Dickies
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
US workwear brand known for work pants, shirts and overalls.
Dickies can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and Honduras earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
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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.
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 Bangladesh and China, 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 and leather) 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; Dickies doesn't say where its products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Honduras | No guarantee of rights | Well 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.
- Uses leather in only a few products and doesn't show where it comes from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Since Bluestar Alliance bought Dickies from VF Corporation in November 2025, no factory list or supply chain disclosure for the brand has been published, and VF's factory list no longer covers Dickies-only factories. Production countries are not disclosed; retailer listings show pants labelled made in Bangladesh and Honduras. Dickies was not assessed in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report and has no living wage commitment. Reports of union leaders dismissed at a Dickies-owned Honduras factory date from 2006 and are too old to count. Most of the range is cotton or poly-cotton, with leather in a few belts, wallets and boots.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Dickies (Williamson-Dickie) was not assessed in the 2024 or 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Dickies - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Owned by Bluestar Alliance; not in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report; lists 2006 Dickies de Honduras union dismissals (US DOL 2015) as information
- Dickies' new parent signs partner for Australia and New Zealand (Inside Retail) · search the archive · Atomic Fashion Marketing continues as Dickies licensee for Australia and New Zealand under Bluestar
- Dickies and Randa extend partnership (Leatherbiz) · search the archive · Licensee Randa makes Dickies men's belts, wallets and travel goods (minorLeather)
- VF Corporation Completes Sale of Dickies to Bluestar Alliance · search the archive · VF completed the sale of Dickies to Bluestar Alliance on 12 November 2025
- VF Corporation Factory List · search the archive · VF's 2026 factory list no longer includes factories solely producing Dickies products
- Dickies 874 work pants (Revolve) · search the archive · 874 work pants are 65% polyester, 35% cotton, some labelled made in Honduras (usesCotton)
- REVOLVE: Dickies pants listings · search the archive · Of 16 Dickies pants, 6 listed 'Made in Bangladesh' and 5 'Made in Honduras'
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Dickies ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/dickies, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded workwear and uniforms
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Dickies.