Original Penguin
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
US menswear brand known for penguin-logo polos.
We couldn't confirm where Original Penguin makes most of its men's polos and golf wear.
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.
Better-graded everyday fashion
Graded higher than Original Penguin, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Original Penguin? Send a right of reply.
Compare Original Penguin with another brand
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.
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 clothes and shoes are usually made: worker rights are poorly protected in China, Bangladesh and Vietnam.
- 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 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
We couldn't confirm where Original Penguin 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
- 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.
Research notes Original Penguin does not say where its clothes are made. Owner Perry Ellis International reports 244 Tier 1 factories in 29 countries and 167 licensee suppliers, names only Bangladesh and India, accepts WRAP, SMETA and amfori BSCI audits, and reports one minimum wage breach in FY26, but publishes no factory list or living wage commitment. Footwear and some lines are made by licensees. In 2024 BHRRC recorded that Original Penguin did not respond to allegations about layoffs and unpaid wages at a closed Argentine factory.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Perry Ellis International's joint modern slavery statement for FY26 (244 Tier 1 facilities in 29 countries), which does not name Original Penguin. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Perry Ellis International's profile records stories on garment factory layoffs in Lesotho, with no company response; none name Original Penguin. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Unclear | ethical.org.au's Perry Ellis International page (updated Mar 2026) gives the parent an F rating but shows no Ethical Fashion Report score and does not list Original Penguin. 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.
- BHRRC recorded in 2024 that Original Penguin had not responded to allegations of layoffs and unpaid wages at closed Textil.com factories in Argentina; the page does not say Original Penguin's products were made there. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Perry Ellis International (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · Profile lists Lesotho garment factory layoff stories with no company response
- Penguin's non-response to layoffs and unpaid wages at Textil.com factories (BHRRC, 2024) · search the archive · Tagged Original Penguin (Perry Ellis); no response to Argentine factory layoff allegations
- Perry Ellis International (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Parent rated F; no Ethical Fashion Report score shown; Original Penguin not listed
- Perry Ellis to expand Original Penguin footwear through licensing deal (FashionUnited, 2023) · search the archive · Original Penguin footwear is made and sold under licence
- Perry Ellis International Modern Slavery Act Joint Disclosure Statement FY26 · search the archive · 244 Tier 1 facilities in 29 countries; 167 licensee suppliers; WRAP, SMETA, BSCI audits; 1 minimum wage breach in FY26
- Original Penguin Golf and Tennis partnership for Asia Pacific (Walkinshaw Group, 2023) · search the archive · Walkinshaw Sports is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand distributor of Original Penguin golf and tennis wear
- Original Penguin (GolfBox Australia) · search the archive · Original Penguin polos, shorts and jumpers sold by GolfBox, which has stores in Perth
Company details
- Owned by
- Perry Ellis International
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Original Penguin ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/original-penguin, last researched 3 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 Original Penguin.