Rhythm
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Gold Coast surf and lifestyle clothing label.
We couldn't confirm where Rhythm makes most of its surf-inspired casual clothing and boardshorts.
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.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Rhythm? Send a right of reply.
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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, probably 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 rightsWhere clothes and shoes are usually made, such as China and Bangladesh, 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) 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, probably 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
We couldn't confirm where Rhythm 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
- 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.
Research notes Rhythm does not say where its clothing is made: its product pages give no country of manufacture, US retailers list items only as 'Imported', and it publishes no supplier list, modern slavery statement, code of conduct or audit results. It is not rated in the Ethical Fashion Report. Most menswear is cotton (many 100% cotton tees and shirts); it says its beach shorts and trunks use Green Circle recycled polyester and its Classics swimwear uses Italian ECONYL regenerated nylon. It mentions certified organic cotton but names no certifier or share. No labour abuse reports linked to the brand were found.
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Rhythm linen blend shirt (Urban Outfitters) · search the archive · Rhythm shirt listed as 'Imported' with no country named
- Rhythm Is Turning 20, Which EAST Shaper Co-Founded It? (Stab Magazine) · search the archive · Founded 2003 by Neal Purchase Jnr and Jamahl Grey; HQ in Burleigh Heads with a US office in Irvine
- Rhythm marching to its own beat (The Weekend Edition) · search the archive · Head offices in Burleigh Heads, Irvine (California) and Munich; no manufacturing details
- The Rhythm Story (Hawaiian South Shore) · search the archive · Brand claims organic cotton, recycled polyester and 'ethical manufacturing' without supply chain detail
Published by Rhythm or its owner
- Rhythm product feed · search the archive · Most listed menswear is 100% or mainly cotton; no country of manufacture or certifications shown
- Radial Beach Short (Rhythm) · search the archive · Preferred fabrics: Green Circle recycled polyester in beach shorts and trunks; ECONYL Carvico VITA in Classics swim
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Rhythm ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/rhythm, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded swimwear and surf
No swimwear and surf brand selling new goods is Good yet. This is the strongest so far. 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 Rhythm.