From Nature to Nurture

The story behind Billie Green – and why your child’s first bra or sports bra shouldn’t come wrapped in plastic.

While navigating my own secondary fertility journey, I became hyper-aware of the everyday chemicals and plastics I was putting on - and into - my body. I started looking closely at the activewear I lived in: Lorna Jane, Bonds, Nike, Lululemon. So much of it was made from polyester, nylon, and other synthetic fibres derived from petrochemicals. And it wasn’t just gym clothes - it was underwear, too.

In the early 2000s and even after my first child was born I used to loyally buy activewear from NIKE. I liked that it was quick drying. I've since come to learn that Nike uses a huge amount of toxic chemicals, particularly PFAS (forever chemicals a proven carcinogen), bisphenols (like BPA - proven endocrine diruptors) and formaldehyde in their clothing to give it the 'performance' that (they think) athletes need. They don't even hide it. You can see their website link here detailing the huge amount of hazardous chemicals they use.

In 2020 they committed to phasing out only some of their harmful substances by 2030. Please note, that this is something that could easily take 1- 3 months by simply requesting different fabrics from their manufacturers.

Once I had my children, I started investigating what my kids were wearing and the potential impact it could be having. To my shock, almost every piece of underwear, every singlet, every sock - they were all made from plastic-based fabrics.

“It’s more durable.” But at what cost?

Polyester is often used in underwear, bras and clothing for two reasons: It's both durable and very cheap. But that durability comes at a human and environmental cost.

💬 “Plastic particles are now being found in human blood, lungs, and even placentas.”
— The Minderoo Foundation, 2023

These fabrics don’t break down the way natural fibres do. Instead, they shed microplastics with every wash and wear. These tiny particles enter our waterways, our food systems, and ultimately our bodies—where they don’t degrade, but accumulate.

According to the Minderoo Foundation, plastic pollution has become a human health crisis. Their Plastic Health Map documents how micro and nanoplastics can leach toxic additives and cause inflammation, disrupt hormones, and accumulate in organs.¹

And for what? We do not need our underwear to last centuries.

Big brands are using so much polyester and nylon in our clothes these days because it's cheaper, easier for factories to work with and can be made silky soft like lululemon leggings and sloggi bras (although it often becomes scratchy and irritating).

So I looked for an alternative that went beyond cotton and organic cotton - fabrics that could provide additional moisture-wicking and breathable properties, and I noticed European brands using Lenzing Lyocell and Modal.

Clothes that grow with you

Billie Green is a sustainable underwear brand made for tweens and teens entering the world of bras,and body changes - with soft, breathable, natural fabrics.

Our designs are:
✅ Made from Lenzing™ TENCEL™ Lyocell, modal and organic cotton
✅ Free from padding, polyester and nylon.
✅ Certified to OEKO-TEX® 100 standards
✅ Adjustable and designed to grow with young bodies

A new kind of first layer

We believe the first bra you wear should be:

Comfortable (not restrictive or itchy)
Simple (no wires, padding or fastenings)
Safe (free from toxins and plastics)
Sustainable (good for people and the planet)

Because growing up is enough of a journey. Your first layers shouldn’t be part of the problem.