Stewart & Heaton Clothing Co

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

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources

Family-owned Perth supplier of uniforms and protective clothing.

We couldn't confirm where it makes the rest, and most clothes and shoes are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where the legal minimum is below a living wage.

Better-graded workwear and uniforms

Graded higher than Stewart & Heaton Clothing Co, selling the same kinds of things.

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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.

How grades are decided

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 and leather) 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

Stewart & Heaton Clothing Co names some of the countries it makes in: Australia. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
Country	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
Australia	Strong protections	About a living wage	Low
ChinaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
BangladeshUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
VietnamUsual for the industry	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
IndiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
CambodiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
TürkiyeUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Very 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 in only a few products and doesn't show where it comes from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.

Research notes Only specific Stewart & Heaton lines are made in Australia under Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation, which checks award wages; the share made locally is not disclosed. A 2014 SA Government answer said its SA Police trousers were made in Fiji and shirts and jackets in China, with footwear made in SA. The company cites Sedex membership, annual compliance audits and a supplier code of conduct but names no factories and publishes no audit results or modern slavery statement. It sells only through procurement. No labour abuses have been reported. ECA covers only some lines, so it is not counted as a whole-brand certification.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
Ethical Clothing Australia	Certified	Listed in Ethical Clothing Australia's directory for specific product lines made in Australia; the accreditation does not cover offshore production. View
Australian Modern Slavery Register	Not listed	No modern slavery statement from Stewart & Heaton appears on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report	Not listed	Not graded in the Ethical Fashion Report; the Good Shopping Guide rates it B- based on its ECA accreditation. View
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre	Not listed	No supply chain labour allegations against Stewart & Heaton appear in news or NGO reporting. View

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources

Ethical Clothing Australia: Stewart and Heaton Clothing Co · search the archive · Badge for specific product lines made in Australia; categories include uniforms, footwear, socks, belts and PPE; procurement only.
Good Shopping Guide: Stewart & Heaton · search the archive · Rated B-; only specific product lines made in Australia and ECA accredited; no Ethical Fashion Report score.
SA Parliament Hansard: Estimates answer on police uniforms (2014) · search the archive · SAPOL trousers made in Fiji; shirts, hats and jackets in China; footwear and belts in SA, socks in Victoria, knitwear in NSW.
Australian Modern Slavery Register search · search the archive · No statement found under the Stewart & Heaton name.
Zaneta Mascarenhas MP: Local manufacturing - Stewart & Heaton (2025) · search the archive · Describes the Belmont business as making protective clothing for firefighters and emergency services.

Published by Stewart & Heaton Clothing Co or its owner

Stewart & Heaton: Sustainability · search the archive · Cites annual compliance audits, Sedex membership, a supplier code of conduct, ECA and ISO 14001; names no factories or countries.
Stewart & Heaton Clothing Co website · search the archive · Australian and family owned, Belmont WA; shows ECA, Sedex, Oeko-Tex and ISO logos; no manufacturing locations named.

Company details

Headquarters: Australia
Last researched: 3 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is Stewart & Heaton Clothing Co ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/stewart-and-heaton, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method: Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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