Buy Less Lingerie!

Buy Less Lingerie!

Buy Less Lingerie!

A blog title from a lingerie retailer you never thought you’d see!
 
The fashion industry is acknowledged as being one of the most environmentally unfriendly industries around the world with the resources it uses and the waste that it seems to consciously promote consumers to generate. Every season across the piece it’s a new colour, a new fabric, a new length of trouser skirt or jacket and everybody is encouraged to consume with seemingly little regard for the consequences to the environment.

As lingerie retailers we love people buying our new styles. Not purely from a profit perspective – although of course that’s why we’re in business – but it’s bigger than that. We firmly believe in what we are doing, offering consumers in our niche a choice that perhaps they can’t get anywhere else and providing products that empower and give confidence to people by making them feel good in lingerie that works for them. We love offering new colours and designs to add to an underwear drawer and really hope that we get to make and offer garments that make our customers smile when they’ve got them on.
We have had some really good talks in the office and with our friends and customers about how we can help them to make their lingerie last longer by caring for it properly. I know that’s kind of counter-intuitive given that we’re a lingerie company who want to sell stuff, but it’s important to understand how people respond to things like environmental challenges, and what in our own small way we can do to help all of us improve our footprint.
So here are some tips that I hope will help you prolong the life of your underwear.
handwash your lingerie to give your lingerie a longer life!
Handwash handwash handwash – especially delicate fabric bras and briefs, underwired bras and pale colours. Reasons for this?
  • Washing machines are pretty brutal and delicate fabrics can tear easily
  • Pale fabrics can discolour if not washed with absolutely colourless other items
  • Washing machines can be destroyed by a stray underwire and however luxe your bra is it’s almost certainly less expensive than a new machine
  • If you must machine wash….. use a laundry bag to protect from the evil bite of the machine and it will also protect any underwires from biting back.

Check check check your underwire casing (the fabric tube that holds the wire) for signs of wear before you joyfully chuck it in the washing machine because I know you’re going to .

Fasten your bra before washing – whichever method you choose.

Don’t tumble dry your bras (see handwashing – above)

If your bras are padded store them flat if possible to prevent any padding being crushed and potentially making the bra look uneven causing you to throw it away
When you first buy a bra wear it on the middle hook and eye set. As you wear it over time the elastic will loosen and you can tighten it by fastening to one more hook and eye
     
    I’ll also make a bald statement here about hand washing, call it product placement if you will, but I can’t recommend Soakwash highly enough. Yes we sell it and I would, wouldn’t I, but but but – its beauty is that you plonk a bit into a basin of hand hot water and swish the garment around a bit, then leave it for 10 – 15 minutes to do its thing. Then you come back when you’re next passing, lift it out of the water and that’s IT. No rinsing just drying. A gentle couple of squeezes to get as much water out as you can without destroying your bra and there you have it. Clean. It’s also great for babies clothes and brush washing (both using the scentless version) and it’s awesome to take on holiday with you because you can rinse out your swimwear after being in the pool or the sea and wash it at the same time. Saves your swimmers – sustainable eh?  I make no apologies for promoting it because It’s freaking marvellous and it contributes to lengthening the life of your products.
    soak wash to wash your lingerie and aaa cup bras
    I also thought I’d share some interesting comments on how often people wash their bras, how they wash them and how often they’re replaced.  These are from real live friends and customers so please don’t shoot the messenger!
     
    “I wash my bras every 5 – 6 wears or more if I’ve been especially active. I keep my bras for 3 – 4 years ha ha not good for your business….”
     “Machine - no time to hand wash anything
    Wear for 2/3 days usually then wash
    Last as long as they look ok although I once read they're supposed to be replaced every 3 months” NB Not true but I’m not complaining….
    “I machine wash mine after every wear. I have quite a few on the go at a time. Although they last a good year or more depending on how often I wear them, the biggest reason for throwing them out is the underwire comes out (probably because I'm supposed to hand wash).”
    “Machine wash after every wear. They're not fancy! Usually wear for 2-3 years at least unless there's a real issue eg underwire works loose”
    “I wash in machine cause can’t be bothered with hand wash usually ruins them first time tumble dryer makes them go yellow (white ones) all padded ones ruined with washing I reckon. I do find with bras quality is the way to go, which can be costly.”
    “Mostly hand wash when new and later machine wash in a little bag on a delicate cycle later. Definitely last longer with hand washing, but I can get lazy with it!
    Heard issues previous saying about wires coming out when machine washing.
    I don’t know if the little wash bags make a difference, but not a problem I’ve ever had.”
    “Machine wash in proper little shaped bags that keep the cups in shape. Wear them a few times but try not to wear the same one 2 consecutive days. Couldn’t really say how long they last as I have rather a lot of them (I have a thing about bra colours 😁) and rotate them, haven’t bought a new one through necessity in over a year though.”
    “I wear once and wash in machine. I don't have any underwire ones any more. I mostly wear breastfeeding bras because I am! X”
     
     
    The Little Women Community
    Closed group · 37 members
    Join Group
    Little Women specialise in small cup sized bras from AAA to A cups, most with matching briefs. We are a small business and love helping our small cup...
     
    Back to blog