The Very Good Bra

Plastic-free underwear / Source: The Very Good Bra

CottonEuropeLyocellOceaniaPaperRubberTextiles

4 MINUTE READ

Nate Tyler

WHAT WE SAY:

Using "100% botanically circular" materials, The Very Good Bra creates home-compostable bras, with everything from the sewing thread to the hooks and eyes entirely plastic free. But what's most impressive is the way the company shares every step of its journey with its customers, setting the highest standard for transparency in fashion.

KEY FACTS:

The Very Good Bra is "currently the only brand in the world making 100% plastic-free bras", which are available in up to 34 cup sizes.
Bras are made from organic Turkish Cotton, Tencel from Lenzing-approved global suppliers, and organic cotton from Liberty Fabric. Instead of synthetic elastic, the brand uses natural tree Rubber, knitting it into organic cotton for elasticity.
Each garment is sewn with 100% cellulosic Tencel thread, while labels are made using a traditional pad-printing technique with Eco Passport OEKO-TEX inks. Most of the fabrics are GOTS dyed in Melbourne.
The bras' hooks and eyes are custom made using organic cotton; Tencel sewing thread; and OEKO-TEX-certified metal, which is free from cadmium and nickel and can be removed prior to composting.
According to the brand, its products will break down into organic matter if buried in soil. They are suitable for home composting as well as worm farming - the bra is said to break down within eight weeks in a worm farm.
In 2021, the company began offering replacement straps, allowing customers to extend the life of their bras.
Founded by Stephanie Devine, the company's bras retail from AUD 95 (USD 61.43) and are shipped internationally.

Limited-edition Go-Slower Pants made using leftover fabric from bra runs / Source: The Very Good Bra

The Very Good Bra uses natural rubber in place of elastic / Source: The Very Good Bra

DIVE DEEPER:

According to the University of Queensland, Australians send 85% of the textiles they buy to landfill every year. Australia is the second-largest consumer of new textiles in the world after the US, averaging 27 kilograms of new pieces per person per year.
Due to its intimate nature, underwear is generally not accepted for textile recycling and donations. Once it's worn out, it's thrown away. Landfilled textiles leach toxic chemicals and shed microplastics - 35% of all microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic clothing.
Given the close contact with our skin, plastic-based underwear also poses serious health risks. Fabrics like polyester and nylon are treated with harmful chemicals during production that "may penetrate the skin" and lead to cancer, hormone disruption, and fertility issues.
The Very Good Bra uses plant-based materials to make safe underwear that can be composted at the end of its useful life. Bras are made from organic cotton, which captures more atmospheric carbon than conventional cotton; Tencel, a closed-loop Lyocell made from FSC- or PEFC-certified eucalyptus trees; and natural rubber, an elastic material that breaks down in soil, replenishing it with nutrients.
To minimise waste, the brand conducts pre-sales to fund production runs and ensure it doesn’t overproduce. Cuttings are repurposed to create small batches of sleepwear and briefs, while sample fabric is donated to fashion students and usable sample bras are distributed to charities.
Founder Devine openly documents her journey, sharing the challenges she has faced in bringing a 100% plastic-free product to market. For instance, she found that her French supplier had used a hidden polypropylene stabiliser to stitch an unfinished sample.
Devine is also leading the world's first national standard for textile composting. She worked with sustainability experts to create a technical specification, which was accepted by Standards Australia in March 2023.
She told PlasticFree that the company believes "a brand’s responsibility for a product shouldn’t end at the sale. If all makers were responsible for their products at the end-of-life, the world would be a very different place."

"If all makers were responsible for their products at the end-of-life, the world would be a very different place."

Stephanie Devine – founder, The Very Good Bra

Key Design Considerations:

Go granular

Devine's attention to detail means she has considered every small element that makes up a bra to ensure it's completely home compostable. The main fabric is only one part of the equation - consider the finer details and how you can design them differently to eliminate plastic.

Share your journey

The Very Good Bra constantly reviews its operations and suppliers to ensure it isn't blindsided. Be prepared to find new manufacturers or materials and adjust your packaging if needed. If a claim turns out to be untrue, be candid with your audience - honesty is always the best policy.