About the fabrics

Organic materials:

ORGANIC COTTON:
Conventional, non-organic cotton uses lots of toxic chemicals and uses GMO seeds. This crop uses more insecticides than any other single major crop. It takes only 2.5% of the world's cultivated land, but uses 16% of all insecticides worldwide. It also uses 6.8% of the world's herbicides.

Certified organic cotton must:

Be grown without toxic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and synthetic fertilizers.
Use non genetically modified seeds
Use natural fertilizers like compost and manure.

My underwear is usually made of either organic cotton or a mix of organic cotton and hemp, bamboo rayon, or Lyocell.

Cotton Plant.

Organic Cotton High Waist Panty. © Hanna Broer

ECO-friendly materials:

Hemp Fiber.

HEMP:
Hemp is a bast fibre made from the inner bark of high growing cannabis sativa plant stems.
The plant is also grown for its nutritional seed and oil, and the fibre is used to make paper, fabric and rope. Other varieties of cannabis are used for recreational use, spiritual work, as well as potent natural medicine.
Hemp is a very durable, UV resistant, mildew resistant, insulating, absorbent, and breathable fibre. It gets softer with washing.
As a crop, even when not certified organic, hemp is considered an eco-friendly fabric because:

It is 100% biodegradable
The plants grow tall and very densely, which makes it difficult for weeds to grow, therefore there’s no need for herbicides in its production.
It requires no pesticides or fungicides.
Its durability increases the lifespan of the product.
It requires less water than cotton, with a higher yield.
It removes impurities from the ground, therefore helps clean up pollution, and leaves the soil healthier than before. It is a useful tool in crop rotation, because it also feeds the soil with nitrogen and it increases the topsoil.

All of the hemp I use in my lingerie is blended with organic cotton and spandex.

Flax Plant.

LINEN:
Fabric known as linen is made from Linum usitatissimum, also known as flax, or linseed. Like hemp, it is a bast fiber. It is also used for its nutritional seeds and useful oil. Linen is a very strong, cool and absorbent fabric.
Although the linen I use is not certified organic, it is still considered environmentally friendly because:

It is 100% biodegradable.
It uses little or no pesticides and fertilizers to grow.
It has multiple uses and all parts of the plant are used, therefore little or no waste is generated.
Its durability increases the lifespan of the product.

Other Materials:

SPANDEX:
Spandex, (aka Lycra or elastane) is a synthetic material. Many fabrics I use do contain a small percentage of this for comfort and elasticity. The stretch is especially important in making underwear and clothing that moves with you, and hugs your body comfortably.

SOURCES:
http://www.ota.com/organic/environment/cotton_environment.html
http://www.organiccotton.org/oc/Cotton-general/Impact-of-cotton/Risk-of-cotton-farming.php
http://1st-ecofriendlyplanet.com/tag/environmental-benefits-of-hemp/
http://hempbasics.com/shop/hemp-information
http://greenopedia.com/article/why-hemp-so-important
http://www.telio.com/pdf/Organic.pdf
http://bastfibersllc.com/whatarebastfibers.html
https://www.tencel.com/general