Would you wear small garments made of seaweed?

Pre-loved, hardly ever worn, vintage. All words that apply to our growing desire to buy fewer new clothes – to love something that someone else wore months or even years before you.

Apply those same words to the lingerie market and things start to feel, well, significantly less attractive. But brace yourself, because the latest fashion trend is the sustainable briefs.

Luckily I don’t mean second hand. And I don’t mean scratchy apple catchers in earth tones, hand-woven from thick, delicate fabrics.

This is because a growing number of brands are finally sliding an attractive green option into our underwear drawers, and the latest batch is closer to the pretty little things you can find at La Perla or Coco de Mer (albeit for significantly less money!).

So, are you brave enough to trade in your trusty hi-legs for pants made from pulp? Read on for my picks of the best eco underwear.

BIODEGRADABLE SOIL

I’ve been wearing Stripe & Stare lingerie for the past week, made from compostable beech wood pulp from sustainably managed forests and converted into Tencel fibers.

When I’m done with them, they decompose, just like the vegetable peels in the compost bin. But are they up to the task?

As soon as the set is turned on, the fabric feels cloudy soft. There are none of those awful indentations in the skin on the hips due to a poor fit, or the dreaded back fat of a bra cutting into your flesh. But for those who need more support, this may not be a plus.

Nevertheless, these are cheerful little ones, in cotton candy pink stripes, reminiscent of a circus tent.

And in the design I choose (T-shirt bra, £30, and matching original style briefs, £18, stripeandstare.com) I’m grateful there’s no underwire. I said goodbye to that torture device years ago.

They even adopted my grab-it-all approach of washing everything on an easy-care cycle at 30 degrees Celsius, regardless of the instructions.

I didn’t worry about the mesh bag you would have to use for washing. Luckily there was no shrinkage or color fading.

BRAS RECYCLED INTO CARPET COVERING

Nudea’s version – the Tencel Seamless Bralette – is the brand’s most durable bra yet and comes in white, gray and pretty pink (£40, nudea.com).

More of a crop top style, it’s a snug, underwired cross between a bra and a cardigan with a deep band of ribbed fabric that feels very comfortable when it’s on.

I like that the light padding can be removed and the adjustable multi-way straps allow for maximum use.

They’ve left out the washing label and cleverly printed the instructions on the inside of the bra so there’s no big, irritating label on it. It is one of the most comfortable bras I have worn.

Nudea facilitates the recycling of your ready-made underwear through its website, in collaboration with a company that turns it into household insulation products and carpet backing. Then as a thank you they will give you a discount on your next order.

Considering the average woman in Britain owns 20 bras but only wears five, this makes sense.

DELICIOUS LINGERIE FROM LEFTOVERS

The darling of the fashion press, the cheekily named Buttress & Snatch (they’ve lifted the bosom of singers Madonna and Beth Ditto, and supermodel Kate Moss) is a proponent of ‘trashion’.

Founder Rachel Kenyon is a lover of vintage treasures and has spent over 20 years collecting from an incredible range of sources.

She makes bespoke lingerie from lawyer shirts, vintage duvets, tablecloths and even scraps from a gold Julien MacDonald dress worn by Shirley Bassey at Glastonbury (recycled cotton shirt-underpants, £29, buttressandsnatch.co.uk).

There is also a silk bra trimmed with a chiffon rose, a remnant of a hat made for the late Romantic writer Barbara Cartland.

Kenyon also makes panties from your own supplied fabric. A thong from one of your husband’s old silk ties, perhaps? I feel a custom Christmas present coming. . .

MAKE T-SHIRTS ECO-CHIC

Slightly less chic than women’s designer dresses, Pantee makes underwear from some of the two billion T-shirts that go unsold worldwide every year.

While the idea of ​​wearing deadstock T-shirts may not sound appealing, the brand has very strict standards and only works with high-quality fabrics that are 95 percent cotton.

The sustainably produced sets are available in mint green, baby pink, bright blue and the eternally useful black and white basics (from £16, pantee.co.uk).

I especially love the bow-shaped bralettes that definitely pass the eco-chic test.

SEAWEED UNDERWEAR THAT SAVES WATER

Alexander Clementine is a company that makes underwear and bras from Icelandic seaweed, which requires 97 percent less water than cotton production.

The silky blend of seaweed and Australian eucalyptus retains its natural properties, making the underwear naturally antibacterial, odor-free and able to regulate temperature.

The underwear also claims hidden health benefits: enriched with vitamins and minerals that are absorbed through the skin. These include iron, iodine and vitamins A, C, E and B12.

Fans include Lady Amelia Windsor, who has also collaborated with the brand on a sweet baby pink set (thong, £24; triangle bra, £25.50, alexanderclementine.com). If they’re good enough for a royal bottom, count on me.