Last Updated on February 15, 2024
Bras are already challenging to find, which then makes ethical and sustainable bras even more difficult. Plus if like me you wear a “non-standard” size (for reference I typically wear a 30E) it can seem impossible. But I’m here to help!
This roundup includes ethical and sustainable bra brands from the US, Canada, the UK, Europe (EU), and Australia
You can also check out my video reviewing some of the bras I own, and here’s also a roundup of some organic and eco-friendly bra and lingerie brands to check out. ?
(please note: some affiliate links are used in this post which means we may get a small commission)
Sustainable Bras & Bralette Brands
Subset (Formery Knickey)
One of my favourite underwear brands. Subset makes classic and comfy bralette styles from soft organic cotton in a fair trade certified factory.
Subset also has a virtual fitting room to help you get the best fit and also offers larger cup options in some of their bra styles.
Read an in-depth review of Subset here.
Size Range: XXS – XXXL
Values: GOTS certified organic cotton, Oeko-Tex certified, Fair Trade certified, sustainable packaging, body-inclusive models, take-back recycling program
Ordering: based in USA, ships to America and Canada
The Very Good Bra
If you’re looking for natural materials this is your bra! The Very Good Bra claims to be the world’s first zero waste bra – all components, even things like the elastics, labels, and hook/eye closures are naturally derived and the bra will biodegrade in your compost! While many eco brands just focus on the main material, TVGB goes the extra mile.
TVGB reinforces their fabric for added support so it’s a good option for something with more structure but I recommend paying attention and asking questions if you’re unsure of sizing.
Size range: 30C/32A – 38DD
Values: all natural materials, biodegradable
Ordering: based in Australia, ships international
Savara
Sustainable, gorgeous and super comfy? Savara checks all the boxes! Beautiful, lacy options can be challenging to find in the sustainable lingerie space, however Savara has filled that gap with stunning bras made with strong values.
Their bras and underwear are made from Tencel and reclaimed and deadstock lace. The pieces are ethically made in a low waste factory.
Savara has a unique sizing model and design which uses adjustable back elastics to combine the comfortable and flexibility of a bralette with the adjustability of a bra. Their bras are specifically designed to accommodate size changes and weight fluctuations.
Watch my review of their Willow bra.
Size range: XS – XXL+
Values: sustainable & reclaimed materials, production transparency, carbon offset
Ordering: based in the Netherlands, ships international
Earth and Elle
Earth and Elle set out to make sustainable and comfy organic bras and underwear – free from poky underwires, scratchy hooks and tight elastics. They use a soft and eco-friendly hemp and organic cotton blend fabric in a fully coverage cut that is both supportive and comfortable for lounging or everyday wear.
Earth and Elle’s pieces are made locally and they also use low impact dyes.
Size range: S – 3XL
Values: sustainable materials, small batch production, body-inclusive models, made in Canada
Ordering: based in Canada, ships to Canada, US, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand
Colie Co.
Cute and sexy sustainable lingerie. If you’re looking for unique and bold designs this is a brand to check out!
Colie Co. uses a variety of organic, recycled, and deadstock materials and each piece is made to order in-house in their Portuguese studio.
Size Range: XS – XL + custom & letter sizing
Values: reclaimed & sustainable materials, low waste production, made-to-order, sustainable packaging, ethically made in Portugal
Ordering: based in Portugal, ships international
Underprotection
Underprotection has a huge selection of bralettes, underwear, and lingerie, including lovely lacy items, made from recycle polyester and nylon. A great option if you’re looking for cute, sexy, and colourful bralettes!
Size range: XS – XL
Values: Sustainable materials, Recycled materials, Oeko-Tex certified fabrics, take-back recycling program,
Availability: Based in Denmark, ships worldwide
Uye Surana
Beautiful, feminine, and sexy lingerie made for a variety of shapes and sizes. Uye Surana‘s pieces are ethically made in NYC or a family-run factory in Colombia in small batches from a variety of materials (some sustainable, some not).
Size range: 28A – 42H + custom sizing
Values: small batch production, some reclaimed materials, body-inclusive models
Ordering: based in US, ships international
Organic Basics
Classic, comfortable wire-free bralette styles made from organic cotton and Tencel. Organic Basics, focuses on well-made, minimalist styles including some “invisible” bralettes made from recycled nylon and sustainable sports bra options.
Organic Basics has a solid set of certifications and sustainability initiatives and is a good example of brand transparency.
Size range: XXS – XXL
Values: GOTS certified organic cotton, certified factories (check out the various certifications each factory has here) production transparency, carbon offset, gives back
Ordering: based in Denmark, ships international
Free Label
Free Label’s longline bras are super comfy and supportive. The design is incredible versatile with many styles having reversible necklines and they can even be worn as a cute crop top!
Free Label ethically manufactures all their garments in Canada from a technical bamboo. They pay special attention to fit and designing styles to best suit (and support!) different bodies.
Watch my review of their Andie bra.
Check out our interview with Jess the owner of Free Label.
Size Range: XS – 4X (read the size chart carefully as their sizing is unique)
Values: sustainable materials (some), Oeko-Tex certified (bamboo), small batch production, body-inclusive models, made in Canada, gives back
Ordering: based in Canada, ships international
Luva Huva
Comfortable bralettes – all Luva Huva’s bras are made to order and they also offer custom sizes. Everything is made in-house in their Brighton studio, and they use a variety of sustainable materials as well as surplus/remnant fabrics and trims.
Size range: 30A – 40E + custom sizing
Values: sustainable materials, made in-house, made-to-order
Ordering: based in UK, ships international
Mary Young
Mary Young has a variety of colourful styles and sexy see-through cuts of bralettes, bodysuits, and lingerie all ethically made in Canada from bamboo fabric and nylon mesh.
They have both a Canadian site and US site.
Size Range: XS – 2X
Values: some sustainable materials, Oeko-Tex certified (bamboo), body-inclusive models, made in Canada
Ordering: based in Canada, ships international
Proclaim
Proclaim is all about nude. Their bralette comes in 3 nude shades plus black and some fun color options. Made in Los Angeles from recycled plastic water bottles.
Size range: S – 3X
Values: recycled materials, ethically made in LA, body-inclusive models
Ordering: based in US, also ships to Canada, Australia and the UK
Anekdot
Using all surplus, deadstock, and reclaimed materials, Anekdot creates beautiful bra and pantie sets, locally made in Berlin or their factory in Poland.
Size range: XS – L
Values: reclaimed materials, ethically made in Berlin or Poland
Ordering: based in Germany, ships international
Nico
One of the few sustainable bra brands who offer both underwire and wire-free styles. Nico uses mainly Lenzing modal and recycled cotton and their products are made in Australia or in their GOTS certified (working on fair trade certification) factory in India.
Size range: 30A – 36DD
Values: sustainable materials, made in Australia and GOTS certified factory in India
Ordering: based in Australia, ships international
Naja
I wanted to include Naja because they are one of the few brands offering molded-cup bras. While not all their products are sustainable they do have an eco-friendly bra collection made from recycled synthetics and a zero waste collection made from reclaimed fabric.
Size range: 32B – 36DD (in eco bras)
Values: some sustainable materials, factory primarily employs single mothers
Ordering: based in US, ships international
Aikyou
Specializing in sustainable bras and lingerie for small busts. Aikyou uses primarily organic cotton and their pieces are sewn in a fair trade factory in Croatia. They are also in the process of getting GOTS certified.
Size range: XS – L
Values: organic cotton, fair trade certified factory, vegan brand
Ordering: based in Germany, ships international
Looking for sports bras? Check out our top sustainable activewear brands.
Or maybe you’re looking for nursing bras? We have a roundup of those too!
And also check out our underwear round-up for your bottom half.
Are there any eco bras I missed that you love?
Veronica Woodson
“It is difficult to find a bra in perfect size every time and you have listed 15 brands that are size inclusive and great options for plus-size women too.
Also, these brands have sustainable bras which are good for the environment and body. Thank you for sharing the article.”
Elisabeth
Love this information. Can you recommend a brand that sells underwire bras and offer full support? Thank you!
Punam
Loved this post! There were so many brands I’m just hearing about for the first time!
Nauchira
Quick question, when you ordered the boody’s bra did you order a small or medium? You’re the closest example I have in terms of what size bra to buy when the sizing are in letters.
Verena Erin
I have it in a size S and the band fits well, the cups could be slightly larger but it’s still really comfy. Hope that helps!
D Peters
Repurposing fabric is great, but have you researched how synthetics affect our bodies?? They have been linked to cancer and many other maladies. I don’t consider anything made from synthetics to be eco friendly.
Verena Erin
I have done quite a bit of research into it and a lot of the evidence of synthetics affecting health is pretty weak. Most of the health issues actually seem to have to do with fabric treatments (which can be on synthetic or natural fibres) or chemicals used during care – things like fabrics softeners (I have a whole post about fabric softeners here: https://mygreencloset.com/never-use-fabric-softener/). Many “natural” fibres like viscose actually have even more toxic production processes than synthetics so it’s hard to say that synthetics are bad and natural fibres are good.
However if you have some good studies/sources for those claims, please share them! I’d really love to check them out!
J
Cottons, wools, and silks are more natural.
Viscose, I believe, is lab made.
Verena Erin
Viscose is cellulose based, often made from bamboo or wood pulp which goes through a chemical process. So it’s in this weird middle area. Many do consider it natural though because it has more properties of natural fibers than synthetics but the exact classification is up for debate and is why I put “natural” in quotations when talking about viscose.
I hope that helps clear it up a bit!
KathleenF
Sadly, not one of them do a size that fits me. I need a lot of support, and I use underwires because I need that support. I also need an adjustable back, a sensible back band, and straps that don’t dig in. Anything sized S-XL is an absolute no go. Anything without fully adjustable straps is also a no go, likewise bras without underwires and properly molded cups.
I also hate beige and I want something sexy and pretty, that gives me shape. I love my boobs, I don’t want something that hides them away. The ONLY brand I’ve seen that does something even vaguely like what I want in my size is £85 a bra. I can’t afford that. Three bras is £250, and I need to rebuy them every 6 months or so.
For the time being, I have to buy them from less eco friendly brands. I don’t have another option.
Verena Erin
Lara Intimates has bras without underwire that are designed to be very supportive as well as super comfy. If you’re near London they also do in-person fittings so you can try them.
KathleenF
I’m in the depths of Yorkshire, so nowhere even vaguely near London. Every non underwired bra I’ve ever tried has been completely unsupportive. I don’t like the style either, they’re full cup and I prefer balcony bras. From what I can tell, they don’t do enough hooks either.
Sarah
Free Label bras are Canadian! https://freelabel.com/pages/bras They’re very transparent on their social media.
Gitte
I am in urgent need of EU (MAINLAND)-based bra brands that are basically like Lara intimates, but, like, not British so I don’t have to worry about there eventually being giant import fees in the future because of shitty brexit. Rather perhaps Dutch, or French, or German, or Danish or just some country that will probably stay in the EU.
xs-s-m based sizing doesn’t work for me since I am tiny but with a relatively big amount of boobage. Which is frustrating, even in conventional brands. Bras never fit ‘right’, except for the single lara intimates ava bra I have. In 28D (I am in between that and 26DD, more or less)
Verena Erin
Really sorry, but the only brands I know of in Europe that do that sizing are Lara Intimates or Luva Huva and both are UK based 🙁
Petra
I loved your video and your commitment to really finding better options. The only problem I have with this is with brands that ships internationally. Wouldn’t the shipping cause really high co2 emissions? What do you think?
Thanks!
Verena Erin
Shipping definitely has higher emissions, but in the fashion industry most products are shipped all around the world anyway – fibres are shipped to a different country for milling, fabrics are shipped for sewing, garments are shipped around the world to distributors and retailers, etc. so unless the product was fully locally made there’s already a lot of shipping involved in the product’s life-cycle. Of course it would be great to avoid that extra shipping impact getting to you but often sustainable brands aren’t available locally and personally I think it’s better to buy products that have an overall lower impact (from things like sustainable materials and manufacturing) and to support brands that I believe are working towards a better industry than to to buy a likely unsustainable and unethical product locally just to save the shipping.
There also are some things you can do to reduce the shipping impact:
– you can look for stockists as close to you as possible to order from
– you can place bulk orders – so instead of ordering many small items, wait till you have a few pieces to order or place an order with friends and family
– you can avoid using any express services, since if it’s not rushed it allows the postal service the flexibility to wait to pack full loads
– and you can also look for companies that carbon-offset their shipping (Etsy just announced they’re doing this) or encourage the brands you like to have a carbon offset program
Roxanne
Sokoloff Lingerie is a beautiful brand from Montréal, in Québec. They have a sustainable collection.
ls
I LOVE Naja intimates! Their adriana bralette is my absolute favorite, I have it in 2 colors. My biggest pet peeve about most bralettes is that the seam down the middle of the cups usually puckers and creates visible points under your clothes, but that’s not at all the case with there. Just realized it’s not one of their “eco-friendly” ones though. 🙁 Totally going to check out these other brands, thanks!