Guess
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Los Angeles brand selling denim, clothing, handbags and footwear.
Union rights were breached in Guess's supply chain in 2018, which it hasn't put right, and workers in Bangladesh and India are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
Better-graded bags and accessories
Graded higher than Guess, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
None of the bags and accessories brands we know to make jeans is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. Joyya, The Social Studio and 7 more are Good, but we don't know that they make jeans. 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 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, clear breaches of labour conditions and a problem with pay, rights or safety with no fix shown. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (union rights breach, last recorded in 2018) is more than 5 years old.
- 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 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsA confirmed problem counts against it: union rights breach, last recorded in 2018
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier 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 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Clear breaches of labour conditions
- Red flag: A confirmed problem with pay, rights or safety not shown to be put rightShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Guess's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list. Its list covers only part of its range. 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 |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| 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
- Publishes supplier list
- 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.
- 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 Guess buys finished goods from about 370 independent suppliers; China, Bangladesh and India make more than 80% of its production, with other sourcing including Myanmar, but no country shares are published. It publishes a vendor list and map covering over 90% of units and audits suppliers about yearly, but has no living wage commitment. Cotton is about 60% of materials, with a regenerative cotton project in Pakistan. Licensees make most footwear and handbags.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Guess? Inc scored 31% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, above the 26% average; not rated in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Company profile lists stories on its Cambodia and Myanmar suppliers, with seven response requests and a 0% response rate. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | A 2018 ILO Better Factories Cambodia assessment found freedom of association and pregnant worker breaches at CIK Cambodia, a Guess supplier that fired three union founders in 2017 (BHRRC). Source · search the archive | NoGuess did not respond to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre; dismissed workers were still seeking reinstatement in 2025. |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- In 2023 Canada's Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise opened an investigation into claims that Guess Canada has supply links to Chinese firms tied to Uyghur forced labour; Guess denies this and says it stopped Xinjiang tier 1 sourcing in 2019. Source
- Workers at J-Land Myanmar, an alleged Guess supplier, reported wage cuts, unpaid overtime, denied leave and verbal abuse in 2023-24; Guess did not respond (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2024). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Cambodia: garment workers dismissed for unionising (BHRRC) · search the archive · CIK Cambodia union founders fired 2017; Better Factories Cambodia 2018 findings; Guess no response
- Guess? - Shop Ethical (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Fashion Transparency Index 2023: 31%; no Ethical Fashion Report score listed
- Guess Inc FY2025 annual report (SEC) · search the archive · Full-package sourcing mainly in China; licensees make footwear, handbags and accessories; about 13,000 staff
- Canada ethics watchdog investigates Guess on China forced labour concerns (Just Style) · search the archive · CORE investigation opened December 2023; Guess denies, says it ended Xinjiang tier 1 business in 2019
- Authentic and Guess co-founders complete take-private (Business Wire) · search the archive · Take-private completed January 2026
Published by Guess or its owner
- Guess FY2024-2025 ESG Report · search the archive · China, Bangladesh, India over 80% of volume; 373 suppliers; 282 assessed; cotton about 60%, leather under 1%
- Guess Policies and Resources (vendor list and supply chain map) · search the archive · Vendor list of key tier 1 facilities and key tier 2 denim suppliers (last updated February 2024); supplier code of conduct
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 13,000
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Guess ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/guess, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Guess.