Sustainable Tights: Ultimate Guide To UK Ethical Brands
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Looking for sustainable tights? I’ve done all the legwork and found the ethical and eco-friendly UK brands you need to know.
Tights may be a wardrobe staple, but have you ever stopped to think about just how sustainable your average pair of tights is?
Unfortunately, the answer is not very sustainable. Most tights are made from synthetic fibres, including polyester and nylon. These fibres are derived from non-renewable fossil fuels, including coal and crude oil, which help drive climate change.
Tights are also almost on par with plastic straws. For years, we’ve been buying them, wearing them, ripping them, binning them, and then repeating the cycle.
So much so that industry insiders estimate that each year, a staggering 8 billion pairs of tights are produced. The majority of these tights are worn only a handful of times before being binned.
This discarded tights mountain contributes towards landfill waste. And not only that, but as the majority of tights are made from synthetic fibres, this poses another environmental problem. These synthetic fibres release microplastics during their short lifetime, every time they are washed and continue to release microplastics even when they end up in the bin.
These tiny pieces of plastic turn up everywhere – from mountain tops to the bottom of ocean trenches, and increasingly in our bodies, currently the effects of which are unknown.
So, is there a way to make tights more sustainable? The good news is that change is afoot. Here are the ethical and eco-friendly UK brands to know right now.
Guide To Sustainable & Ethical Tights In The UK
Let’s step to it with my pick of the best sustainable tights brands:
Seasalt
- Caters for UK sizes: 8 – 24
- Priced from: £11
- Vegan-friendly: Yes
- Made in: Italy
For sustainable organic cotton tights or recycled nylon tights, head to Seasalt.
As the very first fashion company to achieve Soil Association Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification back in 2005, and a certified B-Corp, Seasalt knows its stuff.
Ethically made in Italy, its super soft and organic cotton sustainable tights feel lovely against your skin. Meanwhile, the soft ribbed waistband offers all-day comfort. The recycled nylon tights also let you tread lighter on the planet.
These are available in a range of colours and are perfect for adding a bit of pep to your wardrobe.
Boden
- Caters for sizes: S – L
- Priced: £29 for two pairs
- Vegan-friendly: Yes
- Made in: China
Boden may not be the first place that springs to mind when shopping for tights, but this pack of two recycled tights is a solid choice. Made from recycled polyester, it’s a greener choice when it comes to hosiery.
Whilst made in China, a country that has an extreme risk of labour abuse, Boden says it works with its trusted Chinese manufacturing partners who are ethically audited on an annual basis using the SMETA audit methodology. This is an audit methodology that encompasses all aspects of responsible business practice.
Get 15% off your first order when you sign up for the Boden mailing list.
Heist
- Caters for UK sizes: 6 – 22
- Priced from: £32
- Vegan-friendly: Yes
- Made in: Italy
Heist, a company with a strong sustainability focus, sells a range of wide range of styles of more inclusive-sized tights made from recycled yarns. This includes Q-Nova, made from factory offcuts, and Q-Cycle, made from plastic bottles and old tyres.
As well as the materials used, Heist has a strong commitment to sustainability. From measures such as minimising fabric and water waste, guaranteeing the safety of workers, manufacturing in the EU, and minimising the environmental impact of dyes and chemicals used in its products, Heist is on it.
Get 15% off your first order when you sign up for the Heist mailing list.
Swedish Stockings
- Caters for sizes: XS – XL
- Priced from: £40
- Vegan-friendly: Yes, with the exception of the wool tights
- Made in: Italy
Swedish Stockings, available in the UK at Selfridges, is another eco-friendly tights brand to try.
It makes its tights in Italy, using recycled polyamide (the technical name for nylon). This means the nylon fibres used to create them haven’t been made from scratch using new fossil fuels. Instead, they’ve been recovered and reprocessed from existing waste.
What’s more, their Italian factory is powered by renewable energy. Plus, the water used in the dyeing process is purified after use to avoid harming the environment.
Swedish Stockings also offers a handy tights recycling service to help reduce waste. Simply collect three or more pairs of synthetic pantyhose and send them to Swedish Stockings. Swedish Stockings then grind down your old tights to be used as filler material in industrial fibreglass tanks or to make stylish tables.
White Stuff
- Caters for UK sizes: 8 – 22
- Priced from: £15 or two pairs for £25
- Vegan-friendly: Yes
- Made in: Turkey
Finally, White Stuff has a great range of organic cotton tights in a heap of classic and fun colours. They’re made from around 80% organic cotton, alongside a blend of polyamide and elastane for stretch.
I love that organic cotton is the main material – it’s a lot more durable so your tights should last for quite a while. My only gripe is that I wish the polyamide used was recycled.
Top Tips To Make Your Tights Last Longer
As well as buying more sustainable tights, another important eco action you take is to make your existing tights last longer. Here are my top tights care tips:
- Those in the know pop their tights in the freezer for a few hours before putting them on. Apparently, the cold helps to tighten up the fabric of your tights, making them less likely to rip as you put them on. Not heard of freezing clothes? It’s a thing!
- Before putting your tights on, make sure your fingernails and toenails are smooth. If you have any rough patches on your hands, try moisturising them to help avoid catching your tights with them.
- Avoid wearing jewellery when putting your tights on and take them off again.
- Try gently stretching your tights before every wear, to avoid stressing the yarn of your tights. Think of it like the warm-up you do before exercise to prepare your body for physical activity!
- Hand-wash your tights where possible.
- If you can’t hand-wash them, pop them in a delicates bag before you machine wash them. This prevents your tights from wrapping around other items of clothing, stretching them out of shape, or getting caught on zips or hooks on other items of clothing.
- Avoid using fabric conditioner and tumble drying them, as both can damage the elastane in tights.
More Ethical Hoisery Options
Looking for more ideas to help put your best foot forward? Check out my guide to ethical socks for more sustainable suggestions.
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What about Snag tights? I’m sure they do a recycled tights option. And they are designed to be durable and reusable rather than one wear only.
They also cater for all body sizes and shapes which is an added bonus.
Thanks for the recommendation Rose!