Bardot
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Melbourne fashion label selling women's dresses and the Bardot Junior range.
Bardot scored 1/100 in the 2022 Ethical Fashion Report, and there's no proof it pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Bardot? Send a right of reply.
Compare Bardot with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 1/100 in 2022). Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rights95% of its products are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 1/100 (2022)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From product labels; Bardot doesn't say where its products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 79% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | 6% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 5% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Bardot does not say which countries or factories make its clothes. It designs and samples at its Melbourne head office and says it works with local manufacturers and artisans, but retailer listings label almost all its dresses Made in China. It publishes no supplier list, modern slavery statement, audit or wage information. It scored 1 out of 100 in the 2022 Ethical Fashion Report and is not in the 2024 or 2026 editions; its Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation lapsed in 2013.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Bardot Pty Ltd scored 1 out of 100 in Baptist World Aid's 2022 Ethical Fashion Report; its Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation ended in January 2013. (2022 edition; latest is 2026) View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Bardot - Shop Ethical! (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Ethical Fashion Report 2022 score 1/100; ECA accreditation ended Jan 2013; online only; about 30 staff; founder repurchased it (2022 edition; latest is 2026)
- Bardot is back: how it beat the shock collapse of 72 stores (Ragtrader) · search the archive · Founders back in control; pureplay online and wholesale; local manufacturing back on the table (May 2020)
- Fashion brand Bardot turns to KPMG for administration (Consultancy.com.au) · search the archive · Bardot entered administration in late 2019 with KPMG as administrator
- REVOLVE: Bardot dresses listings · search the archive · 21 of the first 25 Bardot dresses listed state 'Made in China'; the other 4 list no origin (checked Nov 2026)
- Bardot (fashion label) - Wikipedia · search the archive · Founded 1996 in Melbourne; administration Nov 2019; relaunched online and wholesale in 2020; repurchased by founders
Published by Bardot or its owner
- Our story - Bardot · search the archive · Australian owned and family run; designs and samples made at Melbourne head office; works with local manufacturers and artisans
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 30
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Bardot ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/bardot, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded kids and baby
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Bardot.