If you’ve been wearing underpants your whole life, I’m sorry to say, you’ve been doing it wrong. You should have been wearing Underplants; the super comfy plant-based underwear made from sustainably-sourced beechwood trees. A female-led startup, based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia, started by friends Dom and Marnie post a conversation around wardrobe necessities, the impact that they’re having on the environment and how much people’s discarded undies were contributing to the global wastage problem.

Who are they and how did UnderPlants come to be?

Dom and Marnie create a solution and set about to craft underwear from a sustainable, durable, fabric that made the smallest environmental impact possible. What’s more is the two co-founders of brand looked into every facet from the ethical manufacturing, choosing a bank that supports sustainable practices (Bank of Australia) down to the packaging; ensuring it is compostable.

All of their meticulous research resulted in the creation of a crop, g-string and high waisted undies that are light as a cloud, stretchy and super breathable. These pieces are like wearing nothing at all, as they are the softest material you could possibly have touching your skin; like an array of rose petals. The founders really have thought about making their customers comfortable from top to bottom and at heart - they also teamed up with One Tree Planted, to plant a tree with every purchase and to regenerate the land that was destroyed in the 2019-2020 bushfires.

How are they so soft?

Underplants use 95% MicroModal fabric, also known as Tencel, and 5% elastane. Tencel a fabric derived from dissolving wood-pulp cellulose. Underplants source their wood from sustainable beech forestries in Austria and the Czech Republic and is then manufactured in a closed-loop production facility in the same region. Their fabric is milled in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, and is then dyed using OEKO-TEX® (Eco Passport) certified dyes in mills and then cut and sewn in the same region. The factory in Shenzhen specialises in manufacturing undergarments and holds a Gold Certificate of Compliance from the Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP).

What makes them super special?

Not only are they buttery-soft but Underplants have been made to flatter and comfort every curve. At the top of the agenda for the brand is body positivity and acceptance, to encourage people of all backgrounds to love their natural bodies and invest in underwear that boots confidence by providing comfort physically and morally with the reduction of their environmental footprint.

Not only are the pieces made from plants, but they’re also sourced from sustainable beech forests, which grow naturally without the need for artificial irrigation or chemical fertilisers. Also during the fabric production process, up to 95% of materials are recycled and reused and the process is CO-2-neutral, which is an ideal balance between product quality and the impact on the environment.

By using Tencel rather than cotton Underplants underwear requires far less water than other fibres such as cotton, which is grown around the world and requires a great deal of irrigation. Tencel also generates 80% less greenhouse gas emissions when produced in comparison to other fibres.

What’s their final goal?

The founders are aiming to become a CO-2 negative business that makes comfortable underwear and is climate positive.

So what are you waiting for? Jump over to https://underplants.com/ for all your Underplant needs.