Who Made Your Pants?

pirate pink front Who Made Your Pants?

Pants are not something that I often blog about but actually I think a good pair of pants is a key component to any stylish outfit. A streamlined silhouette and comfortable fit will ensure that you look your best in whatever you choose to wear on the outside. Who Made Your Pants? is also the ideal choice for those who also want to feel good on the inside!

One customer of Who Made Your Pants has said

Your pants did not ride, slip, chafe or go up my bum

Lets face it this is definitely something we all look for in our pants, but  at Who Made Your Pants?, the pants are also made by women, for women, a little treat that will make you feel gorgeous everyday! They are made of traditional synthetic lingerie materials, fabrics that would otherwise have been discarded at the end of a season but are in perfectly good order.

The very name Who Made Your Pants? gets you thinking about who, where and how your pants are made, so many questions, which for many brands remain unanswered. But don’t worry you can find out exactly who has made these pants by entering in the date on the swing tag into the website. All of the pants are made in a factory in Southampton which is also a worker co operative working primarily with women refugees from from Afghanistan, Somalia, the Sudan – often places where there have been wars. Not only does Who Made Your Pants provide women with employment and training but also support and a safe and secure environment.

Becky at Who Made Your Pants has kindly tipped me off about a some hot pink lace that she has unearthed and has been made into a limited number of high waisted vintage/ 50′s look pirate pink shorts (pictured above). There is a fantastic discount of £5 off until tommorrow (subject to stock), you can find out how to order them here.

Check out www.whomadeyourpants.co.uk for a the full collection and special offers.

ethicalfashionblogathon Who Made Your Pants?

WhoMadeYourPants? Social Enterprise in Southampton

pants stand 269x300 WhoMadeYourPants? Social Enterprise in Southampton

Most ethical fashion focuses on minimising the negative impacts of the fashion industry, whether that be using organic fabrics to preserve the environment or making sure the clothes are produced using fair trade labour. But what if fashion was more than that, what if it could be used as a mechanism for social good?

That’s exactly what starting a social enterprise can do. Quite a few social enterprises have popped up in the fashion and textiles world, but most of them are based overseas using local artisan skills and helping to develop disadvantaged communities. One based in the UK however, is the co-operative whomadeyourpants? Whomadeyourpants? was set up by Becky John in 2009 when she was unable to find pretty, ethical lingerie.  Stated simply, whomadeyourpants? is a social enterprise selling ethical underwear made by local Southampton women who might otherwise have struggled to find employment due to lack of confidence, qualifications or language barriers.  Most of the workers are refugees and through whomadeyourpants? they can learn English, employment skills and gain an NVQ in Manufacturing of Sewn Products.  As a co-operative all of the members have a vote towards business decisions.

The materials are upcycled from the lingerie trade, ends of fabric rolls that would otherwise be thrown away. The result is ethical undies that you can feel great about buying. The enterprise makes a huge difference to the lives of the workers, as Becky explains:  “They are given hope for the future, they have greater financial independence, and a number are planning what jobs they want with us or elsewhere.  When we ask what life is like with no wmyp, they say it’s boring!”

At the moment they only produce ladies knickers, but in the future they hope to expand to other product areas, and to other areas of the country. The pants are made in luscious stretch lace in a range of colours, many of which are extra special limited edition. If you buy their pants you can even log on online and check to see who was working on the day your pants were made, and thus see who made your pants! Find them at www.whomadeyourpants.co.uk

Emma Waight is a PhD student and freelance writer. She writes fashion news and trend stories at www.clothes.org.uk but her real passion is ethical fashion and sustainable consumption.