Underprotection: Ethics, Aesthetics, and Exceptional Sustainability
Ellen Lewis
By ESTELLE PULESTON
Founded in Copenhagen in 2010 by Sunniva Uggerby and Stephan Rosenkilde, with Jeanette Hansen later joining the founding team, Underprotection is a lingerie and swimwear brand that’s merging comfort and style with a deeply-rooted desire to do things sustainably.
The label describes its aesthetic as bold, colorful and feminine, a style that “challenges the stereotypical look of sustainable lingerie.” Designs are wirefree to maximize comfort, and a mix of timeless neutrals and more eye-catching colors and fabric choices. The upcoming FW24 collection, pictured throughout this article, includes a silver glitter fabric for example, as well as a two-tone lace with oversized floral motifs in vibrant fuchsia.
All chosen for their low environmental impact, the brand uses many material fibers you’ll have heard of such as TENCEL™ Lyocell and organic cotton, as well as some you may not have such as banana fiber (another lyocell option) and milk protein fiber (a silk-like one that’s made using a byproduct of the dairy industry.)
In the lingerie section, garments are typically either printed with a fun floral design or, more commonly, lacy. Underprotection only uses laces made with recycled fibers, and sources them all from France or Italy for their superior quality. All materials, lace and otherwise, come from suppliers who are Oeko-Tex certified to ensure that what they’re using is free from harmful dyes and other chemicals.
While recycled polyamide lace and recycled polyester swimwear is preferable, environmentally, to virgin synthetics, the brand realizes that it’s not a perfect solution and is constantly striving to be even better. “It’s not enough that we upcycle and recycle,” said Hansen, when asked about how the lingerie industry needed to change in general, “We are looking much more into biodegradable qualities in both laces and swimwear materials. It’s also about the mindset – to buy less but better, both as brand and consumer.”
To that end, Underprotection really wants its customers to take great care of their pieces. They provide fiber-specific care guides to help your purchases last as long as possible, and when they do finally wear out, the brand offers both a take-back program, and a repairs service for those who’d like to eke out as much use as possible from their garment. They’re also the only lingerie brand that I know off which will reward you with a gift voucher for repairing one of their items yourself!
With such a commitment to sustainability as well as to ethics – the brand takes great care to only work with factories that treat their workers well and pay them fairly – it’s unsurprising that Underprotection has earned itself Certified B Corporation® status.
Garments are offered in sizes XS to XL, with selected bralettes available in ‘plus’ options which have more room in the cup for a fuller bust. Prices in the current lingerie and swim collections run from 40-130€, approximately $45-140.
