rag & bone
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
New York label selling premium denim and ready-to-wear.
There's no proof rag & bone pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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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 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 rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where 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, 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: Hidden supply chain, 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
rag & bone says it makes products in the United States. Product labels show Türkiye, China and Cambodia. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Cambodia | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | 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
- 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 and cashmere in only a few products and doesn't show where they come from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes rag & bone does not say where most of its clothing is made. It has said its denim is made in Los Angeles and some ready-to-wear in New York's Garment District, but names no overseas countries or factories; retailer listings show jeans made in Turkey, China and Cambodia. Since 2024 Guess, taken private in January 2026, holds the worldwide licence to make its products; Guess publishes a vendor list for its own brands, but it is not clear this covers rag & bone. There is no supplier list, living wage commitment or labour certification, and Good On You rates its labour disclosure 'very poor'.
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- rag & bone - Good On You · search the archive · Labour rated 1/5 'very poor' for lack of disclosure; uses leather, shearling, wool, cashmere and down.
- Authentic Brands Group and Guess? complete take-private (Guess 8-K, Jan 2026) · search the archive · Guess taken private 23 Jan 2026; management owns operating company; Guess markets, distributes and runs stores for rag & bone
- Marcus Wainwright on rag & bone and going it alone (Business of Fashion) · search the archive · Denim made in Los Angeles and some ready-to-wear in NYC's Garment District; brand cannot afford to make everything in the US.
- Guess, WHP Global acquire rag & bone (Fashion Dive) · search the archive · Guess bought operating assets; IP held by Guess/WHP joint venture; Guess has exclusive worldwide right to make products.
- Revolve: rag & bone jeans listing · search the archive · 8 rag & bone jeans labelled Made in Turkey (6), China (1) and Cambodia (1) (read 2 Nov 2026)
Published by rag & bone or its owner
- Policies and Resources (Guess sustainability) · search the archive · Guess publishes a vendor list of key tier 1 and denim tier 2 suppliers; rag & bone is not mentioned.
- rag & bone - Story & Values · search the archive · Brand page makes no disclosure on factories, workers or production countries.
Company details
- Owned by
- Guess? Inc. (operating licensee, private since 2026) and WHP Global; brand owned by their 50/50 JV
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is rag & bone ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/rag-and-bone, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded everyday fashion
None of the everyday fashion brands we know to make jeans or shoes is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. The Social Studio, Middlemost and The Social Outfit are Good, but we don't know that they make jeans or shoes. 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 rag & bone.