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[title]Sri Veerabudren and Jay Ocean had a lightbulb moment three years ago while standing in the middle of a department store lingerie section. Before them were aisles of peachy-beige undergarments, all labelled 'nude'. But people come in a variety of shades, not just one peachy-beige, and these 'nude' underpants wouldn't look very nude on many customers.
Veerabudren and Ocean decided to take matters into their own hands and spent several years researching, developing colours and choosing fabrics that would help represent the variety of skin tones that can be found in our multicultural country. The duo, who had worked together in the garment industry for over a decade, knew they had the textile know-how to put their idea into action.
Their Melbourne-based brand BU Underwear launched in 2021 with a range of underwear and bras that come in six shades. While there are certainly far more than six skin tone shades out there, these initial six were chosen based on the Fitzpatrick classification of the most common shades of nude. The brand plans to expand this range in time.
Veerabudren, who has an Indian background and darker skin tone, says she often felt like an outcast growing up surrounded by white Australians. Even something as basic as trying to find nude underwear was a challenge that heightened that ostracisation.
“For me, BU Underwear is about feeling accepted,” says Veerabudren. “I wanted to make sure that everyone who lives in this country, regardless of their nationality, feels included and that their skin colour matters.”
On top of challenging the norm of what ‘nude’ colouring truly is, BU Underwear also places emphasis on giving back and using sustainable practices. Firstly, for every order that comes through BU intends to give away a pair of underwear to someone who really needs it. Charity partners haven't been nailed down yet, but BU Underwear intends to donate an equal number of pairs to those in need.
“Most of us have a drawer full of [undergarments], and it’s something we take for granted,” says Veerabudren. “We want to try and be part of the solution.”
Secondly, the garments are made with Tencel Modal fabric by Lenzing. This ultra-soft, sustainable and ethically sourced textile is derived from raw materials like beechwood and eucalyptus trees. This fabric has similar breathability and performance to cotton but uses nearly half the water and requires far less farmland.
Despite this, the products remain very affordable. You can get a pair of bikini briefs for $26 and a triangle bra for $45.
“A lot of the time when you think of something that’s sustainable and eco-friendly, it’s more expensive, and it shouldn’t be that way,” says Veerabudren. “It should really be the other way around, and we wanted to make our products accessible for everyone.”
You can purchase the underwear and bras through the BU Underwear website, and shipping is free within Australia when you spend more than $60.