J.Crew
Harm on record. Has recent confirmed harm to workers that it hasn't put right.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
New York brand selling clothing, cashmere knitwear and shoes.
In 2023, migrant children in Los Angeles were found stitching 'Made in America' tags into J.Crew's shirts.
Also worth knowing
There's no public record of J.Crew putting this right.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent J.Crew? Send a right of reply.
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Why it's graded Harm on record
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and forced or child labour. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- Holds the grade back: It's Harm on record because of a serious confirmed problem from the last 5 years with no public record of it being put right: child labour, last recorded in 2023.
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 rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in Bangladesh, Vietnam and China.
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Not 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, leather and cashmere) 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: Forced, slave or child labour found in or linked to its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
These are J.Crew Group's countries across all its brands; J.Crew doesn't say where its own 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 |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | 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
- 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 traces or certifies most of it. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
- Traces or certifies most but not all of its cashmere. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes J.Crew does not own factories. Its group last reported over 200 vendors running 339 factories in 26 countries, but publishes no factory list or country breakdown; Vietnam and Bangladesh are named. In 2025 the group ran 233 factory audits, its own and external. Fair Trade USA certified factories made 48% of J.Crew cashmere sweaters and 55% of its chinos in 2025, down from 100% and 71% in 2024, and it dropped those targets. It has no public living wage commitment. Its modern slavery statement online dates from 2019.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Problem found | Named in the New York Times' 2023 'Alone and Exploited' investigation: children in Los Angeles sewed labels into J.Crew shirts. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Company profile records 7 response requests with a 72% response rate, covering child labour in the US and factory dismissals in Cambodia. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Publishes a combined California Transparency Act and UK Modern Slavery Act statement, but the version online covers the year to February 2019. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Certified | Fair Trade USA certified factories (16 in 8 countries) made 48% of J.Crew cashmere sweaters and 55% of its chinos in 2025, down from 100% and 71% in 2024. 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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | A 2023 New York Times investigation into migrant child labour in the US found children in Los Angeles stitching "Made in America" tags into J.Crew shirts (New York Times, 2023). Source · archived copy | Not knownJ.Crew told the New York Times it would investigate but did not answer the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre; no outcome has been published. |
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.
- A Cambodian union alleged in 2023 that M&V International Manufacturing, a J.Crew sweater supplier, cut 500 workers and abused their rights; J.Crew said its investigation found 146 short-term contracts had expired and no evidence of abuse (BHRRC, 2024). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- USA: Investigation reveals migrant children working in factories (BHRRC) · archived copy · NYT 2023: children in Los Angeles stitched tags into J.Crew shirts; J.Crew did not respond to BHRRC
- J.Crew's response to Who Pays for the Crisis tracker allegations (BHRRC) · search the archive · Union alleged 500 dismissals at M&V Cambodia in 2023; J.Crew disputed the claim
Published by J.Crew or its owner
- J.Crew Group 2025 Impact Report · search the archive · 2025: Fair Trade 16 factories in 8 countries, 48% cashmere sweaters, 55% chinos; 233 audits; 81% sustainable cotton, 96% cashmere, 94% LWG leather
- J.Crew Group 2024 Impact Report · search the archive · 2024: Fair Trade 100% cashmere sweaters, 71% chinos; Vietnam and Bangladesh factories named
- California Transparency Act / UK Modern Slavery Act statement (J.Crew) · search the archive · Over 200 vendors, 339 factories in 26 countries; announced and unannounced audits; statement covers FY ending Feb 2019
- Responsible Cashmere (J.Crew) · search the archive · Cashmere from over 1,000 Good Cashmere Standard certified farms in Inner Mongolia
- J.Crew Impact Report 2022 (published 2023) · search the archive · Vietnam named as a key sourcing country; Leather Working Group member
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is J.Crew ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/j-crew, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Harm on record means
Better-graded basics
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 J.Crew.