We all want to be more sustainable with our shopping, and buying vintage or secondhand is a huge component of that. However, when it comes to underwear, is it just too gross to buy secondhand knickers? Not to mention swimsuits, bras, even shoes. Because, frankly, knowing that another human has truly worn your delicates can be pretty off-putting.
Many of us are now well aware that a lot of modern underwear is produced in fast-fashion factories, which are both bad for the earth and for humanity. Beyond that, buying truly bespoke underwear is often extremely expensive. So is secondhand the only affordable, truly sustainable solution on offer?
Really it’s a question of grossness vs goodness. You’re determined to do better for the planet, and/or you’re on a budget. You know that vintage is often better quality, and your sense of style is nostalgic so you want the underwear to match. Yet the ick factor still rears its head when you think about it all in a literal sense.
Of course this topic is as nuanced as anything. Personally I say I will never buy secondhand underwear, yet I still find myself doing it. My biggest score so far is a dead stock, 1960s bullet bra, found in a seriously fab vintage boutique in Portugal a few years ago (called Outra Face da Lua if you want to follow them, or, much better, go to Lisbon and visit them).
OK, dead stock might’t have been worn per se, but it’s still secondhand lingerie, and it’s still been stored god-knows where for god-knows how long. Beyond that I have been known to purchase matching sets by Agent Provocateur on eBay as well as the odd vintage swimsuit found at a market. Without thinking about the gusset of each of these items too intensely, I’m very content with all of these purchases.
Now let’s talk about other secondhand things that it could be considered too gross to wear, starting with shoes. Often true vintage shoes are totally tiny, and more appropriate as part of you decor, but is wearing someone else’s used shoes a bit too gross?
I happen to have a Carrie Bradshaw shoe habit on a Carrie Bradshaw budget (just sans credit card). I want/need/live for designer shoes but I also have inner-city Melbourne rent to pay. Therefore I will disclose that most of my shoes are indeed secondhand scores.
There are some people in my life who find this fact about my wardrobe a bit gross, but I don’t. The way I deal with any potential grossness is simply by not thinking about it! The only thing I ever find gross with shoes is when the soft leather has been obviously moulded to the previous owners foot. Nobody likes a rude reminder.
We live in an age where frank discussions about bodies are becoming more prevalent. A big component of the body positivity movement is about embracing one’s body and all of its animalistic qualities. We sweat, we shed, we get our periods unexpectedly (modern tip: if you’re ever stranded without your menstrual cup, use a covid face mask as an emergency pad. I know, genius, and yes, I have had to do that once).
We also happily buy other secondhand pieces with obvious signs of age and wear - a dress with a small sweat stain, 501s which have been worn down between the thighs, a silk top with a few moth-holes. We do this because we want to wear more vintage, and because part of buying secondhand is accepting that these items have been worn and that this can inevitably lead to all sorts of garment faults.
In any case, if it’s all too much for you, there are more and more, modern underwear brands which are being produced in sustainable settings. I would recommend this article as a resource for Australian-made, sustainable knickers.
So, where is the line? Well, that’s up to you. Vintage is a bit gross sometimes. But you’re a good person and I know that you have fabulous, individual taste. I say to just keep on searching and you might just find the dead stock bra of your dreams too.
Images via Pinterest.