation that underwear is the most important and precious part of getting-dressed every morning. It’s also the step I think of the very least. I’ve therefore decided that from here forward I won’t kick myself for spending more on the item that will offer me comfort and support daily for years to come.

Don’t forget, it’s what’s on the inside that counts

For a while now I’ve found the search for a sustainable underwear brand to devote myself to incredibly difficult. There are countless beautiful lingerie brands online that boast the most blissful bras and perfect panties; they’re quite simply every girl’s dream. It’s beyond question that these brands are well worth the money, but I never quite found the right brand that struck that all-so-special cord.

That’s until I discovered Fruity Booty who specialises in creating an assortment of to-die-for undies for when you want to feel comfortably lazy, seductive, confident or mighty cute. They have it all. I was hesitant at first to bother searching their website as the items look luxurious and quite simply perfect... I instantly assumed that they were way out of my budget. I’m pleased to say, I was wrong.

Fruity Booty’s bras average at around £40. But before you think ‘Woah, £40???’ Let me remind you that your average high-street bra will cost around £20 as well as shipping costs. With these low costs comes the lingering consciousness of mass-production that will fill you with a sense of complete dread, as well as the knowing that there are a good couple of thousand people out there wearing the same undies as you. Bare that in mind.

For around £70 you can treat yourself to a Fruity Booty set (including one of the featured sets above that are simply dream-like. Ultimately the most expensive items on the site these sets are definitely gorgeous enough to treat yourself to twice a year rather than spending the same on countless cheap undies. Fruity Booty also sells shirts, camis and skirts that match undie sets (how cute). Our favourite set? The Sicilian Stripe shirt, cami, bra and skirt - what a set to mull around in!

Undressing Fruity Booty a little more

According to Vogue US, “Fruity booty is redefining the term ‘sexy lingerie’. The London-based independent brand has an aim to reduce the impact on the environment and generate awareness about ethical and sustainable fashion by only producing small runs of collections that further eliminates the possibility of overproduction that is suffocating the fashion industry today.

Fruity Booty’s underwear is made in Porto (a small village near Portugal) by what the brand calls, “a workforce of exceptionally talented women, who have specialised in making lingerie for over 30 years.” Fruity Booty clothing and nightwear is sewn in a local studio in East London, with small runs of limited-edition collections sewn in Nottinghamshire by a handful of seamstresses.

Fruity Booty’s designs are made using surplus fabrics, elastics and hardware that would otherwise go to waste here in the UK. If the surplus stock is unavailable then Fruity Booty sources sustainable fabrics and components from local UK based factories or over in Portugal or Spain. The brand is currently exploring the use of natural dyes as a way of becoming more planet-friendly alongside aiming to ban the use of virgin fabric from 2021.

An interview with the ultimate intimate ladies

I’m over the moon to have spoken to the Fruity Booty team to gather a little more insight exactly what makes their undies worth the money; where they hope to travel on this journey of sustainability; and what they hope to leave in their wake.

It's so easy for consumers that are eager to become more sustainable to forget about undies in their efforts to shop eco-friendly. Have you seen a growth in audiences who are actively searching for eco-friendly intimates?

It’s really rewarding to see the growing number of consumers trying to make more sustainable choices with their underwear shopping. Understandably, underwear isn’t usually consumers’ first choice when it comes to shopping sustainably. If someone is going to spend a bit more money on an item it is likely to be something that others can see. But I think more and more consumers are craving transparency and are more passionate about buying from independent brands where their values align. 

It can be off-putting for audiences when searching for planet-friendly lingerie to then be met with unaffordable price points. Prices reflect a fair wage for workers, sustainable materials, impeccable craftsmanship and support independent businesses, but could you explain why it’s important to buy eco-friendly intimates? Why should Fruity Booty and similar independent brands be the future of undies?

We feel it is important to buy from eco-friendly intimates brands, whether it is Fruity Booty, or other amazing sustainable undies brands out there because putting on underwear is the first thing you do in the morning and if that decision is a conscious one that is good to the planet we can’t think of a better way to start the day.  

The rise of cheap fast-fashion means the decision to buy more expensive pieces from eco-friendly, independent labels is difficult. It’s also the reason why this decision is more important than ever. What you’re paying for when you buy from Fruity Booty is ethical labour practices in our amazing factories based in Europe and the UK; limited edition collections which mean no product waste; garments made of sustainably sourced and deadstock fabrics; and plastic-free packaging. Buying beautifully crafted items made to last means you will treasure them forever and not treat it as a disposable product. 

I would be more than happy to purchase myself a new Fruity Booty item every payday, I adore the brand. Could you tell the audience where and why Fruity Booty began, and what you have in store for the future?

Minna and I launched Fruity Booty three years ago with the aim to redefine what was considered sexy in the lingerie space. We created our own label to focus on celebrating the individuality of women and to create a more approachable underwear shopping experience for women. 

We’ve got so many exciting things in store for the future. I can’t say too much, but we’ve got two collaborations in the pipeline which we are sampling at the moment and lots of gorgeous new releases in the run-up to Christmas. 

If you could collaborate with any brand of your choosing, who would it be?

Min and I love thinking about collaborations. We adore Emma Brewin; she makes amazing faux fur hats which we both own and have always dreamt about how we could make something work with undies. We are currently obsessed with Western Affair who creates insane heels out of deadstock shoes from the early 2000s and deadstock fabric. We could make a very different type of Fruity Booties ;) We also love Beepy Bella jewellery. She uses loads of adorable fruit beads and I think we could do something cool.

When you envision your customer, thrilled to have received their Fruity Booty items in the post, what do you envision their surroundings looking like? 

I imagine their surroundings being super different from each other. Some minimal, some with crazy interiors. Celebrating the individuality of women is at the heart of Fruity Booty so I can’t imagine all our amazing customers having similar interiors style. 

Being able to try on new underwear in your own home as opposed to a brightly lit and cramped changing room is so important to us. It can be a vulnerable moment for some women and we hope that by being able to do it in their own time and in their own space makes women feel a lot more comfortable and confident. 

Do you believe that sustainable intimates could be the future?

That’s our dream, but we know at the moment sustainable underwear is more expensive and therefore not an option for everyone. Sadly, with the way the world is heading in terms of climate change it may not be so much of a choice than an imperative. 

In ten years time, I hope and believe that the fashion industry as a whole will have transformed to make sustainable fashion the norm and more accessible for the majority of UK residents. In my eyes there simply isn’t another option for the future of fashion and the planet.

Q: Finally, what is your ultimate favourite Fruity Booty item(s)? Please tell us what you love about the item(s) and why?

Arghhh that is so hard to answer. It changes a lot, right now I’m obsessed with our new Cornflower set and the Clementine Capsule collection pieces. I would say I wear my Blackberry Set the most. It was one of the first sets we released and it’s so comfortable and effortlessly sexy. We’re actually about to launch two new styles of the bra, one in an underwire and one in a scoop neck which we’re really excited about.