In my opinion, there’s nothing better than slipping on a silky-smooth pair of underwear and just feeling sexy. So, when I discovered Uwila Warrior — the women-run, luxury women’s underwear company that prioritizes sustainability — I was instantly hooked. It’s one thing to make a comfortable pair of undies, but eco-friendly, too? That’s where the real magic happens.

According to co-founder Lisa Mullan, 11 million pounds of underwear ends up in the trash every day. Compared to other clothing, underwear has a challenging end-of-life issue. “Underwear cannot be upcycled or necessarily recycled because of hygiene issues and because it’s made of elastics, polyester and nylon, which are basically plastics that take up to 200 years to degrade in the landfill,” Mullan explains.

Photos courtesy of Uwila Warrior.

This, coupled with the fact that the majority of women’s underwear lies dormant in their drawers because of comfort and functionality issues, is what inspired Uwila Warrior to step up.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Uwila Warrior launched its new Better Briefs line of underwear and camisoles that are made with CiCLO technology, which allows the fabric to safely degrade in landfills at the same rate as natural fiber. “We are the only intimates brand to use this technology which allows underwear to degrade in two years instead of 200 years sitting in the trash,” Mullan says.

YOGA + Life sat down with Mullan to learn more about her eco-friendly approach to business and what readers can expect from the new line.

1. Tell us the story behind Uwila Warrior.

“When I started this brand back in 2017, I had no idea the impact we would make on everyday lives. My co-founder Natalia Martorell (of Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler) and I were young moms juggling work, children and squeezing in the gym whenever possible. We yearned for a quality, inclusively-sized underwear brand that worked with our existing shapes, looked great on our bodies and under our clothes and worked for every moment of our day. Fast forward to today, not only have we succeeded with a high repeat customer rate and low single-digit monthly product returns, but we are also successfully ruining [Martorell] from all other brands.”

2. What does sustainability mean to Uwila Warrior?

“As a manufacturer, we understand that while we make a great product that our customers love, we also have a responsibility to be better stewards of our environment.

The first step was to innovate on packaging. When paper packaging is needed, we only use FSC-Certified materials, and we have also switched to biodegradable packaging where possible to eliminate polybags. We also continue to look into new packaging options such as 100% recycled paper mailers that may provide even greater environmental benefits.

Next up, we looked at our existing line of products and particularly our fabrics. While we have succeeded in creating a super functional quality line of underwear, bras and camisoles that women love and wear daily, we are now digging into each component of our product and reverse engineering how to make our line more sustainable.

When we discovered CiCLO, we knew this was a technology that would make a huge environmental impact, particularly for the 50% of our line made from nylon blended fabrics. As a small team, Uwila Warrior was able to move quickly to create an innovative fabric that uses CiCLO® for our Better Briefs collection. Like our Happy Seams collection, Uwila’s Better Briefs offers our customers the best fit and performance they can expect from seamless, lightweight stretch undies, but with fabric technology that is better for the end of life.”

3. What was the inspiration behind the new collection?

“Our priority is to make first layers that mold to the body, so our customer can move through her busy life without worrying about VPL (visible panty line) or wedgies. Our seamless styles are so lightweight and popular, but unlike our signature Soft Silks, they aren’t made from natural materials. So, we’ve always wanted to solve the end-of-life issue for our synthetic fabrics, and this was the perfect opportunity.

We focused on three of our bestsellers for launch: the brief, the thong and the camisole. Tap Shoe Black, Rose Quartz and Toffee are three of our top colors across the brand (but don’t worry, we have one of our signature pops of color on the way, too!). We also decided to add embroidery (also sustainable thread) to the undies as an option to celebrate nature with a beautiful floral design that makes these even more special. And we’ve made sure that the embroidery still vanishes underneath clothing, including leggings and yoga pants.”

4. What are your favorite shopping picks from Uwila Warrior for YOGA + Life readers?

“The Thong is a workout favorite, and the new Better Briefs version lies flat, molds to your body and is invisible under leggings without riding up or bunching. If you prefer briefs, both our Seamless and Silk Briefs offer more coverage without the dreaded VPLs. We also all love wearing our Lace Trim Soft Silks Camisole for working out as silk naturally retains less moisture than cotton, is breathable and feels great on the body. The adjustable straps and longer length make it ideal for a flattering fit as well.”