Size, color, fit and comfort are common factors in selecting clothing, but what about ethics?
An annual guide, published by Baptist World Aid Australia on Oct. 18, urges consumers to add the often-overlooked factor of ethics into their fashion choices.
Nearly 100 companies representing more than 400 brands were analyzed and assessed in the report. A total of 46 questions were sent to each company about various supply chain practices, ranging from tracing and transparency to worker pay and empowerment to environmental impacts.
All 98 companies surveyed received a grade of A, B, C, D or F based on the ethics of their supply chains.
“Companies scoring B or above are performing at or above the average industry standard, while those scoring C and below are currently performing below the industry average,” the report said.
A majority (76%) of companies were assessed on both publicly available information and responses from the companies to Baptist World Aid’s survey, while 24% were assessed only on public information.
Overall, 20.5% of companies received an A, compared to 56% receiving a B or C, and 23.5% rating a D or F. More specifically, four companies received an A+, 16 an A, 30 a B, 25 a C, 14 a D and nine an F.
Some of the more well-known companies receiving an A were Adidas, H&M, Lululemon Athletica, Nike and Puma. Among those receiving a B were Fruit of the Loom, Gap, Hugo Boss, Lacoste and New Balance.
Abercrombie & Fitch, ASICS, Ralph Lauren and Under Armour were among those receiving a C, while those receiving a D or F included Brand Collective (which owns Clarks, Hush Puppies and Mossimo) and Forever 21.
The full report is available here.
An interactive search feature is available here and a five-question quiz designed to help people become more conscious consumers is available here.
Managing editor for news and opinion at Good Faith Media.
