Get In Losers, We're Buying New Undies
Organic cotton Undies by Knickey. Because Your Lady Parts Deserve It.
As women, we have underwear for every occasion -- our dreaded period undies, getting it undies, girls night out undies oh, and our personal favorite – the laying in bed topless with a face mask on undies. Let’s get real, we all want to stay home all day and each chocolate covered strawberries in our underwear. But, listen up girls – your lady parts matter. Nothing is worse than uncomfortable underwear, except maybe…the ones in your drawer.
That’s right, we said it. Nearly all of the underwear made by mainstream brands today are made up of fabrics that are treated with toxic chemicals that harm the environment and your body. What’s even scarier is that some of these chemicals are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors which, in some cases, can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders. BIG yikes. And while we’re being honest, it’s important to note that our vaginas are complex and can easily get thrown out of whack if not treated with care – aka yeast infection galore. #YUCK
But before you freak out, we’ve found the perfect solution. Organic. Cotton. Undies. We talked to Cayla O'Connell Davis, co-founder of Knickey, a certified organic cotton undie brand – because we’re cancelling toxic underwear now and forever. Through elevated and affordable intimates, Knickey is for the woke woman who seeks comfort, durability, and certified sustainability.
So tell us, why is it so important for us to be vocal about sustainable undergarments and feminine care products?
Most people do not think about the provenance of their belongings, let alone the provenance of their underwear. Everyday undies, alongside most feminine care products, are often viewed as an afterthought and are not typically invested in because they are a necessary item that everyone has to buy. We believe that for the exact reason most people disregard basics, they should actually be prioritized. Because we wear undies every single day, they sit close to our skin and have a direct line to our internal organs. Most undergarments are made from synthetic fabrics derived from crude oil, and are covered in toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, cadmium, and petroflourochemicals (PFCs). Inherently, these petroleum-derived fabrics are not breathable, and act to trap moisture, causing the proliferation of unwanted bacteria - not to mention odor - in a place where it matters most. Further to that, when confronted with heat or moisture, polyester has the tendency to offgas its toxic compounds into the atmosphere - in both laundry, and importantly, onto the body. While we prohibit the materials published in Restricted Substances Lists, the United States has no enforceable regulations around the prevention of toxic chemicals used in textile production. As a result, consumers are unknowingly exposed to high levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on a daily basis, simply from getting dressed in the morning. We mitigate this risk through the production of a certified organic cotton product, that uses Oeko-Tex certified materials and is the highest level of safety to be close to your skin.
How is Knickey sustainable?
We adhere to the highest standards out there for earth-friendly production, process safety and customer health. All of our supply chain partners and vendors must meet strict standards of conduct and production, and namely, disclose this information via third-party auditors and certification entities. This ensures the validity of sustainability, materiality and value claims across our products and the entire supply chain.
We utilize organic cotton certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard. GOTS is recognized as the world's leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibers. Our adherence to Oeko-Tex prohibits the use of harmful toxic chemicals in production - such as formaldehyde, azo colourants, pentachlorophenol, cadmium and nickel. Importantly, it goes beyond the legal regulation set forth by the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act [CPSIA] to prevent the use of unregulated toxic chemicals that still crop up in underwear across the industry. Additionally, our factories are Fair Trade certified to ensure everyone involved in the production of Knickey undies is treated with the respect and care they deserve. That means living wages, safe working conditions, and absolutely no toxic substances that could be harmful to people’s health. Finally, Knickey packaging is thoughtfully crafted from post-consumer recycled waste, and designed for reuse. Materials are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to ensure that they are renewably-sourced from post-consumer waste, or sustainably harvested trees. Our packaging is dually intended to be used in our Recycling Program, encouraging customers to recycle intimates to prevent textile waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill. We take great care to ensure that every component of our supply chain and business upholds our core tenets of sustainability and better business practices -- better for your body, your wallet and our world.
What Makes Organic Cotton Better?
So many things! Organic cotton is safer for the earth and human interaction over its entire lifespan. Unlike its conventional counterpart, organic cotton is grown and harvested without the use of GMO seeds, pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Its yarns are woven and knitted into bolts of fabric, then dyed and finished with Oeko-Tex Certified Materials - which is the highest level of process safety that exists. With no toxic chemicals, PFCs, antimony or formaldehyde allowed in production, you can rest assured that organic cotton is the superior fiber to be close to your skin. It is breathable, durable and (actually) natural - a must-get for undies! Plus, when organic cotton fiber is past its prime in terms of wear, it can safely degrade and re-enter the environment.
How have you combatted “green-washing” through Knickey?
We combat greenwashing by not doing it! We disclose our supply chain practices and certification adherences on our website, and prioritize the communication of our values in almost every touchpoint with our customers. It is of the utmost importance to us to verify all of our product and process claims with credible facts, and traceable sources. We actually have a citations page on our website, for those who wish to learn a bit more about the issues we touch on as a company. Next year we will be releasing a stakeholder report that will disclose and quantify our sustainability practices on an annual basis, with science-based targets and emissions-reduction protocols. Ultimately, we hope to lead by example and show our stakeholders exactly what we mean when we make any claim around ‘sustainability’ and all of its possible meanings.
There you have it ladies! Thanks to Knickey, better made undies are here to stay and let’s face it-- life is WAY too short to wear uncomfortable underwear. So ditch that toxic shit and settle for undies that feel good. Because your lady parts deserve it.
