Honest Basics
Partly verifiedHonest Basics is working towards a living wage through living wages it can already prove for part of its supply chain, with no serious warning signs. It just can't yet prove workers earn one.
Last researched 9 October 2026
Heading in the right direction. Workers are paid enough to live on, or the company is certified as working towards it, and there are no serious warning signs. One piece is still unproven. What this grade means
Good: 3 of 5
- Pays a living wage
- Respects worker rights
- Full supply chain audit, or made only in countries with rigorous labour standards
- No child or forced labour findings
- Publishes where its products are made (supplier list, named farms or its own factories)
Great: 0 of 3
- Pays beyond a living wage
- Finds and fixes problems, or invests directly in workers' communities
- Actively empowers workers
Needs all Good requirements plus two of these.
Red flags: 0
None found.
Where it's made
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Country conditions from the ITUC Global Rights Index, Global Slavery Index and living wage benchmarks. Certifications and audits can raise a company above its countries' baseline.
Why this grade
- Cotton is linked to forced labour (Xinjiang, Turkmenistan) and child labour in several growing regions. (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
- Certified organic: Organic certification has no labour criteria beyond basics.
- Publishes supplier list
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Proves a living wage for part of its supply chain only
- Uses recycled metals or fibres
- Modern slavery statement
Honest Basics is a small Berlin brand, run by proprietor Jan Hogenboom, that now makes its clothing in China at nine named factories belonging to the Ningbo Vane group. It publishes each factory's BSCI, SLCP and Higg scores and Organic Content Standard and Global Recycled Standard certificates, and says all partner factory workers are paid at least a living wage, backed by a 2023 independent payslip check at two sewing factories. It is not a Fair Wear member, no Fairtrade cotton is listed, and it previously produced GOTS-certified garments in India and Bangladesh; its current certifications page lists OCS and GRS rather than GOTS.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fair Wear | Not listed | Honest Basics is not listed as a Fair Wear member brand. View ↗ |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | No Fairtrade cotton certification is listed by Honest Basics or found for the brand. View ↗ |
| B Corp directory | Not listed | Honest Basics does not list B Corp certification. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No allegations against Honest Basics appear on the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. View ↗ |
Sources (7)
- Honest Basics: Honest Partners · archived copy · Names nine partner factories in China (Ningbo Vane group) with BSCI, SLCP and Higg FEM scores and OCS/GRS certificates.
- Honest Basics: Honest Work · archived copy · Factories in the Vane group in China; says workers are paid at least a living wage, verified only in partner factories; all factories in SLCP and/or BSCI with yearly audits; independent payslip review
- Honest Basics: Certifications and programmes · archived copy · Lists Textile Exchange OCS and GRS, ZDHC, Higg FEM, SLCP and amfori BSCI; no GOTS, Fairtrade or Fair Wear.
- Honest Basics: Statement against modern slavery · archived copy · Public zero-tolerance statement on modern slavery and child labour; says no materials come from Xinjiang.
- Honest Basics: Impressum · archived copy · Sole proprietorship in Berlin; proprietor Jan Hogenboom.
- Honest Basics: About us · archived copy · Small team of fashion and marketing professionals based in Berlin.
- Honest Basics brand rating (Sustainable Review, updated 2024) · archived copy · Earlier production at GOTS-certified partner factories in India and Bangladesh.
Last researched 9 October 2026 · details still being verified. Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Represent this company and think something is wrong? A right-of-reply form is coming soon.