Herringbone
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Sydney shirtmaker selling business shirts, suits and ties.
We couldn't confirm where Herringbone makes most of its products.
Also worth knowing
Most clothes and shoes are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where pay is usually below a living wage and unions are heavily restricted.
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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, probably 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 rightsWhere clothes and shoes are usually made, such as China and Bangladesh, 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 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, probably 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
We couldn't confirm where Herringbone makes most of its products, so this shows where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 30% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 20% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Indonesia | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Pakistan | 5% | 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 Herringbone does not say which countries its shirts and suits are made in, does not name its factories or fabric mills, and publishes no supplier list, supplier code of conduct, audit results or living wage commitment, so production is left empty. No modern slavery statement covering the brand or its owner is on the Australian register, and it is not rated in the Ethical Fashion Report or the Fashion Transparency Index. No reports of labour abuses linked to its suppliers have been published. The range is mainly cotton shirting, with no information on where the cotton comes from.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No modern slavery statement for Herringbone or its owner Black Bear Holdings is listed on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Rhodes & Beckett and Herringbone find saviour buyer (FashionNetwork, 2017) · search the archive · Black Bear Holdings, backed by Hong Kong private equity firm AO Capital, bought Herringbone in 2017 in a management buyout
- Rhodes & Beckett resurfaces under new owners (Inside Retail, 2017) · search the archive · Black Bear Holdings is a privately held Australian company backed by AO Capital
- Herringbone and Rhodes chains collapse into voluntary administration (FashionUnited, 2017) · search the archive · Van Laack bought Herringbone from administrators in 2009; second administration in February 2017
- Owner's big plans for Herringbone (Ragtrader) · search the archive · Van Laack bought the Sydney shirt brand; no manufacturing details given
- Herringbone birthday (Ragtrader, 2007) · search the archive · Premium Sydney shirt and suit brand founded about 1997; cotton business shirts are its core range
Published by Herringbone or its owner
- Modern Slavery Statements Register search · search the archive · No modern slavery statement found for Herringbone
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Herringbone ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/herringbone, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded suits and tailoring
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.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Herringbone.