Being a girl isn’t all oversized sunglasses and crop tops. Each month we’re blessed with the “period woes” and all their inconvenient glory. Pads, panty-liners, and tampons… so much waste! What if there was a way to treat our planet better while also making our monthly visit a bit more bearable? That’s where environmentally conscious Dear Kate underwear comes in with its anti-leak undies that can help minimize the abundant use of feminine hygiene products.

Most of us have “those” pairs of underwear that we shamefully shove to the deep, dark corners of our undie drawer, reserved for that week where any sudden movement can spur some extra flow …if you know what I mean. (Too cringe-worthy to even think about, I know.) Luckily, Dear Kate has come to save us from the stained-undie wreckage and overflow of environmentally hazardous feminine products.

Founder Julie Sygiel, a chemical engineer by trade, empathized with women and set out to relieve us of those embarrassing surprises and relieve us of those wretched “period undies.”

Made in NYC, Dear Kate underwear is constructed of three breathable layers of patent-pending microfiber material that feels as soft as silk. One layer wicks away liquid, while the second encompasses stain-releasing powers. The third layer, or outer layer, is leak resistant so you can relax & wear a pair of white pants if you so desire!

The best part about Dear Kate is that you don’t have to sacrifice being (or feeling) sexy because the undies are actually really cute. Plus, the eco advantage is that we can cut way down on the use of feminine products! That means fewer panty liners loitering around in landfills. Seriously, isn’t that amazing?

This brand has done its research too. Dear Kate concluded that about 730 panty liners could be prevented from going into landfills per year per woman if she wears Dear Kate instead of using two liners a day. While it is still smart to protect yourself with a tampon or pad, these are a perfect back-up, especially on heavier days. On light days, let’s just say you can remain worry-free. Another fantastic tidbit is that the undies are machine-washable, so you can reuse, reuse, reuse!

Dear Kate underwear comes in all sizes from extra small to 3x and also offer a variety of cuts such as bikini, cheeky, hipster, and even thong (gasp!). Not too harsh on your wallet either–prices range from $32 for one pair to $164 for a set of six undies.

Eco-friendly, but also eco-sexy, us gals can take back our periods and still feel amazing while we give back to Mother Earth. Dear Kate has given us the girl-power to keep the feminine revolution going strong month after month with some pretty freaking awesome underwear.

Related on EcoSalon

HelloFlo: The Best Tampon Commercial Ever

This Song About Your Period is the Funny Anthem We’ve All Been Waiting For (Video)

Dread Getting Your Period? Ladies, Meet The Diva Cup

Image via Dear Kate

The post No More Disposable Feminine Products! Dear Kate Underwear is Kinder to You, the Planet and Your Wallet appeared first on EcoSalon.

When someone’s motto is “fart with confidence”, you know you’re in good company. The latest and greatest in the world of flatulence and incontinence are Shreddies.

The UK-based Shreddies produces an assortment of underwear that are equipped with a carbon-filtering technology that dissipates odor on contact. This is no product to cast off as a gag gift or laughable concept – according to testimonials, Shreddies work!

There is so much taboo surrounding flatulence and incontinence that it’s hard for the everyday average person below a certain age to accept the need for help. Suffering from excessive gas due to indigestion or a high-fiber diet knows no age, and it is a lot more common than you might think. Now, a company has created an approachable, light-weight, stylish product that allows you to comfortably avoid causing an aromatic stir among those around you.

According to the Shreddies site, “odour vapours become trapped and neutralised by the cloth, which is then reactivated by simply washing the garment.” This means you can fart all you want without the social embarrassment. The company also produces incontinence underwear that are lightweight, but allow for your bottom to stay dry and breathe.

I find Shreddies to be a funny (but actually serious) gift to family members, significant others, and friends. They also look just like regular undergarments – nothing like a diaper. Make sure to order you Shreddies at least a month ahead of time due to the large back order the company is currently experience.

Photo Credit: Shreddies

Related on EcoSalon

Pooch that Toots: Natural Ways to Stink Out Gas

DIY Stomach Ache Massage for Better Digestion

The Smell of Fall: 6 Natural Air Freshener Recipes for the Home

The post Underwear that Traps Flatulence Odor? Yep! Meet Shreddies appeared first on EcoSalon.

SuperLove Cashmere Panties are handmade in Los Angeles out of upcycled cashmere sweaters. Cashmere is a deluxe fiber that acts as second skin, making these panties “like a hug for your bum,” as designer Theresa Roth says.

What’s the most comfortable, lavish and earth-friendly Valentine’s Day gift you could ever want or give? Read on and you’ll be adding SuperLove Cashmere Panties to the top of your list! These eco panties are the most luxurious underwear you could imagine, as their sexy cut, adjustable fit, comfort level and wearability make them the most appealing eco underwear out there. Made from upcycled cashmere, hand washable, and manufactured locally, SuperLove Casmhere Panties are the ideal green gift for any woman, or the perfect treat for pampering yourself. EcoSalon caught up with SuperLove designer and founder Theresa Roth to learn the story behind SuperLove, and hear all the reasons why these sustainable skivvies really are as lush as lingerie gets.

ES: How was SuperLove set up?

TR: SuperLove came about when my boyfriend and I were living in Malibu, which should be really warm and sunny but is actually cold and foggy, I kept saying ‘I wish I had a pair of cashmere panties.’ So I decided to make some! I took one of my cashmere sweaters that had a hole in the sleeve and made a couple pairs of panties. I started wearing them and telling people about how amazing they were and got such a good response. I made a test run of 50 pairs, which were beach themed, sold a lot of them and then decided to make a bunch for the 2012 holiday season.

ES: Are SuperLove Cashmere Panties form fitting? Are there different styles for different body shapes?

TR: They do have adjustable side ties because I really wanted to make sure that they would fit everyone. When you receive a pair of panties they are not tied, so when you put them on you tie them to your perfect size and then cut the excess string off. I do have more ideas for different styles and shapes and a lot of men want these too, so cashmere briefs are down the line.

ES: Where do you source your materials from?

TR: I buy the lace from a company in Alabama that sells all remnants and for the most part I hand dye the lace to get the colors that I want.

The cotton for the gusset is organic cotton purchased locally in LA, which I also dye myself.

I get the cashmere from various places, such as the Goodwill and a woman in upstate NY that has a barn full of cashmere. I did explore buying new cashmere but I don’t want to buy cashmere from China because I cant be sure how the cashmere was collected and what kind of manpower and processing was used, so I don’t want to contribute to that.

ES: What is the production process of a pair of SuperLove Cashmere Panties?

TR: I do everything except for the sewing. I source the cashmere, wash it, depill it, cut out the patterns that I designed. I also source the cotton for the gusset, and the lace trim, and dye them to get the colors I want. I then deliver all of this to the sewers who have the machine that works best with sewing cashmere.

ES: How durable are a pair of SuperLove panties?

TR: A cashmere sweater is supposed to last a lifetime with proper care. Most people don’t know that cashmere is washable, and most Americans take their cashmere to the dry cleaner, but my French friend turned me on to the fact that you can just wash cashmere by hand or put it on a cold, hand wash cycle in the washing machine.

ES: How would you define the SuperLove collection? 

TR: I think it is really fun since the panties are like a treat for yourself or a loved one because they feel so amazing when you put them on. When I first wore them I had this sassy feeling and a small hop in my step because I was doing something really luxurious and good for myself.

ES: Where does the name SuperLove come from?

TR: It’s pretty funny. I always wanted a great big love in my life. Before I met my life partner Bradford, I used to say I’m holding out for my “super love,” and so that’s where the name came from.

ES: How much interest have you received in SuperLove Panties?

TR: Surprisingly enough, 85 percent of my Christmas orders and Valentine’s orders are from men. When I worked in the lingerie business I would see this thing happen: a guy would come in to buy a gift for his significant other and would always go for the red lace teddy or thong. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a red lace thong…no woman ever buys that for herself. So, a few days later the woman would come back to return the thong and the man sometimes even got into trouble for getting this sexy gift. So these cashmere panties are a sexy gift that’s really sweet and doesn’t get you in trouble! I was actually very touched by a lot of the men that bought Super Love panties this holiday season, because all these guys were just trying to get it right, which was really awesome.

ES: How sustainable would you say SuperLove Cashmere Panties are?

TR: I’m glad that I’m helping to make something new out of something old and keeping these sweaters from landfill, but on the other hand I don’t know how scalable this is. But I’m inspired to do more with less and so I think about what I can do with something that someone else has given or thrown away. I didn’t start trying to make this business a sustainable one, but through doing it this way I really learned a lot about awareness and how much people care about the Earth and things being sustainable.

Cashmere as a fabric is very strong and provides insulation without bulk, but so many people aren’t familiar with cashmere and they think it’s itchy or hot. Cashmere is kind of like a second skin. The cashmere goats aren’t harmed during harvest, because the cashmere comes from the belly of the goat, which re-grows every 4 years. The goats also eat natural shrubs in their indigenous area, so it’s really a sustainable fiber if the animals are raised well.

ES: What can we expect in the future from SuperLove?

TR: The next thing will probably be the cashmere thong because they can be one size fits all and are super comfortable. I am going to do some other items as well like a top and even a boxer short that could be worn out in the summer time. In terms of working with cashmere, there’s no end to it; a bodysuit, a camisole, a bralette…the possibilities are endless.

I’m also going to spin it off and do a t-shirt line that brings awareness to sustainable living, so I’m in the middle of sourcing materials for that. I’ll be using recycled materials and doing all my own silk-screening. So a SuperLove cotton t-shirt line is up next!

ES: Thanks Theresa and good luck with everything!

Make sure to subscribe to EcoSalon’s newsletter for a chance to win a pair of panties of your choice from the SuperLove store!

Images: SuperLove

The post Spread Some SuperLove This Valentine’s Day with Cashmere Eco Panties! appeared first on EcoSalon.

What’s your nude?

Adding yet another thing to the list of stuff white people take for granted: Undergarments that more or less match their skin tones. While I distinctly remember thinking the “nude” crayon in my big box of Crayolas seemed strange (and indeed, after public outcry, it was changed), and that “skin-colored” bandaids were anything but for darker people’s scraped knees or banged thumbs, I never thought about lingerie. That’s probably because I’m white.

If you are like most (white) women, you probably have white bras, black bras, riotously colorful bras, and at least one or two “nude” colored bras – they’re as great for tees as the classic white button down. There’s the NuBra that’s just two cups that adhere to each breast and attach in the middle – but it only comes in white women’s skin tone (though evidently, only Caucasian women buy this product anyway, according to their customer page).

But NuBra’s not the only guilty party here; Victoria’s Secret’s new BioFit bra comes in both nude and buff, in case you are a really pale white woman instead of a normal pale one. Look at any conventional or boutique brand of bra and you’ll see plenty for white women to cover up with – but little for women of other skin tones.

So what’s a bra-wearing black woman to do? Make change herself, of course. Tara Raines is an African-American psychologist who decided to lobby for darker-hued nude bras. This came not only after her own fruitless searches, but when she discovered that friends and family would buy buff and nude colored bras and dye the bras themselves.

Raines says: “Women of color have tremendous spending power in the U.S. and it’s absurd to think that in 2012 we are essentially disenfranchised when we shop for lingerie,” says Raines. “It’s my hope that this campaign will drive not only awareness, but swift action by bra makers.”

The What’s Your Nude campaign has a simple aim: To get lingerie manufacturers to make bras in a wider variety of skin tones. The campaign is asking women of all colors to “contact their preferred bra manufacturer or bra retailer on February 1st via phone, email, social media or snail mail.” However, you can still call in and participate in social media. Follow the What’s Your Nude campaign on Twitter and spread the word by using the #WhatsYourNude hashtag.

“I don’t think it’s too much to ask that bra makers include darker hues when manufacturing their collections,” says Raines. “Women of color deserve to look and feel sexy, and a big part of that is looking like ourselves.”

Perhaps brands should do away with the “nude” descriptive entirely. As Alexandra Phoner-Faury writes in Essence (regarding the nude trend for F/W 2011), “While beige may be ‘nude’ for most white women, ‘nude’ for me would be brown. This isn’t the first time this loaded word has been used in the pages of glossies, but it is the first time that the fashion world’s hidden racism has been exposed on such a large scale and caused many to finally take a closer look at the ingrained language of fashion.”

Image: tanakawho

The post On Defining Nude appeared first on EcoSalon.

There are period panties, and then there are period panties.

Hello, my name is Jane, and I’m a thirty-three-year-old woman who still wears underwear from high school. Saying it publicly doesn’t make me feel better, but I’m told it’s the first stage in recognizing you have a problem. Although I never really thought it was a problem. As I type those words, I realize that’s exactly what people with problems say.

It all started Labor Day weekend, which began like every three-day weekend: with a Saturday hangover. And let’s be clear, by Saturday I mean day, because once you enter your 30s, hangovers are your biological clock’s sick way of reminding you what a loser you are because you’ve chosen drinking and fun over having babies.

I spend my day of repent (read: regret) in nothing but day-old underwear and my oversized terry cloth robe. I eat four ice cream sandwiches (they’re low-fat, so I can eat the whole box) and two bags of microwave butter popcorn (not low-fat, so I limit it), and watch five hours of a “Cheers” marathon. As I daydream that the stodgy waitresses at my neighborhood watering hole are more like Woody and Carla, I receive a text from a friend: twins! I order pizza to celebrate/cope. Luckily, my husband is away – he doesn’t need to see this.

Sunday, I manage to text my friend the obligatory “Yay! CONGRATS! LOVE the names Brooks and Dunn. Love you!” and start to clean at a frenetic pace. Maybe I think I can vacuum away my inability to have one or two glasses of wine like a “normal” person, or that I can vacuum an entire box of ice cream sandwiches out of my stomach via my belly button.

As the day approaches 5 p.m. – well past the hour I enjoy doing laundry – I open the dryer and gather up every last piece of clothing in one giant ball like I’m grabbing turkeys on “Supermarket Sweep” with twenty seconds left on the clock.  Successfully guilting my husband in to helping me fold, we both dive in, bobbing for clothes, me erratically and he with patience and purpose.  Then: “Are these…yours?” he asks. I look up to find my husband holding a pair of fraying fuchsia underwear with just the fingernails of his thumb and forefinger, as if he just found a strand of anal beads in our bed.

“Give me those! They’re my period panties,” I screech as I snatch them from him like a feral cat being fed from a human hand for the first time.  As the blood rushes up through my face, past my nose, behind my eyes, and up to my hairline, I curl the panties into a ball so tight in my hand that you can’t see them anymore. “Your what?” he asks, as he wipes the two fingers he held them with on his jean leg.

“God, they’re not dirty, they’re just the undies I wear during my period so I don’t ruin my pretty ones.”

His face transitions from disgust to that look men give when they hear something they don’t really care to know about (like when you try to explain the difference between tampons and pads).

As I shoo him out I begin to uncurl my hand, finger by finger by finger, to take a long look at them. If they were a person, they would be a 98-year-old dying of skin cancer…and bullet holes. They were one pair in a collection of eight ratty broken down pairs living in the back of the top drawer of my plastic 3-tier drawer tower that I purchased from Target for $19.99 in college. As I open the drawer to return the pair back to their hideaway in their low-income pantie housing, I feel like I’m trying to hide a stash of crack from the Feds. They might as well be stored under a loose floor board in tinfoil. Instead, I shove them in the back right corner, under the lacy thongs, and a pair of crotch-less panties I’ll never use.

For the first time I’m realizing how wrong it is that I have them, and how embarrassed I would be if someone found out. Why am I choosing to keep pairs that knew me through puberty, that followed me through college sports, and that survived with me through my twenties? That’s a lot of wear and tear, not to mention DNA.

Sure, there are scarier skeletons in a person’s closet than 18-year-old underwear, yet these hot-mess panties all of a sudden have me questioning my entire existence as a normal human being. Is something wrong with me? Am I fit to be a mother? Am I one of those gross people you whisper about like the woman in my office who squeezes white heads on the back of her arms during meetings? We all have that stash of less-than-lovely undies that we keep around for that time of the month, but did you wear yours to prom?

And suddenly: the ding of a text. Another friend is bringing home another baby and I’m here with another fading hangover, lingering depression, plastic drawers that belong in a dorm room, and barely-legal underwear. Fabulous.

Deflated, and borderline suicidal (OK, I’m being a bit dramatic) I handle the situation the way I do every weird-to-bad choice. By justifying (read: making excuses for). I’ve never bought anything full price online and I frequent the kind of stores that are questioned for foreign child labor issues like H&M or Zara, so maybe I’m just economical? Or maybe I’m cheap, or lazy? But I have an answer for every excuse, leaving me to the only remaining option: maybe I really am gross.

But what defines gross? People don’t talk about picking their nose, but everyone’s done it. I think we each have our secret nasty moments, and as long as we aren’t hurting anyone we shouldn’t beat ourselves up over it. We are animals after all, and no amount of etiquette, money, technology, judging, or clothing is going to change that.

So join me in saying, “Hello my name is ____________, and I might have super old underwear.”  And as long as they stay in the shadow of my closet and the shroud of that time of the month (or until they disintegrate), my 18 year-old gross undies (aka grundies) are here to stay.  And kudos to you Ralph Lauren – you make one fine underwear product.

Image: Helga Weber

The post The Psychology of a Woman’s Underwear appeared first on EcoSalon.

Every so often fashion’s latest it girl works underwear as an evening wear trend, leading to guaranteed media furor and endless references to Madonna in the 80s. Exposing her bra at a fashion party was the last thing on Anh Oppenheimer’s mind when “on a freezing foggy San Francisco night,” she decided it was time to revisit fashion’s most provocative trend. “My husband and I have two little kids and we were perpetually too exhausted to go out on dates. So we thought of having a Netflix date – curling up in bed and watching a movie. I wanted to dress up for the date, but when I pulled out my negligees I realized it was way too cold! My other choice was my well-worn flannel pajamas. I could be sexy or warm, but not both!”

Like every budding digital-age entrepreneur before her, Oppenheimer first trolled the internet looking for “sexy” + “warm sleepwear.”  Finding nothing, she decided that night to create her own line. In time for this year’s holiday season, Snoa Lingerie launched this month. It’s elegant cut and innovative fabric design may prove the solution to every man’s ultimate gift giving dilemma – deciding to buy something sexy or wearable. I caught up with Oppenheimer recently, here’s what she had to say:

How did you go from documentary film-making to designing Lingerie?

My background is in documentary film-making, where I focused a lot on environmental and social justice issues. I know sexy lingerie seems far from this! But actually, my documentary background helped inform my commitment to be a conscious company (triple bottom line of people+planet+profit). It also gave me the nerve to just jump in and do something, without having the “proper” degree or experience.

Tell us about the unique double-fabric design you’ve designed?

We were really struggling to find a way that our lingerie-sleepwear could be comfortable as well as warm. Naturally, we didn’t want anything bulky. We found a silk-modal – modal is made from sustainably grown beech trees – we loved because it’s exquisitely soft. We were trying to pair that with bamboo fleece at first, but the two fabrics were too different from each other. We considered making the nighties from wool jersey, but hated the idea of giving up on the uber-softness of the silk modal. Finally it dawned on us to do a double layer – with the soft silk against your skin and the warm wool cocooning you from the outside. The fabric manufacturer, Enviro Fabrics, thought we were nuts! Essentially, it’s two nighties connected at a few of the seams. But we tried it, lettuced the edges of both fabrics and fell in love!

What inspired you to create an eco line?

Before I started this business, it never dawned on me that nearly everything I was wearing was dyed in an unhealthy way – that pesticides are used to grow cotton, that polyester is not good. I’ve since discovered the fashion industry creates 25 percent of the chemical waste in the world! By choosing eco-friendly fabrics, we are choosing to make a positive environmental impact. We also produce the garments locally – my business partner, Susan, has been using the same sewing contractor for years – they’re about 5 miles from the Snoa office in San Francisco. It’s such a win-win. We get to drop by any time to check on how everything is going, we know that we’re helping a bunch of people in these tough economic times, and no ships or trucks involved.

Tell us about the collection?

We have two main collections, the Basics and the Signature collection. My favorite from the Signature collection is the Hot Toddy (see below). It’s named after my husband, Todd. It’s certainly the sexiest number in the bunch! Made from organic bamboo, it has a wide collar around the back of the neck and plunging down to your heart, then trumpet flair fleece covers your wrist. It’s so warm! And so tiny! To me, it’s the perfect combination of sexy and flattering. If you’re a guy giving to your honey, the Greta Gown or Nightie (see above) is terrific. The lines are simple and flattering. Both show enough skin to please, but they’re as classy as they are romantic.

Where can I find your pieces?

Two stores are carrying Snoa Lingerie: Workshop in San Francisco and Top Drawer in Bedford, New Hampshire. We also sell our products online. Prices range from $90 to $185.00.

Can lingerie really make the world a better place?!

It’s vital that people find ways to make themselves happy. I firmly believe that the world will improve as people’s happiness improves. We have to keep our spirits up by pampering ourselves occasionally. And that means different things to different people. To be honest, I’m not much of a clothes person or a shopper. I pamper myself by reading a good mystery, drinking a glass of wine and talking with a friend – but for many people, looking good and feeling good in what you wear is a huge part of making them feel good.

The only way I know of to be 100 percent eco is to compost myself.  Otherwise, I’m using resources every minute. And if I beat myself up about that, I’ll be miserable – and useless. So, I’ve got to think about what I can do that is sustainable to my life and my well being. So, if you need a nightie, buy one. Give your old ones away to a woman’s shelter. And take care of your new nightie so you don’t need to buy a new one for a while. If the new nightie makes you smile, if it makes your honey smile, if it encourages you to relax more, to bring a cup of tea to bed – all these positives add up.

The post Turn Up the Heat In Snoa Lingerie appeared first on EcoSalon.

Dude, got your squeeze for Saturday night? No, not your date, mister; your girdle and slimming undershirt! I know what you are thinking. Spanx; I needed that! I needed tummy control and penis definition.

And even those of you who don’t truly need it, those with tight abs and buns, might still get swept up in the trend the way skinny gals do, heeding any and every opportunity to look even skinnier. We live in America. Isn’t  skinny what really counts underneath it all?

Yep, in the battle of the bulge the undergarment of the century is now a male weapon of choice, stockpiled on the shelves of men’s departments at stores like Neiman’s, Bloomies or  Nordstrom, where you can peel one on, suck it in and smooth it all out before you try on that $2,000 Boss suit.

Look for them on the red carpet (I’m wearing Armani and a Spanx Compression Tank),  at weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and black tie fundraisers. Just keep in mind what savvy women Spanxters know too well: After that third dessert, the torso trimmer will act like a tourniquet and turn on you. If you feel you need oxygen, put down the funnel cake. I repeat, put down the funnel cake!

The New York Times calls them men’s shapewear, which is a bit prissy for my taste, and reports that retail sales are booming. Apparently fashion directors at both stores and web sites like Freshpair boast Spanx can’t make em fast enough to fill the orders. No wonder I’ve been ogling young San Francisco men lately, thinking, “I admire their shape.” And here I thought I was a shameful cougar.

Is it worth the investment, you ask. The shapers – being touted as the revolution in men’s underwear – are rather pricey, but this is what you get for your money:

The Zone Performance Crew Neck, $78, compresses the abs and torso, firms and tones the chest, improves posture and provides lumbar support and eliminates bulk under clothes.

The new, Cotton Comfort Boxer Brief, $48, lifts and adds dimension and depth for an enhanced profile, compresses legs, and has moisture cooling under groin.

And the Zone Performance V-Neck, $78, does all those other good things while aiding work outs with maximum mobility. In other words, you can cheat at the gym. Maybe not so much when you let it all hang out in the bedroom.

The success of the new undies is good news for retailers, but maybe not so for personal trainers and chiropractors who help men get ripped and relieve their back pain. Personally speaking, it seems the men’s version offers something the fem designs don’t. Mine do nothing for my posture or performance on the elliptical or during Zumba and I pull my back out every time I sit on my French vanity stool and struggle to climb out.

But at least my latest pair feature a pee hole which I greatly appreciate when I’m out partying and trapped. I can pull up my dress and relieve myself…just like a man. Just like a man in Spanx.

The post Spanx for Men: A Brief Trend or Bare Necessity? appeared first on EcoSalon.

When you hear the term ‘eco lingerie,’ do you think: beige, bland and boring? We hate to break it to you, but you’ve been out of the game too long. Summer flings, vacations, weddings and sultry nights are on the horizon, and we’re here to loop you in on red hot green lingerie that will knock your partner’s socks off. From the playful and coy, to the sexy and seductive, here’s your guide to the best sustainably crafted unmentionables that are sure to help you ring in a season of frolicking good, green fun.

Eco-Boudoir

With the belief that lingerie is like a second skin, Eco Boudoir designs gorgeous lingerie crafted from certified organic cotton and silks that are cultivated sans harmful chemicals. Their spring/summer 2010 collection, Tropical Paradise, will equate to many mini-vacations in the boudoir. A Bird of Paradise organic silk gown, ‘butterfly dream’ prints across slinky bras and panties, and a ‘peacock blush’ organic cotton and silk chemise round out this breathtaking collection.

Knickers in a Box

Handmade in the UK using organic and end of line fabrics, vintage, or UK sourced fabrics, Knickers in a Box are playful and unique panties that are perfect for a special occasion. Detachable broach flowers, organic silk side ties, tassles and beads add up to make these knickers an event in and of themselves.

Enamore

Also designed and crafted in the UK, Enamore lingerie employs organic, sustainable and vintage fabrics to produce their show-stopping collection of va-va-voom underthings. On the prowl? Then don’t miss the highlight of their camisoles and nighties collection, the Bedrock Betty camisole, which boasts leopard print topped by a candy pink bow.

Loup Charmant

Two words: white hot. Loup Charmant lingerie proves that white is far from plain with their organic cotton see-through slip and barely there short nightie top and bloomer set. This luxurious collection of eco-lingerie drips with femininity and grace.

Perfectly Imperfect

If you’re looking for sexy lingerie that also translates to daily wear, Perfectly Imperfect lingerie has a wow factor while also being down to earth. Their organic cotton Sweetie Lace Nightie screams both seduction and comfort, making it an ideal addition to your green lingerie collection.

Luva Huva

Employing remnant fabrics and cut-offs that would otherwise go to waste, designer Joanna Ketterer of Luva Huva makes every garment in her collection herself, by hand. The utterly romantic Magnolia Bra and Knickers set is perfect for a wedding night, your own or someone else’s. Each piece in this exquisite collection has an old-fashioned vibe that is anything but straight-laced.

The post 6 Sexy Green Lingerie Styles for Red Hot Summer Nights appeared first on EcoSalon.

Tired of that thong song when your sexiest undies collapse from too many wash machine beatings?

One way to lessen the damage is my mom’s method of washing her lingerie in a mesh bag on the delicate cycle of the wash machine, keeping the fabrics separated from towels and other heavier cottons. Bags also help protect fragile fabrics from too much machine agitation. Sadly, Mom still uses Tide detergent on everything. I wheeze from the chemical odor and wince at the notion of wearing tender garments marinated in Tide!

Mesh bags with green detergents are a good way to clean sturdier cotton undies and camisoles  in the machine, and for those who like using bags, Good Housekeeping has some great tips.

But when it comes to silks, I prefer to hand wash and hang undergarments, hose, bathing suits and work-out gear, finding it goes further to sustain these daily necessities while also rushing them through the wash and wear cycle faster.

Here are some safe and gentle products for soaking our most fragile garments:

1. Baby Shampoo

Even before having babies, I began soaking my delicates in the sink with a thimble-full of baby shampoo. My late Aunt Lorraine, one of the best knitters in the Midwest, taught me this trick for handwashing knitwear. For my hose, good thongs and bras, I use organic products, like California Baby , $20, finding a very small amount goes a long way in making suds. I add about a tablespoon to a sink full of water (lukewarm for anything that doesn’t need stain removal and warmer for garments that are spotted). I rinse in clean water and drape the wet garments over a towel to air dry. Experts say not to hang hose or they stretch out, so I usually fold mine over the bathtub rim on a dry towel.

Another reason I love gentle baby shampoo is that I’m highly allergic to most scented shampoos and lingerie washes, and I have no reaction to this gentle alternative. When out of the shampoo, I have also used gentle baby soaps, simply lathering the bar a bit with my hands under the tap to make suds for soaking.

2. Forever New Fabric Care Wash

A product that has been on the market for 25 years, Forever New , $15 – $17, has several organic formulas that address various garments from lights and darks to swimwear, work-out wear and items in need of stain removal. It works great for hand-washing bras. I have a friend who is quite well endowed and she washes a dozen bras at a time and then strings them to dry inside her shower. The site is something to behold. It’s important to remember to reshape the cups when hanging to dry. The washing is easy: you just fill the sink with lukewarm water, add the liquid and swish with your hand to mix the soap. Rinse twice and dry. Your bras will have a longer life if you avoid the tumbling of the machine.

3. Hanky Panky

The maker of organic thongs and undies, Hanky Panky has introduced a biodegradable lingerie wash powder that is hypoallergenic, fragrance free and made in the USA. It’s sold at site like A Brief Affair for $8.50 for an 8 oz. jar. Be sure to follow the directions for mixing so you don’t make the wash too potent.

Main image: Daniele Butera

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