By Eloise Skinner | @eloiseallexia
In a crowded market, it can be difficult for a brand to stand out – and the lingerie market is one of the most competitive out there. But even with all of the endless options, it’s still difficult to find genuinely comfortable, beautifully-designed, sustainable underwear. Enter: Understatement Lingerie.
The ‘Understatement Way’,
Founded in 2017 by a Swedish team of entrepreneurs, Marie Stolt and Maria Lager and Yvet Malmveld joining in 2020, Understatement Lingerie’s mission is to design lingerie that feels as good as it looks. The ‘Understatement Way’, as the team describes on their website, is focused on simplifying lingerie: getting rid of all the stuff that shouldn’t have been put there in the first place. That means no underwire, no restrictive padding, and no irritating scratchy tags (finally!). This is lingerie that, as the brand describes, is intended to make the wearer feel empowered, confident and comfortable.
In a world full of Instagram filters, airbrushed images and edited models, Understatement Lingerie is finding a new path forward. You won’t find retouched models or edited bodies in their photos or videos: instead, they advocate for a world in which women can feel comfortable to be themselves. It might sound like just another brand slogan, but you only need to take a quick look at their website or Instagram to see it lived out in practice. This is a deeply community-led brand – you’ll see the brand’s fans and supporters featured across campaigns and imagery. As Understatement Lingerie puts it: ‘it is real people that buy the products we create, and it is real people that make our community what it is’.
Sustainably-Made, Long-Lasting pieces.
Of course, it isn’t enough to simply design beautiful products: consumers want to know that their investment is going towards sustainably-made, long-lasting pieces. And Understatement Lingerie prioritises that aspect, too. According to the brand’s website, the polyamide used in their garments has been swapped out for premium Econyl fiber – turning plastic ocean waste, such as fishing nets and PET bottles, into sustainable textiles. The loungewear collection uses modal, reported to be more environmentally-friendly than other alternatives, while the swimwear selection is made wholly from recycled materials. It doesn’t stop there, the production facilities, headed by a women-centric team based in Europe, use renewable energy sources and prioritise green operational management.
There’s another side of the sustainability mission, too: not only are the garments themselves created and produced in an environmentally-friendly way, but each purchase is intended to be a long-term investment, cutting down on over-consumption. These are pieces made to last, not to be tossed away at the end of each season. Understatement Lingerie advocates for a more intentional way of shopping for lingerie, one that takes into account each individual woman, as well as the planet.
Featured in publications like Elle, Vogue and The Times, this is certainly a brand to watch out for. In just a few years, Understatement Lingerie has checked off countless goals – and we’re sure there are many more to come.
