Before You Splurge: What to Know About The Nude Label’s Organic Underwear
The Nude Label is one of the original organic underwear brands to modernize what sustainable intimate wear looks like.
Time to Read: 13 min
The Nude Label is a slow fashion brand based in Valencia, Spain, that produces organic underwear, swimwear, and care products. With sustainable fashion not being as fashion-forward, The Nude Label is one of the original organic underwear brands to modernize what sustainable intimate wear looks like. Their designs include bras, briefs, trunks, thongs, socks, candles, and soap. With more consumers caring about fabrics and how they’re treated, The Nude Label is known for its use of organic cotton and toxic-free, low-impact dyes that are kind on the skin and to the Earth. Here’s what to consider before you splurge:
The Basics
Before purchasing from any brand, it’s always worth it to look up their Good on You rating to get a snapshot of their brand’s commitment to sustainability. Being that Nude Label was one of the first cotton-only underwear brands that caught our eye during the height of the sustainable fashion movement, we weren’t surprised to see they received a ‘Good’ brand rating from Good on You, which isn’t an easy rating to come by.
Their use of environmentally-conscious materials, local manufacturing, and supply chain audits landed them a 5/5 for animals and 4/5 for people and the planet.
Generally known for being reasonably priced for an ethical brand, their undergarments are also hypoallergenic, which is a strong selling point for those with sensitive skin and allergies. If you read our last review about Everlane’s Invisible Bra, you’d know why we are in favor of organic cotton undergarments sans the chemicals.
Here are some key notes about their brand signature:
They use organic cotton, farmed naturally without the use of pesticides or agrochemicals.
They use non-toxic dyes with playful colorways.
Their garments are curvy-friendly.
Their wide-strap bras are bust-friendly.
Their less is more, natural approach.
They also use recycled polyamide in the form of Q-Nova for some of their swimwear and modern underwear styles. The recycled polyamide is produced by Fulgar using pre-consumption waste. Depending on how committed you are to reducing your plastic intake, you might want to reconsider their recycled polyamide pieces. All in all, The Nude Lables uses no-nonsense materials to produce well-made and simple intimate wear, giving them a leg-up in marketing with consumers knowing exactly what to expect.
The Brand
Pros
Their Approach: The Nude Label takes a laid-back approach to underwear. They embody the idea that consumers can ask more of their underwear and make sure it’s worthy of being on their bodies. Especially for sensitive skin folks who have to take extra care and precautions, underwear has to be both functional and gentle. Sometimes, “sustainable” brands take the easy road out, opting for intimate lines that feature cotton-poly blends or recycled nylons. For stretch, we typically see elastane in undergarments, so that isn’t as concerning. However, having a product that’s primarily derived from plastic (recycled or not) can lead to bodily reactions.
Their Options: Eco brands tend to drop the ball in the inclusivity department. Most of them adopt an “organic” look with cookie-cutter styles and colorways that are typically demonstrated only on white, olive, and generally lighter-complected thin people. They rarely show how their pieces look on deeper skin tones and real bodies, alienating marginalized consumers as they can’t determine how styles and colors will look on them. Most of the offered color options wash out rich complexions, and size options are limited. With that in mind, we appreciate how The Nude Label’s colors are suitable for a variety of skin tones and shapes. Shown on models of color and curvy body types—specifically Mauve, Lilac, Sunflower, Midnight Blue, Chocolate, Pumpkin, and Pearl Gray—consumers can see how kind their hues and patterns are to olive and rich skin tones, and how flattering their cuts and current sizes are.
The only note we had was regarding their Chocolate colorway, which we would love to see on a darker-complected model. It’s a pet peeve of ours not to see these colors displayed on brown skin, especially since brown-skin folks may gravitate toward them in search of their “perfect” nude.
We rarely see melanated-friendly underwear in fashion in general, and the industry refuses to acknowledge that “nude” is not nude for everyone. Some colors appear lackluster and ashy on certain skin tones. For consumers to feel their best, we need more brands like The Nude Label that appeal to a variety of customers. Their colorways serve those who like vibrant colors with a minimalistic aesthetic, as well as those who take a more simple, neutral-toned approach.
So, this is a note to all sustainable brands: Offer a reference point for the consumers who tend to be forgotten and overshadowed in the marketing of it all. Otherwise, you’ll end up pushing them away.
Their Packaging: Unlike Everlane, every aspect of The Nude Label’s packaging is biodegradable. The parcel and plastic bags each product is shipped in are derived from plants and are biodegradable.
Cons
Their Prices: They are prices are steep for everyday consumers earning minimum wage or a tad bit more. They average $33 for bottoms, $38 for trunks, $65 for bras, and $72 for bodysuits. Their swimwear prices average $72-$80 for tops, $39-$46 for bottoms, and $124 for one-pieces. They’re definitely a brand you want to use a promo code on, shop final sale, or wait for a sale if you’re on a budget.
Ideally, we’d like to see them offer bundles at a discounted rate or extend their 3-pair discount to apply to carts purchasing 5, 7, or 9 bottoms at a time. They could make it easier for people to buy multiples in a way that doesn’t break the bank. Right now, their 3-pack discount sits at $4.95 off of $99. It’s not really enough to make a dent for average consumers, although we understand they’re probably trying to ensure they still make enough of a profit with the cost of materials, inflation, etc.
Their Size Range: It’s worth noting that we would like to see a more inclusive size range for ethical brands across the board, so this critique isn’t specific to The Nude Label. For reference, their bras serve FR/ES/PT sizes 100-105B and 105-110C and USA/UK sizes 38-40B and 38-40C. Their XL bottoms serve USA sizes 12-14, FR sizes 42-44, UK/AUS sizes 14-16. We would like to see their size range expanded to include larger bra sizes, 2XL and 3XL bottoms, and so on.
Their Transparency: As with all fair fashion brands, we would like to see a full breakdown of their product impact. Give us a sustainability report for each product—i.e., how much water is saved, rainforests or trees saved, offset carbon emissions, etc. People like to know the impact they’re making with their purchase, and it gives more of a window into the production process. As consumers become more conscious, brands will have to do more to prove they’re not greenwashing.
Their Return Process: Returns can be more of a slow and pricy process for international customers. Store credit would be the best option for overseas consumers rather than a refund. The restock fee is waived for returns receiving store credit, and the money will be ready to use once the return is processed. You can think of your panty funds almost as being on “reserve.”
Nude Label Bras
The Quality: Reviews boast their Basic Bras and Triangle Bras as being comfortable, durable, and extremely well-made. They’re hailed as being sturdy at the seams, offering a good balance between fabric and elastane. Sometimes, elastane can pull at softer fabrics and cause the seams to unravel, but the seams are stitched very well.
The Colors: Their Basic Bra looks better in darker colors since some of the lighter colors, like Mauve, show the seams a bit more. Their more playful pigments can also be more noticeable under lighter tops.
The Fit: The Basic Bra’s cups, band, and straps are all incredibly comfortable to wear. The straps are easy to adjust and non-constricting; they’re not overbearing or extremely noticeable. The best word to describe this bra is: compact. Without giving it much thought, everything is in place and secure.
Their Triangle Bra is a sexier option for smaller chests, giving the illusion of fuller cleavage. The straps are much thinner than the Basic Bra’s but provide the same comfort and adjustable fit. It doesn’t offer as much support as the Basic Bra, however, due to the thin straps.
The Cups: The cups are supportive and give a nice lift, although they’re made of cotton. They provide an overall flattering shape.
The Clasp: The clasp slides in and out, so there’s no fumbling and special maneuvers to get the bra on. It’s easy and no-fuss—exactly how all clasps should be.
The Fabric: Being 100% organic cotton, the fabric is breathable and doesn’t elicit sweat. However, cotton is thicker than we typically see used for undergarments. Because of that, the Basic Bra may be more noticeable when worn with certain shirts and tops due to its thickness.
Overall: The support, comfort, breathability, and quality are there. We would love to see their bra line expand in the future to include a padded or push-up option, but that may require more recycled plastic than consumers may like.
Nude Label Underwear
Their Culotte bottoms are one of the more modern underwear styles they offer. Their Triangle brief is more of a hybrid between modern swimwear and traditional bikini bottom, whereas their Hipster style is more of a cheeky bikini bottom.
The Quality: The Culottes have a thicker seam on the backside, making them a bit more comfortable to wear with more coverage.
The Triangle brief has a sturdy elastic band that fits perfectly around the waist and gives a more sinched-in illusion, allowing hips to shine through like a ’90s bikini. The stitching around the thick band is a bit more delicate, therefore, you may notice the threads unravel more with this style than the others.
The Hipster has a no-fuss, tried-and-true construction with clean seams and neat stitching.
The Colors: As noted with the TNL bras, the darker colors look best. You might want to opt for black, as lighter colors may fade or become duller over time due to natural coloring techniques.
The Fit: For fuller-bottomed and pear-shaped folks, TNL’s Culottes might ride up like boy shorts, so it’s best to size up. The Triangle brief can quickly take on the fit of a thong since it’s a higher cut overall. Out of the three styles, the Hipster acts as mid-rise underwear. They’re a little flirty and provide decent coverage. We would love to see them expand their sizes to accommodate curvier consumers.
The Fabric: All underwear styles are breathable with only 5% elastane and 95% organic cotton. Finding this small a percentage of elastane in underwear is pretty rare. Larger brands tend to use more plastic-derived fabrics, such as polyester, nylon, rayon, elastane, and spandex for stretch and to reduce costs. However, some folks may experience irritation and might be sensitive to these materials, especially when they’re in close proximity to reproductive organs. While TNL offers some relief from these concerns, their styles also run on the smaller side since they don’t offer much stretch or variation for body shapes that measure the same size.
Overall: TNL bottoms are just as well-made as their bras, with the Hipster being our top recommendation for its versatility.
Going Forward
It would be incredible to see TNL branch out to include lingerie. With their level of quality, their fun yet simple aesthetic can go very far in the sustainable lingerie space! They do have a sheer bra for the adventurous, but a push-up bra could shake up sustainable intimate wear. A strapless bra option—whether a convertible style with removable straps or a more traditional take on that style—could also provide consumers more functional flexibility. Even a halter bra option could reset the game and shock those who doubt just how modern ethical and eco-friendly styles can be. Long boxers, briefs, etc., could make things exciting, too!
As far as colorways and fabrics go, there’s always room for more colors, prints, and textures! For example, TNL could dip their toe into neutral-toned ribbed designs. Palm, pebble, sand, grain-inspired, or simple graphic prints could be interesting for limited edition, seasonal collections. Even an emerald or forest green could spice things up a bit! Their pumpkin color is especially flattering for melanated folks, but it’s usually sold out or exclusive to certain styles. So, a '50 Shades of Nude’, SKIMS-like collection with a fair-wage and responsible production slant could offer a lot of appeal for the world’s endless spectrum of skintones.
For sustainable underwear as a whole, conscious consumers could benefit from more breadth! Gender nuetral shapewear, loungewear, pajamas, leggings, tank tops, camis, robes, sleep sets, and thermalwear sets would patch up a unique hole in the market. Think: Luyna, but uber natural and organic, and potentially starting out with small-batch production first.
The Nude Label is a special brand that could position itself as the Thinking MU of underwear and undergarments, unafraid to incorporate color and print and unconventional neutrals while keeping the basics for the simplistic, minimal folks. For example, they could even build out their “Care” line to include clothes pins, dryer balls, laundry bags for delicates, incense, sleep masks, a chic meditation pouf, or a Tencel yoga mat. They could even do a light unisex activewear line similar to Indigo Luna, but only featuring Hemp, Tencel, and breathable cottons. They could also venture out into the clot pad department. The point is: We need more products (and brands) like theirs! With their value and aesthetic, they could really become a staple for progressive shoppers.
Is The Nude Label Worth It?
If you have sensitive skin, prioritize natural fibers, and want underwear that actually cares about you (and the planet), then we recommend purchasing from The Nude Label. $23 is pretty steep for one pair of underwear bottoms, so think about utilizing The Nude Label’s three-pair deal to receive a slight discount before clicking ‘Purchase’. Otherwise, we recommend splurging during a sale. Their brand is a nice blend of eco-luxury and a rare gem—there aren’t that many brands that can compare. So far, we’ve found that Organic Basics and Proclaim are about as close as it gets.
Organic Basics provides more styles, sizes, colors, and collections for tops and bottoms, and they also include each product’s traceability, CO2, and environmental impact information under the ‘Sustainability Impact’ tab. Some pieces contain a higher percentage of elastane than TNL, so be sure to check the ‘Fabric + Care’ section of each piece if you’re conscious about fabrics and materials.
Proclaim goes into grave detail about the materials they use and provides inclusive nude shades on top of a healthy size range. It’d actually be really helpful to consumers if more ethical and sustainable brands presented sizes as Proclaim does, indicating cup size and so on.
However, as with most environmentally-focused brands, we would love to see The Nude Label keep pushing toward more inclusivity and creativity because we, the people, are ready for that.
Update
The Nude Label announced in an Instagram post on September 16, 2022, that it would be shutting down after nine years, and we’re so sad to see them go! Let’s hope their small business receives an outpouring of support so it can keep its doors open or return in the future.
