Bec + Bridge
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Sydney designer womenswear label selling dresses, tops and separates.
Bec + Bridge scored 1/100 in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, and there's no proof it pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.
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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 2024). 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 rightsMost 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 wageShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
- 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 (2024)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Bec + Bridge names some of the countries it makes in: Australia and China. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | 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 Bec + Bridge says it prioritises Sydney-based makers it has worked with for over 15 years and uses offshore suppliers when local manufacturing is not possible; its product pages label many styles 'Designed in Australia + made in China', but it gives no split or factory names. Suppliers must follow a code of conduct based on ILO principles and disclose subcontractors. It publishes no supplier list, audit results or living wage commitment, and scored 1/100 in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Scored 1 out of 100 in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, in the bottom 20% of 120 companies; its ethical.org.au page shows no 2026 result. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Bec and Bridge - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2024 Ethical Fashion Report score 1/100, bottom 20%; Australian-owned private company
- Behind the scenes: Bec and Bridge (UTS) · search the archive · Founded 2001 by UTS design graduates Bec Cooper and Bridget Yorsten; founders said the label made its clothing in Australia
Published by Bec + Bridge or its owner
- Sustainability + Ethics (Bec + Bridge) · search the archive · Prioritises Sydney makers; offshore suppliers when needed; ILO-based Supplier Code of Conduct; subcontractors must be disclosed
- Danica Strapless Maxi Dress (Bec + Bridge) · search the archive · Product page: 'Designed in Australia + made in China'
- Lolita Midi Dress - Check (Bec + Bridge) · search the archive · Product page: 'Designed in Australia + made in China'
- Meet Our Makers (Bec + Bridge) · search the archive · Works with in-house and local makers plus Australian and global suppliers; no countries or shares given
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Bec + Bridge ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/bec-and-bridge, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded everyday fashion
None of the everyday fashion brands we know to make swimwear is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. The Social Studio, Middlemost and The Social Outfit are Good, but we don't know that they make swimwear.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Bec + Bridge.