The Underwear Company That's Better Than Aerie and Victoria's Secret

Many have asked me how to begin the journey of living as a conscious consumer. I think slowly swapping in all the things you consume for fair-trade, eco-friendly, or vegan items is the easiest way. It is impactful yet simple to start this way: You reduce your effect on the people making yours clothes as well as the environment a whole lot more when you start with items you buy and dispose frequently — for example: underwear, toothbrush, or toilet paper.

Today I wanted to update you all on my favorite underwear/thongs from Pact Apparel. Below are the top 6 reasons why you need this underwear. Skip to #3 for my fav reason ;)

1. Fair Trade

With every purchase you make, there's always a chance someone was exploited for their work to create what you buy. Pact is fair-trade-certified, as workers operate in safe facilities. Their factories, mostly in India, are always sweatshop-free and child-labor-free. Why India and not the US? It makes economic and environmental sense for them to operate where cotton is grown.

2. Sustainable

The undergarment and lingerie industry is one of the biggest polluters next to the jean industry. Why? Cultivating cotton through the use of pesticides, dying the material, and washing hurts the environment by adding toxins as well as wasting an enormous amount of water.

Pact uses 95% cotton, which eliminates the use of pesticides, dyes, and excessive water waste. They're Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified. GOTS is "the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibers, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain."

3. Genuine

A lot of greenwashing goes on these days, and it's difficult for even a heavy-researcher like me to discern whether a company is using "ethical fashion" as only a way to market themselves.

When I contacted PACT for an exchange for smaller sizes, they replied by telling me that I can keep the thongs I bought in order to reduce carbon footprint (wasting packaging and gas to return), and that they'd rather have me donate them or give them to a friend.

How awesome? This showed me that they ensure every little action is in line with their beliefs of making clothes that are better for the world, even if it means skimping on some measly profit.

4. Affordable

I know people find ethical clothing to be expensive, which is a huge deterrent, but I got six thongs for $30, which is not much greater in value than Victoria's Secret's 5 for $27 deal.

They're currently having a 60% off sale, and if that sale is no longer around by the time you're reading this, try using this referral code for 20% off

I find that Victoria Secret and Aerie underwear tear rather easily, which really pushed me to make a switch to a company that values the quality of the process as well as their treatment of workers. Side note: I love how Aerie pushes for body positivity, but if the workers who make your products are being exploited, is that really contributing to positivity? Idk, I'm not about that.

5. Comfortable

Tried them on, and yup, pretty comfortable. The fabric seems soft and breathable.

6. Still Kinda Cute ;)

It's a struggle for me to find ethical undergarments that are actually pretty. Nevertheless, their stuff like the Lace-Waist Thong is still cute. Please let me know in the comments if you know of any other ethical, affordable companies with cute underthings/lingerie! On the hunt.

All images mine or from Pact Apparel's website.