Labour Lens

Stüssy

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

Based on what Stüssy publishes, with few independent checks. It doesn't say where its products are made, so we use where its industry usually makes them. Researched with AI assistance against published rules. Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources · How we check

Californian streetwear brand selling T-shirts and hoodies.

Stüssy scored 0/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, and we couldn't confirm where it makes most of its streetwear clothing and accessories.

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 everyday fashion

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

8 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: SWOP Clothing Exchange and AirRobe and 6 more · See them allGoodThe Social StudioIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.Social enterprise fashion labelGoodGoes Above and Beyond: Gives workers a real voice; Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities4 starsMiddlemostIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.One-off clothing from vintage textilesGoodGoes Above and Beyond: Open supply chain3 starsThe Social OutfitIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.Sydney-made social enterprise fashionGoodGoes Above and Beyond: Gives workers a real voice3 stars

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

See every everyday fashion brand

See 35 better-graded brands in everyday fashion

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements, with 3 red flags.Open why it has this gradeClose why it has this grade
  • Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
  • Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, a hidden, unaudited supply chain, probably in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 0/100 in 2026). 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 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 3

  • Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
  • Red flag: Hidden supply chain, probably mostly in countries with poor worker rights
  • Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 0/100 (2026)

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

Not confirmed
Where its industry usually makes its goods: China 30%, Bangladesh 20%, Vietnam 15% and 5 more countries.Open where it's madeClose where it's made

We couldn't confirm where Stüssy makes most of its products, so this shows where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, share by country, and conditions there
CountryShareWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
China30%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
Bangladesh20%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
Vietnam15%Systematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
India10%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
Cambodia8%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
Türkiye7%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageVery high
Indonesia5%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
Pakistan5%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageHigh

Evidence

1 thing we found and what 2 independent sources say.Open the evidenceClose the 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.

Research notes Stüssy publishes no supplier or factory list, no sustainability report and no information on where its clothing is made, so production countries are unknown. It scored 0 out of 100 in Baptist World Aid's 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, as in 2024, and independent screenings note it shares nothing on worker protections, audits, wages or where its materials come from. No confirmed labour abuses are on public record, but this reflects the lack of disclosure rather than evidence of good conditions. Its core range of T-shirts and fleece is largely cotton.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportAnother organisation's ratingScored 0/100, failingScored 0 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), based on public information only, the same as in 2024. View
News reporting and NGO investigationsOn fileNamed alongside Temu, Nine West and Windsor Smith as companies scoring zero in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report. View

Sources and actions

6 sources, company details, and how to send evidence or a right of reply.Open the sources and company detailsClose the sources and company details

Sources 6

Show all 6 sources
  1. Ethical Fashion Guide 2026 (Baptist World Aid) · search the archive · 11th edition (2026): Stüssy assessed from public information only, score 0/100
  2. Stussy Inc - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Ethical Fashion Report 2024 score 0/100, bottom 20% of 120 companies; overall rating F; not in Fashion Transparency Index
  3. Stüssy - Good On You · search the archive · People rating 1/5; brand does not share enough information on labour policies
  4. Temu scores zero on ethical fashion scorecard (Money Magazine) · search the archive · Stussy one of four companies scoring zero in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report
  5. How sustainable is Stüssy? (COSH!) · search the archive · No sustainability report, no information on supply chain human rights, production locations or material origins
  6. Stüssy Basic Tee - White (Feature) · search the archive · Core Basic Stüssy tee is 100% cotton (usesCotton)

Company details

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

Something missing or wrong?

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