Spanx
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Atlanta company selling shapewear, leggings and activewear.
We couldn't confirm where Spanx makes most of its shapewear, leggings and apparel.
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 underwear and sleepwear
Graded higher than Spanx, selling the same kinds of things.
None of the underwear and sleepwear brands we know to make activewear is Good yet. This is the strongest so far. Ktena Knitting Mills, Merino Country and Ottie Merino are Good, but we don't know that they make activewear.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Spanx? Send a right of reply.
Compare Spanx with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 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 2 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
- Met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: 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 Spanx 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 cotton in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where its cotton comes from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Spanx does not say where its products are made and publishes no supplier list, living wage commitment or audit results. Its California supply chain statement says it visits factories, uses third-party auditors and requires direct suppliers to certify compliance with its supplier code, which it does not publish. Its shapewear and leggings are mostly nylon and elastane.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Spanx is rated D in Baptist World Aid's Good Shopping Guide but has no Ethical Fashion Report score, including for the 2026 edition. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Company profile lists no stories with allegations and no response requests; featured on the modern slavery legislation tracker. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Spanx - Good On You · search the archive · People rated very poor: code not public, audit share undisclosed, no living wage evidence (2024)
- Spanx, Inc. - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre · search the archive · No stories with allegations; on modern slavery legislation tracker
- Spanx Inc - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Rated D; no Ethical Fashion Report score; Good On You 1/5 (2023)
- Spanx scores Australian-first retail concept at David Jones (Ragtrader) · search the archive · Spanx sold in David Jones stores
- Spanx sells majority stake to Blackstone (Retail Dive) · search the archive · Blackstone took a majority stake in Spanx in 2021
- Spanx Thinstincts 2.0 bodysuit - Myer · search the archive · Spanx stocked by Myer in Australia
Published by Spanx or its owner
- Spanx California Transparency Act statement · search the archive · Factory visits, third-party audits, supplier certification and training; no countries or supplier list
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Spanx ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/spanx, 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 Spanx.