Labour Lens

Reformation

Lacks transparency

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

Clothing & footwear

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources

Los Angeles brand selling women's dresses and denim.

There's no proof Reformation pays more than the legal minimum, which in the United States and China is below a living wage.

Better-graded footwear

Graded higher than Reformation, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.

15 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: GlamCorner and Blue Spinach and 13 more · See them allGoodJumbo Ugg AustraliaClothing & footwearAustralian-made sheepskin ugg bootsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodVerifiedRedback BootsClothing & footwearAustralian-made leather work bootsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Open supply chain3 starsVejaClothing & footwearSneakersHolds Fair Trade USA factory certification.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities3 stars

Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

See every footwear brand

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

  • Not met: Meets 3 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 3 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 the United States, China 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
  • Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier list
  • Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton, leather, silk and cashmere) 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

The United States has the largest share, 30%. China is next, at 17%.

Where it's made, share by country, and conditions there
CountryShareWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
United States30%Systematic violationsBelow a living wageLow
China17%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
Vietnam14%Systematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
Brazil8%Systematic violationsBelow a living wageModerate
Bulgaria6%Regular violationsBelow a living wageHigh
India6%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
Portugal6%Strong protectionsClose to a living wageLow
Mexico4%Regular violationsBelow a living wageModerate
Türkiye4%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageVery high
Indonesia1%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
Italy1%Strong protectionsClose to a living wageLow
Pakistan1%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageHigh
Romania1%Regular violationsBelow a living wageModerate
Thailand1%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate

Evidence

What we found

  • Publishes supplier list
  • Independent social audits of all its main factories
  • Uses recycled metals or fibres
  • 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, silk 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 Reformation runs its own factory in Vernon, Los Angeles, but most products come from independent suppliers. Its August 2026 Tier 1 list names 73 finished-goods factories and subcontractors: 21 in the US, 12 in China, 10 in Vietnam, 6 in Brazil (shoes) and the rest in Bulgaria, India, Portugal, Mexico, Turkey and others; shares count factories, not volume (one El Salvador site left out). It has been a Fair Labor Association participating company since 2020 (not accredited) and gets third-party social audits, but its code only requires the legal minimum wage and it has no dated living wage target for factory workers.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Business & Human Rights Resource CentreListedCompany profile records no allegations and no response requests. View

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources
  1. Reformation - Fair Labor Association · search the archive · Participating Company (not accredited); FLA factory assessments India 2026, Turkey 2025, US 2024, Mexico 2023 and others
  2. Reformation Inc. Form S-1 (SEC, 2026) · search the archive · About 1,261 employees (Q1 2026); 2025 units 51% Asia, 34% North America, 10% Europe, 5% South America; Permira influence
  3. Reformation raises 211 million dollars in IPO debut (FashionUnited) · search the archive · NYSE listing (REF) July 2026; Permira expected to keep a significant stake

Published by Reformation or its owner

  1. Reformation Tier 1 Facilities List (August 2026) · search the archive · 73 facilities: US 21, China 12, Vietnam 10, Brazil 6 (footwear), Bulgaria, India, Portugal 4 each; includes own Vernon, CA site
  2. Reformation - Our Factories · search the archive · Semi-announced third-party audits rated Green to Red; FLA-based code; 100% of Tier 1 disclosed
  3. Reformation Sustainability Report 2024 Q1 & Q2 · search the archive · Code requires legal minimum wage; silk ~5% of fibre, virgin cashmere ~0.1%; leather use only if LWG certified; 9% Tier 4 traced
  4. Reformation Annual Report 2023 · search the archive · 100% of Tier 1 suppliers audited in 2023; refers to 'our Factory' (Ref Factory, LA); silk ~5% of fibre; LWG tanneries for leather; 90% recycled cashmere since 2022

Company details

Headquarters
United States
Employees
About 1,261
Last researched
2 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is Reformation ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/reformation, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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