Your Underwear Is Probably Made of Plastic. Here’s Why Ours Isn’t.

Most underwear today is made primarily from polyester, nylon and elastane. In other words: plastic.

We rarely think of underwear that way. We think about plastic bottles, packaging and fleece jackets—not the fabric we wear closest to our skin, from morning until evening.

Welhavens begins with a different material: non-superwash merino wool.

Why Merino Wool?

The main fabric in Welhavens garments is 17.5-micron, ZQ-certified merino wool. The exceptionally fine fibres make it soft and light enough to wear directly against the skin.

Merino wool is breathable, naturally temperature-regulating and resistant to odour. It helps the body stay comfortable through changing temperatures and often needs airing rather than washing after every wear.

Our wool is not superwash treated. Many machine-washable wool fabrics are treated to prevent shrinking, and some common superwash methods add a thin polymer coating around the fibre. We chose wool without that coating.

It requires gentle care: a wool programme, wool detergent and no tumble drying. For us, preserving the natural qualities of the fibre is worth it.

Why Our Brief Includes Mesh

Welhavens garments are not entirely free from synthetic components. The brief has transparent power-mesh side panels made from 82% nylon and 18% spandex.

When I designed the brief, the mesh was an aesthetic choice.

Many women are not used to a high-waisted brief made from wool. I wanted to show a little skin and give the silhouette a lighter, more refined expression, while keeping the intimate areas covered in soft merino wool.

The transparent side panels create that balance: coverage where it matters, with a glimpse of skin at the sides.

We do not hide the mesh or describe the complete garment as plastic-free. The difference is that synthetic fabric is not the foundation of the design. Merino wool is.

A Different Starting Point

Welhavens is not about pretending that every component of a modern lingerie garment can be natural. It is about reconsidering the material that makes up most of the garment and sits closest to the body.

Most underwear begins with synthetic fabric.

Welhavens begins with wool.

Not more. Just right.