Good underwear for an easy life
Interview with Patricia Engelvaart, Managing Director of Engelvaart Tricot B.V.
Comfortable on the skin, a good fit and all produced in a sustainable and fair manner. The bar is set high when it comes to top quality underwear. Engelvaart Tricot B.V. has known this for almost 65 years. However, the company produces more than just underwear, and in recent years the trend has been towards functional underwear that is not only suitable for warm and cold environments, but also supports people with heavy perspiration or even diabetics, as managing director and co-owner Patricia Engelvaart explains.
European Business: Ms. Engelvaart, Tricot has been a household name in underwear for decades.
Patricia Engelvaart: That’s right, my grandparents founded the company in 1957. They produced underwear that they sold at the market, demand was soaring then, and the wholesale trade also quickly showed interest. We have continued to grow over the years, production sites have had to be expanded and the range has become much broader.
European Business: What have been milestones in the company’s history?
Patricia Engelvaart: Initially, we focussed on our own production in the Netherlands, but this became too expensive in the early 1990s, so we decided to outsource production to Tunisia. From 2002 on we also had knitting done there, and in 2009 we opened our own dye works in Tunisia. Since then, our entire production has been located in Tunisia, where some 400 people are employed and we have all the possibilities in our own hands – be it tubular knitting or open fabric production.
European Business: Your head office is still in the Netherlands?
Patricia Engelvaart: In Waddinxveen, we currently employ 19 people in warehousing, purchasing and sales, development and administration. In Tunesia our entire production process is located and here we operate our own production facilities.
European Business: Underwear is the basic theme, but you offer different brands.
Patricia Engelvaart: We come from underwear, including briefs, vests, and boxer shorts but no lingerie. We produce for our brands Beeren Bodywear, RJ Bodywear and, since 2024, alca Fashion and, with an increasing range, Star-Tex. We also offer private label products for large retailers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
European Business: How do the collections differ?
Patricia Engelvaart: Beeren Bodywear is our oldest brand, which is sold at markets and also in shops. It is aimed at all age groups with an affordable, good quality. We try to offer as many products as possible without side seams. RJ Bodywear is somewhat younger, although the brand is actually based on the founders Marinus (Rien) and Jopie. This brand is aimed at over-the-counter sales and is rooted in the high-quality segment. In 2024, we took over alca Fashion, for which we had already produced. The brand offers men’s underwear in plus sizes from 2 XL to 8 XL. While many manufacturers simply enlarge their cuts for larger sizes but do not adjust them, we take care to adjust certain measurements so that a good fit is guaranteed even for larger sizes. We have now developed special styles for big bellies and normal shoulders. We want to make this brand better known over the next years. It will mainly be sold online, as many customers prefer to try the products on in the comfort of their own home. Our Star-Tex brand offers technical underwear such as flame-retardant underwear or a fairly new thermal collection.
European Business: What does this range include?
Patricia Engelvaart: The brand is strong in specialized workwear. Think of underwear for people who work in cold stores or in hot workplaces. The requirements here are very different, but our products are designed to make work more bearable. We now also offer polo shirts and jumpers for the army, fire brigade or police.
European Business: What makes Engelvaart so successful?
Patricia Engelvaart: We offer a total package of good prices and affordable quality. We are not the cheapest supplier, but we produce reliably and invest in sustainability and good working conditions. The goods are dispatched from Tunisia on Saturdays and arrive at our warehouse on Tuesdays. They are not shipped round the world.
European Business: What are you doing in terms of sustainability?
Patricia Engelvaart: We invest a lot in our production in Tunisia. Water is reused, we have installed photovoltaic panels, and we use low-energy machines and new systems in the dye works wherever possible. We have introduced a zero-waste policy, whereby waste is reused or recycled. Our certified labour standards are social, fair and safe. We focus on organic products and work carbon neutral and offset our emissions by setting up plantations in Tunisia. We also support local school projects.
European Business: What drives you personally?
Patricia Engelvaart: I like developing products that make people’s lives easier, such as sweat-proof collections with special pads, or menstrual underwear or underwear for people with insulin pumps or stomas. It’s great to make people happy with our products because our underwear makes their everyday lives easier. That’s a wonderful thought.