This post is in collaboration with Organic Basics. Use code WHOLEOBC for 10% off through the next month!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I didn’t really understand how often I’d need to talk about underwear when I first started blogging. 🙂
But it makes sense, right? Our clothes often look only as good as our undergarments do, and having the right wardrobe foundations allows us to move more comfortably throughout our days.
When Organic Basics – a sustainable fashion blogger favorite! – got in touch with me to try out a few items from their collection, I was over-the-moon excited! I had long admired the minimal design of their Triangle Bra, and the feel of their Soft Touch Lite Tank was basically the stuff of legend among my sustainable fashion friend group.
Ultimately, I decided to give the Triangle Bra, bikinis and thongs a try, and I am excited to share more about this brand and my experience with all of you.
About Organic Basics
Organic Basics’ commitment to sustainability is anything but basic. This Danish brand doesn’t believe acting sustainably is a nice thing to do, rather, they believe it is the only thing to do. Their garments are made of organic fabrics, recycled materials or Tencel, but their commitment to sustainability goes far beyond the materials they use.
The brand has developed an Impact Index that it uses to measure each of its garments against traditional fabrics and production methods. They look across the entire supply chain and assess the life cycle footprint of a single product – from raw material production, to textile manufacturing through to the consumer phase – assessing their garments on five dimensions:
- Waste generated;
- Chemicals used;
- Energy consumed;
- Emissions released; and
- Water used.
Additionally, their factories in Turkey, Portugal, Austria and Italy are free of child labor and forced labor and provide safe working spaces and living wages. Many also offer perks such as free lunch and child care. You can dive into the information on each of their factories here – they provide photos of the facilities, as well as information on how many hours the employees work weekly, the types of benefits they receive and what certifications the factory has (if available – some of this information is listed as confidential, for example at Lenzing, the makers of Tencel).
The undergarments I own were likely made in Izmir, Turkey (one of the facilities producing their organic cotton garments), and the factory has some impressive credentials. This family-run business has been in operation for 13 years, and has a production capacity of 30,000 garments per day. Employees work 45 hours per week and have 16.5 vacation days a year, along with transportation, food and insurance being provided.
Let’s move onto the undergarments themselves, now!
YES. THIS BRA. I love it so much!
Sidebar: I am going to buy it in black as well, just waiting on the right time to do so. I really do love it that much and know I would wear both colors, since I currently already wear this bra about three times per week. Organic Basics offers free shipping on orders over $100, but otherwise, it will run me about $18 for standard shipping from Denmark (8-18 days). So, I’m waiting until I also need some new underwear or basic tees to make the most of my order. I’d highly recommend doing the same if you’re interested in shopping with them, otherwise you’ll pay quite a bit for shipping and then wait awhile on top of it.
But back to the bra. It is made of 95% organic cotton and 5% elastane, features adjustable straps and has no underwire. It’s lightly lined. It saves .8 pounds of CO2 compared to a conventional bra, seven ounces of chemicals and one ounce of waste (thanks, Impact Index!)
But, let’s talk about the most important question – “Will my nipples show?”
Basically, yes, your nipples will show if it is cold and/or if your shirt is thin, since this bra is only lightly lined. But I think the real question is, “How likely are they to show/ will it be a problem?” (I don’t really think it is ever really a problem, but you get my drift). Throughout the summer, I didn’t find it to be much of a problem unless I was in some serious air conditioning. The few occasions where I felt a little exposed certainly didn’t sway me from all the benefits of this bra. In the fall and winter, I’ll be wearing heavier tops, so I don’t anticipate that being a problem either. For reference, I wear a 32 C.
This bra is extremely comfortable, and was the only bra I wore after sustaining a pretty bad sunburn while in the Carolinas. I wore a bikini with a different style top than I usually wear, and I burned right where the underwire of my bra would typically hit. Ow. I was so, so thankful to have added this bra to my undergarment collection, and to have packed it.
I also love the color (can’t you tell from my blog design?) and the low v-neck makes it suitable for wear with a lot of different tops. It also, well, feels pretty!
This bra has washed very well despite my near-constant wear. I wash it in my machine on cold -> delicate and lay it flat to dry.
I got these in the rose nude color as well. The bikini features a classic bikini cut, and I like that the thicker waistband stays in place well. It is also pretty invisible under clothing, unless you’re wearing, say, leggings. I primarily wear the bikini style for sleeping and lounging, though, as I prefer thongs for daily wear (TMI, Kell…) – but that means I get to review both styles for you!
As for the thong, it has the same thick waistband to keep it comfortably in place. What I like the most about this style, though (and here is a sentence I never thought I would write on this blog or elsewhere, but someone has to say it) is that it doesn’t ride really far up your bum and create that sort of thong-wedgie situation. Yep, I said it, and you all know what I’m talking about, don’t you? I’m also planning to get them in the black, when I do my Triangle Bra + other needed items order, because any underwear that can banish that wedgie problem from my life is underwear worth having.
The thong has, as you would imagine, a slightly smaller Impact Index rating than the bikini.
I only wear cotton underwear, and I’m really pleased with how comfortable both these styles are – I’d say they rank among the most comfortable I’ve ever worn, but they still make me feel like I’m put together underneath. A win-win!
I hope you enjoyed hearing a little more about Organic Basics today, and didn’t mind getting just a little personal with me. Drop me a comment if you decide to give this brand a try, or, if you already shop with them, let me know what your favorite pieces are!
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It’s such a good set! Glad to meet another Organic Basics fan, thanks for reading! xx