Soie Lingerie

67% of Australian women struggle to find bras that fit. With over 30 common bra sizes, mass-production represents a huge investment and a logistical nightmare for brands. This leads to the exclusion of most sizes and the overproduction of a select few, ultimately sending millions of bras to landfill every year. Because bras are largely made from petroleum-derived fibres (s.a. polyester), this waste lasts hundreds of years, releasing greenhouse gas and toxic chemicals into our environment. The systemic overproduction of ill-fitting bras means our bodies are excluded or left in pain, while our earth is polluted and covered with waste.

Years of research with a representative sample of hundreds of Australian women have ensured we only develop underwear our community truly needs. Our base range, launched in November 2022, provides well-fitting, sustainable underwear options for all Australian women: fuller and thinner busts alike. Customers can order their made-to-order, made-to-measure underwear via our website following a simple, 3-step process: selecting their shape, their fabric, and finally taking 3 simple measurements. Based on these measurements we adjust the underwear to fit their unique body proportions using our Automated Tailoring Technology, before it is cut and sewn in our Sydney-based studio.

Switching to a made-to-order, made-to-measure model where every body shape can be accounted for represents a huge commercial opportunity but most importantly can ensure all Australian women feel included by the Fashion Industry. This solution creates a virtuous cycle where every new customer we fit improves our technology’s accuracy and makes it easier for future customers. From an environmental point of view this design solution represents huge diminutions in terms of pollution and waste. Diverting millions of bras from landfill each year and ensuring we create bras that are as biodegradable as possible, 25% of our designs being fully compostable.

At Soie, we believe sustainable means local. Indeed, for our local communities to be able to “sustain themselves”, they need to be able to produce and care for their own clothes. Because of this, local, Australian production is paramount to the way we approach sustainability. Our underwear is designed, cut, and sewn in Australia. We currently source our fabrics and components from wholesale and designer deadstock, via ABMT Textiles, Elsegood Silk Fabrics, and Circular Sourcing. 40% of our fabrics are made in Australia. Our packaging is made of 100% recycled cardboard and our body measurement kits are made from 100% seeded paper and recycled craft envelopes, all made in Australia. Finally, as a small fashion house, we have a duty, beyond production, of educating and engaging with our community to create a more sustainable and inclusive garment-making process. We share blog articles diving into how clothes are made and take pride in engaging our local women in our Research and Design process, as well as in our fitting, photoshoots, and portraits on social media.