The greenest closet’s the one you already own — and the greenest additions are pre-loved items. Even the greenest eco-fashionista, however, tends to draw the get-it-used line at underwear! Eco-friendlier panties can make some of the best green gifts: Useful, cute, comfy. Here are 3 basic, everyday pairs I’ve tried and tested:

PACT. If you like to wear your eco-cause close to your skin, PACT’s got panties for you. 10% of the sales from the undies go to benefit a different eco-nonprofit — ForestEthics for forest protection, Oceana for ocean protection, and Global Green USA. Just pick an undie design based on the cause you support, and a style that’ll support you.

PACT eco-underwear’s made of 95% organic cotton grown in Turkey. Each pair costs between $18 – $25 — not cheap — but keep in mind that $1.80 – $2.50 of that goes to a nonprofit, and that the panties comes pre-wrapped in a tiny reusable cloth bag (right), if you plan to give the panties as a gift.

What to do with the tiny bag afterwards? Use it as a discreet carrying-case for little necessities — i.e. condoms — or put it to other creative uses. Earlier: PACT: Eco-ethical undies let you pick out a color, cut, and cause.

Bgreen Apparel. Like your organic panties U.S.-made? Then shop at Bgreen, a Green America-approved eco-friendly company that makes all its organic cotton clothes in the U.S.

My favorite Bgreen panties are the organic bikini with lace, which are comfy and simple but also have a feminine decorative trim. The boy shorts are comfy too! Each pair’s made of 95% organic cotton and 5% spandex, and costs $11 to $18. Earlier: Bgreen Apparel: Comfy and cute organic cotton camis and panties.

Spun Bamboo. Reeling at the price of eco-panties these days? If you’re the bulk bargain hunter type, Spun Bamboo’s got you covered with its affordable panty 3-packs! Why are the panties so much less expensive? You guessed it — the panties are made in China, though according to Faeries Dance, which sells these undies, “under sweatshop-free conditions with no child labor.”

I bought a 3-pack of these a long time ago — and still wear them! They’re made of 55% Viscose from bamboo, 25% organic cotton, 12% nylon, and 8% spandex — and have a great fit and feel. 3-packs cost $27; single pairs are available both in bikini and thong styles for $10 each.
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I stuck to basic, everyday, practical panties here, but the eco-panty market’s expanded quite a bit since I wrote my cute, simple panties post back in 2007, to offer everything from higher-end, sexy lingerie to custom-made intimates. Faeries Dance in fact offers a huge selection of organic underthings, so if you’re looking for a special occasion cami-and-panties set, I’d start there. Shop there to find both basic everyday wear to special occasion lingerie.

Earlier: Sexy green bras

Images via PACT, Bgreen, and Faeries Dance

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