10 top fashion brands. how do they rate?

8/19/2019 10 Top Fashion Brands. How Do They Rate?

1/17

How do

h ?

Find out the true cost

of the clothes you buy

10 TOPFASHION

BRANDS


2/17

h ?

02 03

The truth about fashionClothing is something we all buy, but few of us know how our clothes are really made.For instance, did you know that the global garment industry is the second-most pollutingafter oil, and the third most harmful in terms of climate change? Fashion also has a longhistory of human and animal rights abuses.

While most of us want the clothing we buy to reect our personal values on these issues,

it can be hard to nd the information we need to make an informed choice.So, how do you balance the desire for convenience, style, and the right price against thehuman and environmental costs of producing it?

This guide assess the kind of clothes you want to wear, made in the kind of world youwant to live in.

Get informed, and you’ll really be dressed to impress!

Ethics in the clothing industry

Labour rights violations in the fashion industry are notorious. The problem was broughtinto focus by the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh in 2013, when 1,134lives were lost. Some major cotton producing and processing countries also have seriousissues with forced labour, child labour, and other labour rights abuses.

Animals are also frequently ill-treated in the production of angora, cashmere, silk, and

wool among others.

Yet, there’s a huge capacity for positive change within the industry. The fashion trade isone of the largest industries in the world, with sales estimated at US$1.7 trillion in 2012.

Clothing manufactureis the second-most

polluting industry afteroil, and the third mostharmful in terms ofclimate change.

The Good On You

Ratings:

About Good On You

Good On You make it easy to know a brand’s impact onthe things you might care about – whether it’s humanrights, the environment, or animals.

Their team of ethical sleuths do the research for you, andmake the information available when and where you needit via their website (goodonyou.org.au). Rating over 1,000

clothing and footwear brands, they also plan to move intoother categories such as personal and beauty care, andelectronics. The Good On You smartphone app for fashionand cosmetics will be released later in 2015.

To rate products, the Good On You team take intoaccount the work of certication schemes, advocacyNGOs, and independent rating sources – so who betterto look to when rating the ethics of the top ten fashionstores in our ‘lucky country’?

Get familiar with theGood On You ratingsystem below.The next few pages havemore info about the factorsaecting these ratings.

Great

Good

It’s a start

Not Good Enough

http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/andrew-mortons-the-true-cost-is-a-game-changer/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/andrew-mortons-the-true-cost-is-a-game-changer/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/rana-plaza-the-day-the-fashion-world-changed-2/http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/http://www.fashionunited.com/global-fashion-industry-statistics-international-apparelhttp://goodonyou.org.au/http://goodonyou.org.au/http://www.fashionunited.com/global-fashion-industry-statistics-international-apparelhttp://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/rana-plaza-the-day-the-fashion-world-changed-2/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/andrew-mortons-the-true-cost-is-a-game-changer/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/andrew-mortons-the-true-cost-is-a-game-changer/


3/17

04 05

Certications to know aboutCertications by credible eco-labels are like a gold star for the ethical shopper! It’sthe best way to be sure that a brand’s ethical claims are clear, accurate, relevant,and based on a robust and transparent system.

Independent Brand Ratings

The following NGOs have undertaken independent research into the performanceof brands on particular ethical issues. Good On You take account of each of thesein compiling their ratings.

Shop Ethical

Shop Ethical provides ethical information about the companies behind brands, in awide range of categories, including around 100 for clothing. Shop Ethical also publishesa detailed guide to ethical issues related to clothing.

Behind the BarcodeA project of Baptist World Aid, Behind the Barcode ranks 219 brands available in Australiabased on comprehensive assessments of labour rights performance. Behind the Barcodelooks at a wide range of labour issues including worker health and safety, freedom ofassociation, child and forced labour and payment of a living wage.

The 2015 Australian Fashion Report issued by Behind the Barcode rated brands fromA to F on their overall labour rights performance. Nine of the ten brands assessed inthis Guide are rated and listed under the External Rating heading.

The 2015 Report noted that many of the worst overall performers on labour rightswere iconic Australian fashion brands such as the Just Group (owner of Just Jeans andPortmans) and low cost suppliers like Lowes and Best & Less. These companies allreceived D or F grades.

Rank a Brand Rank a Brand is a European NGO that assesses the performance of about 200 leadingbrands available in Australia across labour, climate, and ecology based on publiclyavailable information.

FairtradeWhen a product carries the Fairtrade mark it means

the producers and traders have met Fairtradestandards. These are designed to address the

imbalance of power in trading relationships, unstablemarkets, and the injustices of conventional trade.

They include a minimum price and a Fairtradepremium for producers to invest in their communityor businesses. Fairtrade principles include avoiding

child and forced labour, good working conditions,non-discrimination and respect for the environment.

www.fairtrade.com.au

Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA)

ECA accreditation is granted to brands thatdemonstrate that all their production in Australia

complies with labour laws. The ECA label existsto ensure that the rights of workers in the

textile, clothing and footwear industry, includinghomeworkers, are being protected. It requires a

transparent supply chain and an annual independentaudit. Some brands certied by ECA include Ginger

and Smart, Carla Zampatti, Nobody Denim, andManning Cartell. A full list is on their website.

www.ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)GOTS is the most widely recognised organic standard

for textiles globally. The standard denes high-levelenvironmental criteria along the entire organictextiles supply chain and requires compliance with

social criteria as well. GOTS certication requires fulltraceability and annual inspections across the

supply chain. www.global-standard.org

http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/ethical.org.auhttp://www.ethical.org.au/3.4.2/get-informed/clothing/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/baptistworldaid.org.au/behind-the-barcode/https://baptistworldaid.org.au/behind-the-barcodehttp://rankabrand.org/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/wfto.com/fair-trade/10-principles-fair-tradehttp://www.fairtrade.com.au/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/ethicalclothingaustralia.org.auhttp://www.global-standard.org/http://www.global-standard.org/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/ethicalclothingaustralia.org.auhttp://www.fairtrade.com.au/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/wfto.com/fair-trade/10-principles-fair-tradehttp://rankabrand.org/https://baptistworldaid.org.au/behind-the-barcodehttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/baptistworldaid.org.au/behind-the-barcode/http://www.ethical.org.au/3.4.2/get-informed/clothing/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/ethical.org.au


4/17

06 07

Human rights issuesCodes of conduct

The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is an alliance of companies, unions, and NGOs thatpromote respect for workers. The ETI’s base code is an internationally recognised codeof practice based on the Conventions of the International Labour Organisation. A largenumber of global fashion brands have signed-up to the ETI base code.

A robust Code of Conduct for any brand should cover similar issues to the ETI Code,including freedom of association and collective bargaining, and no discrimination. It should be included in supplier contracts.

Worker safety

The Bangladesh Fire and Safety Accord is an independent, legally binding agreementbetween brands and trade unions designed to work towards a safe and healthyBangladeshi Ready-Made Garment Industry. Its provisions go beyond companies’ typicalsupplier codes of conduct. It has built-in enforcement methods that are transparentlyreported on the Bangladesh Accord web site. About 40% of Bangladeshi factoriesare covered.

Forced Labour

Uzbekistan is a major cotton exporting country. It routinely uses forced labour, and untilrecently child labour to harvest cotton. Brands doing the right thing do what they can toavoid Uzbek cotton including signing the Responsible Sourcing Networks’ Cotton Pledge.

A Living Wage

Many codes and sourcing policiesrequire payment of the legalminimum wage, but incountries like Bangladeshand Cambodia such wagesare not enough to live on.A ‘living wage’ is a wage

high enough for workersto meet their families’basic needs with asmall amount left overfor savings in case ofan emergency.

A ‘living wage’ is a wage high enough forworkers to meet their families’ basicneeds with a small amount left over.

Pesticides andother chemicals can

aect the health ofgarment workers.

http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/bangladeshaccord.org/http://www.sourcingnetwork.org/the-cotton-pledgehttp://www.sourcingnetwork.org/the-cotton-pledgehttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/bangladeshaccord.org/


5/17

08 09

Environment & animal issuesHazardous Chemicals

Toxic chemicals from clothing manufacturing pollute waterways and can harm humanhealth. In China, some two-thirds of all waters are contaminated with hazardouschemicals, mainly from the textile industry.

The Greenpeace Detox campaign challenged the world’s most popular clothing brandsto eliminate all releases of hazardous chemicals. Chemicals of concern include phthalates,amines from azo dies (linked to cancer), and NPEs. Greenpeace considers any use ofthese and some other chemicals to be unacceptable.

31 major international fashion companies have made commitments to the Greenpeacecampaign. Most have been assessed as leaders – meaning they have met theircommitments to date.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Fashion companies should disclose their total carbon emissions, set a target forreduction of their total emissions over time, and adopt practices designed to meetthose targets. Better still, they should include their direct and as far as possible indirectsuppliers in their carbon accounting.

The most robust way to achieve these goals is for the company to participate in theinternational Carbon Disclosure Project, now known as CDP. The CDP was created togain information for investors – a project that Australian Ethical Investment has helpedlead in this country. Much of the CDPs information is also useful to consumers directlyor via a consumer organisation like Good On You. Some companies choose to discloseseparately, a practice that has been criticised by the CDP , but still better than those thatrefuse to disclose or set targets at all.

Waste and packaging

While the Australian Packaging Covenant is in theory a voluntary agreement to encouragewaste minimisation, brands with turnover above $5 million per annum are required tosign up or comply with regulations designed to limit packaging.

Ensuring animal welfare

Key animal welfare issues include the cruelty involved in obtaining fur and angora‘wool’ - which is in fact rabbit fur often stripped from live animals, and the ‘mulesing’of some sheep.

Many brands have committed to be fur free, and separately have pledged not to useAngora fur.

Mulesing involves cutting into the esh of the live animal as an ecient way to preventthe y strike disease. Mulesing was to be phased out by the Australian Merino woolindustry in favour of more humane prevention strategies. This has not in fact happened.However, a number of brands are committed to avoiding wool produced using mulesing.

Nearly $2.6 billion USD worth ofpesticides are sprayed on cotton eldseach year – that’s 10% of total pesticide

use worldwide, according to thePesticide Action Network.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/detox/fashion/detox-catwalk/https://www.cdp.net/en-us/pages/homepage.aspxhttps://www.australianethical.com.au/news/australias-first-climate-change-shareholder-resolutions/https://www.australianethical.com.au/news/australias-first-climate-change-shareholder-resolutions/http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/blog/cdp-report-companies-emissions-failinghttp://www.packagingcovenant.org.au/pages/about-apc.htmlhttp://www.greenlifestylemag.com.au/features/20088/making-wool-sustainablehttp://www.greenlifestylemag.com.au/features/20088/making-wool-sustainablehttp://www.packagingcovenant.org.au/pages/about-apc.htmlhttp://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/blog/cdp-report-companies-emissions-failinghttps://www.australianethical.com.au/news/australias-first-climate-change-shareholder-resolutions/https://www.australianethical.com.au/news/australias-first-climate-change-shareholder-resolutions/https://www.cdp.net/en-us/pages/homepage.aspxhttp://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/detox/fashion/detox-catwalk/


6/17

10 11

Not good enough

#10. Just JeansAnother child of the 70s, Just Jeans is an Australian-born company that now has almosta thousand locations across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. Despitewhat the name would suggest, Just Jeans carries more than just denim for the wholefamily. Alongside designer denim brands, Just Jeans stocks its own line of jeans, clothing,accessories, and footwear.

Good On You rating:

Environment:

Climate change & energy eciency. No info

Impact - hazardous chemicals. Has banned sandblasting.

Impact - eco-materials. No info

Packaging and waste. Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant.

Labour:

Fair Labour Conditions. Minimal Supplier Code of Conduct; it doesn’t include freedom ofassociation and collective bargaining of a ‘no discrimination’ provision, and it’s not includedin supplier contracts.

Living wage. No

Safe workplace. Have not signed Bangladesh Accord.

Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child labour but doesn’tmention forced labour. Has not signed Uzbek Cotton Pledge.

Traceability and transparancy. Almost no tracing of suppliers and little monitoring. Hasn’tpublished a list of their suppliers.

External Ranking. Behind the Barcode: D

Animal Welfare:

Fur Free. No commitment; no evidence of use.

Angora Pledge. Have recently committed to discontinue.

Avoids Mulesing. No info

Overall: Just Jeans fails to be transparent across all aspects of production andneeds to do signicant work to improve their rating. While they have made somesmall eorts to minimise their environmental impact and are taking stands againstchild labour, they have yet to prove their claims regarding labour rights. They havebeen slow to act on animal welfare issues and need to do a lot more regardingenvironmental sustainability.

– Just Jeans is owned by Premier Investments Ltd,which also owns Peter Alexander, Jacqui E, Jay Jays,Portmans, and Dotti.

Tip: Wash yourclothes in cold

water to reduce

your eco-impact,reduce the risk of

colours running,and make clothes

last longer.


7/17

12 13

Not good enough

#9. Myer Myer has been Australia’s one-stop shop for everything from clothing and cosmeticsto electronics and furniture since 1900. The popular department store can be foundin every Australian state and carries mid-range to high-end essentials.

Good On You rating:

Environment:

Climate change & energy eciency. Reports greenhouse gas emissions. Targeted a5% decrease in FY2014 on FY2013. Targets energy intensity reduction of 10-15% by 2018.

Impact - hazardous chemicals. Prohibits use of azo dyes in products.


Packaging and waste. Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant. Operates recyclingprograms across distribution centres and support oce – reports 57% recycling rate.

Labour:

Fair Labour Conditions. Has a solid Supplier Code of Conduct based on the Ethical TradingInitiative, included in supplier contracts.

Living wage. No

Safe workplace. Appears to source from Bangladesh but has not signed theBangladesh Accord.

Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour;Has “taken steps” to exclude Uzbek cotton from supply chain.

Traceability and transparancy. Traces & monitors some suppliers at cut-make-trim level.Hasn’t published list of suppliers. Both auditors & factory managers trained to identify humantracking, child- and forced-labour.

External Ranking. Behind the Barcode: C-

Animal Welfare:

Fur Free

Signed Angora Pledge


Overall: While Myer has made some improvements, the company needs to show farmore eort across all three categories. According the 2013 report by the AustralianCouncil of Superannuation Investors, Myer sources products from countries withknown systemic labour and human rights concerns. They lack adequate transparencyin their policies on workers’ rights and environmental impact.

The most ethicalclothes are the ones you already own!

Try ‘shopping in your own cupboard’before buying new.


8/17

14 15

Not good enough

#8. SportsgirlSince the 1940s, Melbourne-born Sportsgirl has aimed to provide young femaleconsumers with fun designs and an innovative shopping experience. This fast-fashionbrand prides itself on staying ahead of the global trends, and has partnered with theButtery Foundation to promote positive body image.

Good On You rating:

Environment:

Climate change & energy eciency. No info found about CO2 emissions other than thatit works with Greeneet to calculate and oset emissions from its vehicles.

Impact - hazardous chemicals. No azo dyes are used in any denim production.

Impact - eco-materials.


Labour:

Fair Labour Conditions. Has a solid Supplier Code of Conduct based on the Ethical TradingInitiative; included in supplier contracts.

Living wage. Pays wages above legal minimum to a portion of their cut-make-trim facilities.

Safe workplace. Appears not to source from Bangladesh.

Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour.Boycotts Uzbek cotton.

Traceability and transparancy. Traces and monitors all suppliers at cut-make trim level.Audited by an external auditor. Has not published a list of suppliers.

External Ranking. Behind the Barcode: B

Animal Welfare:




Overall: The company has taken steps to improve its impact on labour and animals,but lacks transparency on its climate change and other environmental impacts. TheAustralian Fashion Report highlighted Sportsgirl’s parent company Sussan’s signicantimprovement on labour over the past two years.

– This brand belongs to Sussan Group, which also includes Suzanne Grae, and Sussan.


9/17

16 17

Not good enough *

#7. Cotton OnA prominent fast-fashion chain, this Australian brand specialises in both trendy piecesand basic essentials for men, women, teens and children. The brand was founded in1991 and has since expanded to 12 countries.

Good On You rating:

Environment:

Climate change & energy eciency. No information on commitments or reported reductionsin greenhouse gas use or energy eciency.

Impact - hazardous chemicals. Ban on sandblasting and azo dyes.

Impact - eco-materials. No info.

Packaging and waste. Distribution Centres have a focus on recycling materials includingplastic, cardboard, general waste and metal.

Labour:

Fair Labour Conditions. Has a solid Supplier Code of Conduct; included in supplier contracts.Concerns about absence of trade unions and collective bargaining at some suppliers.

Living wage. No commitment.

Safe workplace. Has signed the Bangladesh Accord.

Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child & forced labour.Policies to prevent children from being hired into overseas factories. If children are foundworking, they are rehabilitated & the family is compensated. Have signed Uzbek Cotton Pledge.

Traceability and transparancy. Traces & monitors all suppliers at cut-make-trim & inputlevels. Has published a list of some of their direct suppliers.

External Ranking. Behind the Barcode: A-

Animal Welfare:




Overall: Cotton On has made great improvements in their labour policies. Cotton oncould do better by moving towards ensuring workers receive a living wage, measuringand reporting their environmental impact and improving their commitments onanimal welfare.

– This brand belongs to Cotton On Group, which also includes Factorie, Rubi Shoes, Typo, and Supré.

* But committed to improve.


10/17

18 19

It’s a start

#6. TopshopThis UK brand began in a London department store in the 1960s. Today, Topshophas international standing as a retailer, and has partnered with celebrities, models,and designers. The latest collaboration? An activewear line designed by Beyoncé!

Good On You rating:

Environment:

Climate change & energy eciency. Limited info. In 2013, 94% of stores, oces, anddstribution centres run on renewable energy. In 2014, CO2 down 8%, and total combinedenergy use decreased by 12%.

Impact - hazardous chemicals. Ban on sandblasting.

Impact - eco-materials. Member of the Better Cotton Initiative. No info on total use ofpreferred raw materials (organic cotton, recycled polyester).

Packaging and waste. Limited info. They claim their overall recycling rate is 89%.

Labour:

Fair Labour Conditions. Supplier Code of Conduct. Unclear if it’s included in all suppliercontracts. Not members of the Ethical Trading Initiative.

Living wage. Code of Conduct states that “wages should always be enough to meet basic needsand to provide some discretionary income” but implementation is not convincing.


Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour,however denition of a “child” is under 15 years, not 18.

Traceability and transparancy. Unsure. They did 3,212 ethical audits (by an externalcompany) over a year, but unclear proportion of suppliers this covers.

External Ranking. Not rated by Behind the Barcode.

Animal Welfare:

Fur Free


Avoids Mulesing. Ban on mulesing.

Overall: In 2007, parent company Arcadia was involved in sweatshop labour in bothMauritius and the UK. Since then, Arcadia has at least committed to “living wages” andsigned up to some key multi-stakeholder agreements, like the Bangladesh Accord.Topshop has shown signicant improvement in the last few years. However unlike itsinternational fast-fashion peers it has joined neither the Ethical Trading Initiative northe Carbon Disclosure Project. New eorts towards producing ethical clothing andencouraging consumers to wash clothes at lower temperatures are steps in theright direction.

– This brand belongs to Arcadia Group Ltd, which also ownsTopman, Dorothy Perkins, Burton, Evans, Miss Selfridge,and Wallis.


11/17

20 21

#5. David JonesA Welsh merchant founded this high-end department store chain in Sydney in 1838. TheDJs name is synonymous with luxury shopping, and 39 locations exist across the country.

Good On You rating:

Environment: Climate change & energy eciency. Listed in Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index 2014.Measures emissions and reports annually. Reports under National Greenhouse Reportingscheme. Reduced emissions by 33% against 2016 baseline with further specic targets set.All private label suppliers have signed Code of Conduct with climate related provisions.

Impact - hazardous chemicals. Policy requires ‘adequate control measures’ and prioritiseselimination of Azo dyes, heavy metals and other chemicals.

Impact - eco-materials. Commitment to increasing use of sustainable res in particularsustainable cotton. DJs brand includes organic cotton range; other house brands made fromrecycled plastic or sustainable res.

Packaging and waste. Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant. Operates wasteminimisation program. In FY2013, reported 54% reduction in general waste collection ona FY2006 baseline.

Labour:

Fair Labour Conditions. Robust Supplier Code of Conduct in line with Ethical TradingInitiative’s Base Code.

Living wage. Code of Conduct says wages to meet basic needs + “some” discretionary income.

Safe workplace. Has not signed Bangladesh Accord as did not source from Bangladesh in past.Supports Accord and reviewing position.

Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour;Signatory to the Responsible Sourcing Network’s Cotton Pledge”. Committed to “not knowingly”using cotton sourced from Uzbekistan in their products.

Traceability and transparancy. Identies and monitors direct suppliers. Has commencedprocess to identify all suppliers in supply chain. Does not yet publish a supplier list.

External Ranking. Behind the Barcode: C-

Animal Welfare:

Fur Free


Avoids Mulesing. Broad animal welfare provision in Code of Conduct but no specic prohibition.

Overall: In the past David Jones has been identied as sourcing from countries withknown labour abuses. However, in May 2015 David Jones set an ambitious target forevery product to be ethically sourced, and has begun to implement that commitment.In 2014 DJs was acquired by Woolworths South Africa, a company with relatively highethical standards. Combined with their longer-standing environmental initiatives, DJsis now working towards a leadership position.


Good On You rating: It’s a start *

Add meaning toyour wardrobe

Bypass the shops andhost a clothes swapwith friends – each

item will have a story

that reminds youof friendship when you wear it.


12/17

22 23

It’s a start

#4. ZaraKnown for its swift ability to turn runway designs into street clothing within a week, thisSpanish company is the largest apparel retailer in the world. Distributed in 88 countries,this company launches thousands of designs a year for women, men, and children.

Good On You rating:

Environment:

Climate change & energy eciency. Goal of 10% reduction in emissions in 2015 (from 2005CO2), & 20% reduction in 2020. Haven’t reported since 2013. Target of 20% reduction in energyacross business, by “per garment sold”.

Impact - hazardous chemicals. Committed to zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by2020. Signed the Greenpeace Detox Commitment to eliminate hazardous chemical groupsfrom production. Has prohibited the use of PFCs. Ban on sandblasting.

Impact - eco-materials. Member of the Better Cotton Initiative. No tangible information onthe total use of preferred raw materials (organic cotton, recycled polyester).

Packaging and waste. Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant. All paper bags & labelsused have the PEFC or FSC certication. Implements waste minimisation and management measures. Reports aggregate results on packaging and materials waste.

Labour: Fair Labour Conditions. Has a robust Supplier Code of Conduct; included in suppliercontracts. Full member of the Ethical Trading Initiative.

Living wage. Pays wages above the legal minimum at cut-make-trim facilities.


Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour.Has signed Uzbek Cotton Pledge.

Traceability and transparancy. Traces and monitors all suppliers at the cut-make trim level.Has not published a list of suppliers.

Uses an external auditor. Auditors & factory managers

trained to identify human tracking, child labour, & forced labour.


Animal Welfare:

Fur Free


Avoids Mulesing. States mulesing is not accepted in its supply chain.

Overall: Zara actively addresses a wide range of animal, environmental andlabour concerns but as the largest fashion company in the world it could be moretransparent in responding to the disastrous impacts of fast fashion.

– This brand belongs to Inditex, which also includesPull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho,Zara Home, and Uterqüe.


13/17

24 25

It’s a start *

Tip:Before giving

your clothingaway, consider

if you could

re-dye it, or perhaps fnd

another use for the fabric

– such as forcushions.

#3. CueA winner of numerous fashion awards, Sydney brand Cue has brought the latestEuropean trends to Australia and New Zealand since 1968. The “reactive” brand createsout new designs each week to bring consumers the hottest looks of the moment.

Good On You rating:

Environment:

Climate change & energy eciency. Cue minimises waste and transport emissions throughlocal production in response to in-store demand.

Impact - hazardous chemicals. No info


Packaging and waste. Not a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant.

Labour:

Fair Labour Conditions. Accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) for products are madein Australia (about 75% of sales). Cue products made overseas, including knits, are not coveredby ECA certication. Robust Supplier Code of Conduct included in supplier contracts.

Living wage. Living wage at the cut-make-trim level for clothes made in Australia, which carrythe Ethical Clothing Australia tag.

Safe workplace. Most production is in Australia. Has not signed Bangladesh Accord but noevidence of production in Bangladesh.


Traceability and transparancy. Traces and monitors all suppliers at the cut-make trim level.Has not published a list of suppliers.

External Ranking. Behind the Barcode: B

Animal Welfare:


Angora Pledge. Not signed, but has denounced the use of Angora and prohibited it in theirsupply chain.


Overall: Cue has been accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia since 2009, and 75%of their products are made in Australia. Cue works closely with the Textile Clothing &Footwear Union to maintain an ethical workplace. Unfortunately, Cue’s transparencyand very high benchmark on labour are not matched in relation to their standards onenvironmental issues.

– This brand also includes Veronika Maine.



14/17

26 27

Good

#2. H&MThis Swedish brand is a big international player. The company’s roots go back to the1940s, when it was envisioned as a women’s clothing store. Now, the company createsfast fashion for all ages, with stores on every continent. (Well, except for Antarctica!)

Good On You rating:

Environment:

Climate change & energy eciency. Set emissions reduction targets through CDP ClimatePerformance Leadership Index 2014, but hasn’t fully reached them. Renewable energy target of80% by end of 2015, & 20% energy reduction in stores.

Impact - hazardous chemicals. Has banned sandblasting. Greenpeace Detox Commitment toeliminate hazardous chemical groups: rated as ‘Leader’.

Impact - eco-materials. Member of the Better Cotton Initiative: 14% of raw materials madefrom more sustainable materials, such as organic cotton.

Packaging and waste. Garment collection initiative, and target to recycle 95% of waste.

Labour:

Fair Labour Conditions. Robust Supplier Code of Conduct included in supplier contracts.Foundation member of the Ethical Trading Initiative.

Living wage. Pay wages above legal minimum at cut-make-trim facilities. Committed to livingwage by 2018.

Safe workplace. Has signed Bangladesh Accord.


Traceability and transparancy. Traces and monitors all suppliers at the cut-make-trim andinputs levels. Publishes lists of direct suppliers and countries in which suppliers are located.Auditors and factory managers trained to identify tracking, child- and forced-labour.


Animal Welfare:

Fur Free


Avoids Mulesing. Supports sourcing non-mulesed wool.

Overall: H&M actively addresses a wide range of animal, environmental, and labourconcerns – but as the second-largest international fashion company, it could be moretransparent in responding to the disastrous impacts of fast fashion. Although H&M hassigned a number of accords on labour issues, there are concerns reform is too slow.Their living wage commitments have been criticised as they source from Cambodia,where the minimum wage is just 21% of what Asia Floor Wage calculates to be fair.

– This brand belongs to H&M Group, which also includesCOS, Monki, Weekday, and Cheap Monday.


15/17

28 29

#1. Country RoadWhat began as a cotton shirt label in the 1970s has grown to become an Australianand New Zealand staple for modern essentials. The company carries women and men’sclothing, footwear, and accessories, and also oers children’s necessities and homewares.

Good On You rating:

Environment:

Climate change & energy eciency. Limited information. Parent company Woolworths SAhas won awards for improved indicators on carbon footprint. LED lights in many stores.

Impact - hazardous chemicals. Environmental Code of Practice prohibits dyes and chemicalsthat presents a risk to people/planet. Uses low volatile organic compound paint.

Impact - eco-materials. No info.


Labour:

Fair Labour Conditions. Robust Supplier Code of Conduct aligned with Ethical TradingInitiative’s Base Code; included in supplier contracts.

Living wage. Pays wages above legal minimum in their cut-make-trim facilities.

Safe workplace. Does not source from Bangladesh.

Child labour/forced labour. Code of Conduct includes elimination of child and forced labour.Do not knowingly purchase from Uzbekistan, however have not signed the Uzbek Cotton Pledge.

Traceability and transparancy. Has traced all of their suppliers to raw materials level. Directsuppliers externally audited.

External Ranking. Behind the Bar Code: B+

Animal Welfare:

Fur Free

Signed Angora Pledge. Does not use angora wool.

Avoids Mulesing. Supports sourcing non-mulesed wool.

Overall: Country Road’s “Great” rating reects the positive steps it has taken onanimals, people, and the planet. The brand recognises the importance of transparencyand has made eorts to reduce negative impacts across all aspects of production.To improve their score further, the company could make a commitment to choosingeco-friendly materials, and explicitly state the actions they are taking to minimise theirimpact on the climate.

– Country Road Ltd, also owns Trenery, Witchery, and Mimco.

Tip:Take a leaf out of Coco Chanel’sbook: buy classic styles ratherthan the latest fashion trend.

“Fashion changes,but style endures”– Coco Chanel

Good


16/17

30 31

Social Enterprise fashionThe Social Outt and The Social Studio are quality fashion labels that producedistinctive, ethically-made garments by people from new migrant andrefugee backgrounds.

Vegan and animal friendly

If you’re concerned about animal welfare, there are plenty of vegan options available.Check the PETA Shopping Guide to Compassionate Clothing to discover vegan brands,and keep an eye on the Good On You blog for informative articles like The HiddenCosts of Leather.

Also check Animals Australia’s fur-free shopping list.

Better alternatives:Finding clothing that meets your values

Good On You has rated nearly 1,000 clothing brands on ethical criteria. Search for abrand at www.goodonyou.org.au for the ratings – and if you aren’t happy with a brandthey’ll show you alternative brands with a better rating.

The Good On You Ethical Shopping Assistant is a smartphone app that’s dueto be released later in 2015, and includes over 3,000 brands. The app gives youlocations of stores that stock the brands you’re looking for, and it even lets you topersonalise the rankings to match your ethical priorities.

Fair Trade Clothing Brands

There are at least a dozen fair trade clothing brands in Australia.Here’s just a few:

3Fish – mens and women’s tees

Audrey Blue – women’s jersey dresses

Etiko - shoes and t-shirts

Kowtow – women’s fashion

Life Threads - men’s graphic tees

Muka Kids – a NZ children’s brand

Pants to Poverty - underwear

Rrepp - basic tees and streetwear

OrganicMany of the Fair Trade brands listed above are also organic. Someof the following organic brands, such as ALAS and Carlie Ballard,address other ethical issues as well. Other options include:

ALAS Sleepwear

Carlie Ballard

BestowedBlessed Earth

Purepod

Some of the larger brands like Gorman, ASOS, and H&M also haveorganic options.

Check outthe brands

accredited byEthical Clothing

Australia thathave superiorstandards for Aussie-made

products.

http://www.peta.org/living/fashion/cruelty-free-clothing-guide/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/the-hidden-costs-of-leatherhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/the-hidden-costs-of-leatherhttp://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/fur-free-shopping-list.phphttp://www.goodonyou.org.au/http://3fish.com.au/http://www.audreyblue.com/http://www.etiko.com.au/http://www.kowtowclothing.com/http://www.lifethreadsclothing.com.au/http://mukakids.com/http://www.pantstopoverty.com/http://www.rrepp.com.au/http://alasthelabel.com/http://carlieballard.com/http://www.bestowed.com/http://www.blessedearth.com.au/http://www.purepod.com.au/http://www.ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au/accredited-brandhttp://www.ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au/accredited-brandhttp://www.purepod.com.au/http://www.blessedearth.com.au/http://www.bestowed.com/http://carlieballard.com/http://alasthelabel.com/http://www.rrepp.com.au/http://www.pantstopoverty.com/http://mukakids.com/http://www.lifethreadsclothing.com.au/http://www.kowtowclothing.com/http://www.etiko.com.au/http://www.audreyblue.com/http://3fish.com.au/http://www.goodonyou.org.au/http://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/fur-free-shopping-list.phphttp://goodonyou.org.au/the-hidden-costs-of-leather/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/the-hidden-costs-of-leatherhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/the-hidden-costs-of-leatherhttp://www.peta.org/living/fashion/cruelty-free-clothing-guide/


17/17

32 33

TipsIt’s not always easy to balance your budget, needs, and personal style with yourcommitment to doing better by people, the planet, and animals. But when you knowyour options, you can usually nd better or worse choices. The goal is to choosebetter options more often!

Here are some of our top tips for creating an ethical wardrobe.Click the hyperlinks to learn more:

Find alternatives brand by brand

Buy for quality, not quantity

Work with your budget

Express yourself by choosing ethical

Opt to buy secondhand

Host a clothing swap

Repair and take care of your clothing

Know your labels

More info

- The True Cost, is a groundbreaking documentary lm that pulls back the curtain on theuntold story and asks us to consider, who really pays the price for our clothing?

- Planet Money Makes a T-Shirt is a fascinating documentary series that shows youthe world behind a simple T-shirt from cotton through each of the many stages ofproduction and distribution.

- The Good On You ethical blog provides regular tips and news on clothing, fashion,beauty and lifestyle issues.

- The Australian Fashion Report by Behind the Barcode sets out the labour rights issuesin fashion in detail.

- Shop Ethical’s Clothing pages give insights into particular issues including leather, silk,supply chain transparency, labour standards, living wages, jeans and sandblasting,cotton and pesticides and more.

- Oxfam continues to campaign for Australian brands to sign the Bangladesh Accord.

- There are a number of Australian Organisations involved in the ght against slavery, childlabour and forced labour here and overseas including The Freedom Partnership, Stopthe Trak, Not for Sale and Project Futures, World Vision and Anti-Slavery Australia.

Sydney designer Carlie Ballard creates ethical, sustainable pieceslike this ‘Destination Jumpsuit’.

This guide has been prepared for Australian Ethical by Good On You based onpublicly available information. While utmost caution was taken to ensure accuracy,the parties cannot accept liability for incorrectness. The content was correct tothe best of our knowledge as at 30 September, 2015. Things change and newinformation comes to light. Updated info is available from www.goodonyou.org.au.
http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/autumn-style-done-ethically/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/quality-fashion-over-fast-fashion/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/the-uniform-approach-on-simple-wardrobes-outfit-repetition/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/resisting-fast-fashion-build-ethical-wardrobe-budget/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/why-i-care-about-ethical-fashion/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/5-easy-ways-shop-second-hand/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/5-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-clothing-swap/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/the-ultimate-guide-to-making-your-clothes-last-longer/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/does-the-devil-wear-prada/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/truecostmovie.com/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/apps.npr.org/tshirt/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/bloghttps://www.baptistworldaid.org.au/news-and-blogs/australianfashionreport/http://www.ethical.org.au/get-informed/clothing/https://www.oxfam.org.au/tag/bangladesh/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/endslavery.salvos.org.au/http://www.stopthetraffik.org/australiahttp://www.stopthetraffik.org/australiahttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/au.notforsalecampaign.org/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/projectfutures.com/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/campaign.worldvision.com.au/campaigns/dont-trade-lives/http://www.antislavery.org.au/get-involved/ethical-consumerism.htmlhttp://carlieballard.com/http://www.goodonyou.org.au/http://www.goodonyou.org.au/http://carlieballard.com/http://www.antislavery.org.au/get-involved/ethical-consumerism.htmlhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/campaign.worldvision.com.au/campaigns/dont-trade-lives/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/projectfutures.com/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/au.notforsalecampaign.org/http://www.stopthetraffik.org/australiahttp://www.stopthetraffik.org/australiahttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/endslavery.salvos.org.au/https://www.oxfam.org.au/tag/bangladesh/http://www.ethical.org.au/get-informed/clothing/https://www.baptistworldaid.org.au/news-and-blogs/australianfashionreport/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/bloghttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/apps.npr.org/tshirt/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/truecostmovie.com/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/does-the-devil-wear-prada/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/the-ultimate-guide-to-making-your-clothes-last-longer/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/5-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-clothing-swap/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/5-easy-ways-shop-second-hand/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/why-i-care-about-ethical-fashion/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/resisting-fast-fashion-build-ethical-wardrobe-budget/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/the-uniform-approach-on-simple-wardrobes-outfit-repetition/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/quality-fashion-over-fast-fashion/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/goodonyou.org.au/autumn-style-done-ethically/

10 top fashion brands. how do they rate?

Documents