Madewell

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

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources

J.Crew Group brand best known for jeans.

Madewell can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and Vietnam earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.

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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 Bangladesh, China and Vietnam.
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 child labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
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 and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton

Red flags 1

Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage

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; Madewell doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
Country	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
Bangladesh	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
ChinaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
Vietnam	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
Cambodia	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
Indonesia	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	Moderate
IndiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
TürkiyeUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Very high
PakistanUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	High

Evidence

What we found

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 Madewell is made by independent suppliers of J.Crew Group, which names Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia as sourcing countries but publishes no factory list or country shares. All Madewell denim pants were made in Fair Trade USA certified factories in 2025, with premiums paid into worker-run funds, though the rest of its range is not covered. The group ran 233 factory audits in 2025, its own and external (including Better Work), but has no living wage commitment. All cotton in Madewell denim was from 'more sustainable' sources in 2025, 23% of it regenagri certified.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre	Listed	J.Crew Group profile lists six supply chain stories, including US child labour and Cambodian layoffs, with a 72% response rate; none name Madewell. View
Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ)	Certified	All Madewell denim pants were made in Fair Trade USA certified factories in 2025 (16 group factories in 8 countries); this covers the denim line only, not the whole range. View
Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution)	Listed	Madewell scored in the 11-20% band in the Fashion Transparency Index, as reported by Good On You (2020 rating). (2020 edition; latest is 2023) View

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 New York Times investigation reported migrant children in Los Angeles stitching 'Made in America' tags into shirts for sister brand J.Crew; J.Crew said it would investigate, and Madewell products were not named (NYT via BHRRC, 2023). Source
A Cambodian union alleged that J.Crew Group sweater supplier M&V International terminated 500 workers in 2023; J.Crew said contracts had legally expired for 146 workers and found no abuses (BHRRC, 2024). Source

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources

Migrant children working in US factories (BHRRC) · search the archive · NYT 2023: children stitched tags on J.Crew shirts in Los Angeles; J.Crew said it would investigate.
J.Crew's response to Who Pays for the Crisis tracker (BHRRC) · search the archive · Union alleged 500 terminations at Cambodian supplier M&V in 2023; J.Crew disputed it.

Published by Madewell or its owner

J.Crew Group 2025 Impact Report · search the archive · 100% of Madewell denim pants in Fair Trade Certified factories (2025); 16 Fair Trade factories in 8 countries; 233 audits
Madewell Social Responsibility Approach (2022) · search the archive · Independent semi-announced and unannounced audits; Better Work in Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia; no living wage commitment.
Fair Trade (Madewell) · search the archive · Goal of 90% of denim pants in Fair Trade factories; over $11 million in premiums to worker-governed funds.
California Transparency Act (Madewell / J.Crew) · search the archive · Over 200 vendors running 339 factories in 26 countries (2019 statement); no factory list.
Madewell 2025 Do Well Report · search the archive · 17 Fair Trade Certified factories across eight countries (not named)

Company details

Owned by: J.Crew Group (privately held)
Headquarters: United States
Last researched: 3 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is Madewell ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/madewell, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method: Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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