Five reasons why environmental activism starts in our underwear

Cotton is a particularly sensitive plant, requiring a lot of fertilizers and toxic chemicals to grow, process, and dye. In fact, a quarter of the world's toxic chemicals are used to weed cotton, and an additional 8,000 are used to dye the cotton, on the way to becoming colorful underwear (and clothes). These huge amounts of chemicals harm the health of those on both sides of the cotton: on one side are the farmers who grow the cotton and the land on which the cotton grows. The more toxic chemicals are used, the more the farmers' health is damaged and the land becomes unusable faster, which in turn harms the farmers. ; on the other side are us, the consumers who wear the underwear, studies have found a close connection between vaginal health and the type of underwear. Organic cotton underwear , free of toxic chemicals, will keep the vagina breathable and healthy, and vice versa.

Fair trade

As mentioned, the fashion industry is not only the second most polluting industry in the world, but also the second most exploitative. One in which workers are employed 72 hours a week on average, sewing 60-100 items per hour, in close proximity to approximately 8,000 toxic chemicals and a series of safety hazards, which have made the fashion industry the industry with the most work accidents. While in the clothing category, second-hand clothes are a great option to avoid exploitation, when it comes to underwear, the only way to ensure that the production of our clothes and underwear did not involve exploitation is to purchase fair trade . When we purchase organic underwear that is labeled fair trade, we can be sure that no one was exploited along the way and that the production process of our underwear did not involve anyone's suffering.

Exploitation of women in the fashion industry

The prevailing model of the fashion industry is largely built on the exploitation of women, both as workers and as customers. 70 percent of the exploited workers in the fashion industry are women (and 20 percent are children under the age of 12). But the exploitation does not end there. Too often, advertisers in the fashion industry try to make us believe that if we just buy their product we will become thinner, younger and happier, and if we have not become happier, we probably have to buy another item. Thus, the more intimate the product, the more blatant the advertising manipulations. This is why lingerie models will always be especially thin and young, bordering on fantasy, with any connection between them and the average size being purely coincidental. Hence , ethical and conscious shopping is a first-class feminist act, it can and should be done differently.

Comfort And speaking of feminism, it's important to mention that comfort is feminist .

If you feel comfortable in a thong and heels, that's great and we're all for it, but let's be honest, most of us don't feel that comfortable. Clothes should be comfortable and cozy to allow us to get the most out of our bodies, and in this context, underwear is the most important item. Bad underwear will bother you all day long, make you self-conscious in a bad way, limit your movements and harm your health. On the other hand, good underwear made of organic cotton will wrap your vulva in breathable and cozy fabric and allow you to do everything you want and more.

Precisely where you can't see

The first association most of us have when we think of activism is of a megaphone, a sign at a protest, and lots of noise. But the truth is that activism has many different shades and levels of volume. Often, meaningful action can be found in the quietest places, the ones that are usually hidden behind the scenes. Whether your natural environment is a noisy protest, or in front of a good book in bed, choosing the right underwear is a great start to activism , and the most gratifying part is that this type of activism really does make a difference. In February 2021 alone, more than 80 American brands and organizations signed a letter addressed to Biden, the US President, asking him to help make the fashion industry more sustainable; Adidas declared that it would no longer use fur; H&M announced that it would issue bonds worth $600 million for greenhouse gas reduction and sustainable goals; and the super designer Alexander McQueen announced a collaboration with Vestiaire Collective in which they will sell second-hand clothes. In other words , activism that starts with our own clothes works and succeeds in changing the world . Our consumer choices have great power, and with great power comes great responsibility. Let's consume responsibly.