Labour Lens

General Pants Co.

Lacks transparency

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

Clothing & footwear

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 2 November 2026 · 3 sources

Australian youth fashion retailer with its own in-house labels.

General Pants Co. scored 8/100 in the 2026 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 2 of 6 Good requirements.
  • Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
  • 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 2 of 6

  • Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
  • Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in China.
  • 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 2

  • Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
  • Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 8/100 (2026)

Stars it would earn as Good

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

Where it's made

General Pants Co. says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.

Where it's made, and conditions there
CountryWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
AustraliaStrong protectionsAbout a living wageLow
ChinaNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate

Evidence

What we found

  • Modern slavery statement
  • Independent social audits of all its main factories
  • 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 General Pants designs its 13 in-house labels in Australia and has them made by more than 25 overseas manufacturers; its 2025 statement says its factories are in China and Australia, with sourcing expanding to Vietnam and India. It gives no shares by country and publishes no factory list. Suppliers must follow an ETI-based code and provide QIMA, BSCI or SEDEX audits, and it says it bans cotton from Xinjiang, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, but it reports no audit results and no living wage commitment. It scored 8/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportProblem foundScored 8 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, far below the 31.5 average (3 in 2024). View
Australian Modern Slavery RegisterListedVoluntary modern slavery statement for 2025: 13 in-house brands made by more than 25 overseas manufacturers, mainly in China, with some production in Australia. View

Sources and actions

Sources 3

Show all 3 sources
  1. General Pants - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report score 8/100 (average 31.5); Turkmen cotton pledge signatory; Better Cotton member

Published by General Pants Co. or its owner

  1. General Pants Co. Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · CY2025: 25+ international manufacturers; factories in China and Australia, expanding to Vietnam and India; QIMA/BSCI/SEDEX; no living wage
  2. General Pants Group Modern Slavery Statement 2020-21 · search the archive · 20 tier 1 suppliers (11 China, 7 Australia, 2 Pakistan); annual SMETA audits required; Better Cotton partner

Company details

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

Better-graded basics

13 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: Blue Spinach and SWOP Clothing Exchange and 11 more · See them allGoodIstoClothing & footwearPremium everyday clothingMade in Portugal, where legal wages are close to a living wage, and shows its suppliers.GoodPartly verifiedbassikeMissing: a full independent supply chain audit, where its earlier stages happen and 2 more · Clothing & footwearOrganic cotton casual wearPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verifiedQualitopsMissing: traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearAustralian-made tees and hoodiesPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackVerified

Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

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Something missing or wrong?

Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent General Pants Co..

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