Calibre

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources

Family-owned Melbourne menswear label selling suits, shirts and knitwear.

Calibre publishes no supplier list or independent audits, which Italian fashion needs before we presume a living wage, because Milan prosecutors have found luxury brands' subcontractors exploiting migrant workers.

Better-graded suits and tailoring

Graded higher than Calibre, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.

14 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: Blue Spinach and SWOP Clothing Exchange and 12 more · See them allGood Bianca SpenderMissing: where its earlier stages happen and a named supplier list · Clothing & footwearSydney-made women's designer fashionPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified MandatoryMissing: where its earlier stages happen and traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearWellington-made menswear and suitingPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified SuitsupplyMissing: living wage proof and traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearMen's and women's suitsPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackVerified

No suits and tailoring brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. 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.

How grades are decided

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, leather and silk) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton

Red flags 2

Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

From product labels; Calibre doesn't say where its products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
Country	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
Italy	Strong protections	Close to a living wage	Low
ChinaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
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

Being made in Italy doesn't count towards a living wage or audit here: Italian fashion and leather goods, where Milan prosecutors have found luxury brands' subcontractors exploiting migrant workers. It would need to publish its suppliers or have them independently audited.
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.
Uses leather and silk in only a few products and doesn't show where they come from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.

Research notes Calibre does not say where most of its clothing is made and publishes no supplier list, modern slavery statement or ethical sourcing policy. Some leather shoes are labelled Made in Italy, and many suits use Italian fabric, though where they are sewn is not stated. A 2005 trade report said about 70% of its range was then made in Melbourne factories, with knitwear made in Hong Kong; there is no recent information. It is not rated in the Ethical Fashion Report and holds no labour certifications. Leather and silk are a small part of the range.

Sources and actions

Sources 6

Show all 6 sources

High Calibre clothing (Ragtrader, 2005) · search the archive · In 2005 about 70% of product was made in around seven Melbourne factories, with knitwear made in Hong Kong
Calibre (menswear) - Wikipedia · search the archive · Privately held Melbourne menswear retailer with stores and David Jones concessions

Published by Calibre or its owner

Our History - Calibre · search the archive · Family-owned, founded by Gary Zecevic in 1989 in Melbourne; designs in-house; no information on manufacturing or ethical sourcing
Woven Leather Dress Loafer Tan - Calibre · search the archive · Woven leather upper and leather sole; Made in Italy (shoes and other leather lines are a small part of the range)
Shirts - Calibre · search the archive · Shirts mainly cotton and cotton-linen, with a few silk lines; no country of manufacture shown
Wool Suit Jacket Navy - Calibre · search the archive · Suit jacket made from Italian wool fabric; no country of manufacture given

Company details

Headquarters: Australia
Last researched: 2 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is Calibre ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/calibre, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method: Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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