Thunderpants

Values

Our Story

Thunderpants is Kiwi company that produces cheeky and ethically made undies from Fairtrade, organic cotton.

They want their garments to improve the lives of everyone involved in the process from the cotton growers to the wearer. That’s why every aspect of production, from how their fabric is made to the way their garments are sewn is traceable, tested and controlled for quality.

You can view their entire supply chain on their website.

The Thunderpants story began in Nelson in 1995, when founders were design students frustrated by irritating undies. The challenge was on to create the ultimate comfy undie that wouldn’t go up your bum!

The result was the original women’s Thunderpants - a full brief undie that is cut with enough fabric and designed to sit within the natural curves of the body therefore not riding up or falling down.

Now, twenty-five years on, Thunderpants has grown to produce nearly 50,000 Thunderpants garments per year including kids clothes, swimwear, yoga pants, leggings, tops and camis.

“All our products are designed for comfort, durability and ease of care with a minimum impact on the planet.” 

Even though Thunderpants is a fun and creative business, they understand that the realities of the garment industry can be harsh on both people and the environment.

Thunderpants would like to ensure that it is doing all that it can to improve the lives of everyone involved, at the same time ensuring minimum impact on the environment.

Thunderpants is certified as a "living wage" employer. All of the NZ and Australian-based parts of the company apply the living wage rates as a minimum wage with most employers earning well above this. The yarn producers in India are governed by ‘fair trading’ policies that they are certified for.

Most of Thunderpants’ products use their base cloth of 90% Fairtrade, organic cotton and 10% lycra. They also make a range of swimwear that is made from a recycled nylon product, econyl vitalife. It is made from pre or post-consumer waste, largely fishing nets.

Thunderpants takes other measures to be kind to the environment including:

“The environment does not have to be sacrificed for quality. Our ambition is to create quality products with minimal environmental impact; by promoting responsible farming, cleaner manufacturing and utilizing the wonderful benefits of sustainable natural fibres.”