INTERVIEW #53 PANTEE
Based in: UK
Founded in: 2020
Founded by: Amanda & Katie McCourt
Stores: pantee.co.uk, shipping worldwide
Price range: £20+
Instagram: @pantee
Why we love them: A 100% transparent, ethical and forward thinking, That’s how we see Pantee. Underwear made from deadstock fashion fabrics without compromise on comfort and style. We really like and appreciate that the sisters and founders Amanda and Katie don’t hide anything, they share everything with their community which we believe is the key to success. Choose well, choose Pantee!
What is Pantee and why did you start?
Pantee is the sustainable underwear that makes super soft sets from deadstock fabrics. Co-founded by sisters Amanda & Katie McCourt during the pandemic, Pantee is on a mission to tackle fashion waste and create a sustainable alternative without any compromise on comfort or style.
What is your sustainability profile?
With sustainability as our guiding light, Pantee has made significant strides to be as conscious as possible at every touch point. All products are made from deadstock fabrics meaning coloured stock is limited edition and created in small batches. Elastics are not dyed to match the fabrics in a bid to save water and avoid chemicals.
Products are packed and shipped to customers in recycled and recyclable FSC accredited cardboard boxes. All printing inks used on our boxes are water based meaning no solvents are used. Boxes are lined with biodegradable tissue paper, so no single-use plastics are used in the packaging.
How and where are the products produced?
All our Pantees are cut and sewn in our facility in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Our production facility is run by Erdem, owner of a Buying House and Sampling room in Dhaka. Once we came to a dead end with factories due to low minimum order quantities, Erdem kindly offered us his sampling room and team of skilled machinists to help kickstart our business. We co-bought a specialist underwear machine and the rest is history.
Since day one we have had a great working relationship with Erdem, with strong communication and transparency we feel proud to manufacture in a facility where we can guarantee fair wages, healthy conditions and zero forced or child labor. In fact, Erdem’s team are paid above the average living wage and receive a bi-annual bonus.
Your best selling product?
The Bralette - https://pantee.co.uk/products/bralette
Where do you find inspiration?
Our community! We are very lucky to have a highly engaged community of 10,000+ women who we often ask for feedback on what they would like to see from us. Our customers provide the most valuable insights.
What have been and are the major challenges?
Growing brand awareness can be very difficult as a young brand, but we have run into many additional challenges when it comes to running paid advertising campaigns on social media. Since launching we have struggled with FB Ads, IG Ads, and YouTube ads as they all categorise our content as a violation of nudity policies or 'sexual content'. We also repeatedly get our products blocked from both the FB and IG catalog, limiting the visibility of our products to our audience.
Last year, we launched a campaign called the #COMFORTREVOLUTION that was designed to promote self love and body positivity. As a very early days start up, we poured our heart and soul into this campaign, but unfortunately it was once again blocked, this time by YouTube ads, who categorised it as sexual content.
This has made it extremely difficult for us to expand our reach, spread our message, and bring new brand fans into our audience. Women in the underwear IS NOT the same thing as sexual content.
What has been and are the largest gain?
For both of us, Pantee has been an incredible learning experience and we feel so grateful for all the support we have had to date. Every day is different and we have both grown so much over the last year because of it.
What do you think needs to change in the fashion industry to make it more sustainable?
This is such a huge question! A lot needs to change. Transparency is one thing that is incredibly important to us, because lack of it covers so many issues within the industry. You can’t talk about sustainability within the fashion industry without talking about the ethics and people who are behind the brands making garments. Sadly, there is a huge disconnect between clothes and where they come from. This has led to consumers expecting extremely low prices – which is fuelled by fast fashion brands offering items for cheaper than a cup of coffee – and huge amounts of overproduction. It’s a vicious cycle that needs to change.
What would you advise consumers to do who seek to create a sustainable closet and lifestyle?
Take care of the clothes you have and keep them for as long as possible. If you are buying new, make conscious choices – buy things you truly love and are going to wear for a long time! When it is possible to do so, buying second hand or shopping from smaller brands can be a good alternative.
Best thing about Pantee?
Our community. We are constantly inspired by the incredible individuals that have supported us on our journey, and without them we wouldn’t be where we are today. We genuinely want to create a brand that is there to support and empower, so they are at the heart of everything we do.
