sass & bide
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources
Sydney designer womenswear label owned by Myer.
sass & bide's parent, Myer Holdings, scored 20/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, and there's no proof it pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, unaudited production in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 20/100 in 2026, for the company it's rated with). 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 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rights96% of its products are made in countries such as China and India, 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
- 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) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 20/100 (2026, the company it's rated with)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Myer Holdings' supplier list, which covers sass & bide and its sister brands. sass & bide publishes no breakdown of its own, so these are group-wide shares. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 78% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Bangladesh | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 4% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Modern slavery statement
- 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 sass & bide is part of Myer Retail, whose own-brand goods are made by outside suppliers; by spend, 77% of Myer private brand production is in China, 10% in India, 7% in Bangladesh and 3% in Vietnam, and with no split given for sass & bide itself, shares shown use Myer's private brand split. Myer publishes a factory list and accepts SMETA and amfori BSCI audits. Its wage gap analysis found most China factories pay at least the minimum wage but below a living wage, and it has no dated living wage target. The label paused trading in January 2026 ahead of a relaunch.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Owner Myer Holdings scored 20 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 19 in 2024. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | sass & bide Pty Ltd is a reporting entity in Myer's FY25 modern slavery statement, which covers 303 private brand suppliers and reports 57 high-risk audit issues (mostly excessive overtime) at Myer Retail factories. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Shop Ethical: sass & bide Pty Ltd · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Myer Holdings scored 20/100 (average 31.5); 100% owned by Myer Holdings; Oxfam says Myer has not acted on living wage commitment
- Myer closing Sass & Bide - with a relaunch on its way (Inside Retail, 2026) · search the archive · All stores and concessions closed by end of January 2026; Myer plans to relaunch the brand
- sass and bide pulled ahead of major relaunch (Ragtrader, 2026) · search the archive · Myer has owned sass & bide since 2011; brand to return to market in 2026
- Sass & Bide (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Founded 1999 by Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton; Myer bought 65% in 2011 and the rest in 2013
Published by sass & bide or its owner
- Myer Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · sass & bide Pty Ltd a reporting entity; private brand spend by country; factory list published; audit results; living wage gap analysis
Company details
- Owned by
- Myer Holdings Ltd
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is sass & bide ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sass-and-bide, last researched 2 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 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. 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 sass & bide.