Our lingerie is the first thing we put on our bodies in the morning and in the case of our knickers likely worn for the longest amount of time, so it is important to know that these items are good for you. I talk a lot about our lingerie being free from harmful chemicals but most people are unaware of just how many chemicals, heavy metals and toxins are used in the fashion industry so I thought I would share the testing I carry out on every colour and style for every new order placed.
There are so many individual components in our bras and each comes from a specialist supplier. Requiring that each component is certified OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 gives me peace of mind that every piece of material or trim we use is free of harmful substances such as heavy metals, toxic dyes, and carcinogenic substances. Some of these toxic chemicals - such as Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs) - remain in polyester-based lingerie and clothing and are nearly impossible to wash out. These NPEs can break down into endocrine-disrupting chemicals which can interfere with your hormones.
Even with the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification from each supplier, all our fabrics and garments are tested at Intertek, the leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. For every order a piece of every fabric in every colour is sent for testing and a finished garment in every style and colour is tested for appearance after washing. I receive the following reports for each individual colour and style and approve each one before our product is shipped to us.
This is the Tencel fabric test report showing the most important chemicals I test for at the beginning, ND = not detected and the other tests on the fabric performance. There is nothing worse than a bra that stretches out of shape after a few wears!
After approving the fabric manufacturing begins. Each style in each colour is sent for a Garment Appearance test - each piece is washed in an industrial machine to our specifications 5 times.
This may all seem very boring and to be honest reading and checking all these reports is not a favourite part of my job, but it is a necessary step to ensure I am making the best product I can for a small independent brand.
The care label on your clothing only has to tell you the fabric composition - there is no information required on how that fabric was created; what chemicals and processes were used, how it is dyed or printed and what treatments have been applied to the fabric surface.