Taking Shape
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 4 sources
Melbourne plus-size womenswear retailer.
Taking Shape scored 10/100 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 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 10/100 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.
- Checks its own supply chain. Taking Shape looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found unsafe conditions in 2020 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
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 rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in China, Vietnam and India.
- 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: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 10/100 (2026)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Taking Shape names some of the countries it makes in: China, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh and Australia. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 59% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 28% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Bangladesh | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Australia | 1% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| 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
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- 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 Taking Shape's clothes are made by about 85 independent suppliers, mostly in China and Vietnam, with eight core suppliers making about 75% of its product (FY2024). It says an audit partner visited every factory with orders in the past year and it holds current audit records for all apparel suppliers, but it publishes no supplier list and its supplier code only requires legal wages, with no living wage commitment. It scored 10/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, and some garments have been labelled as made in Fiji.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Scored 10 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 7 in 2024. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | FY2024 modern slavery statement: 85 suppliers; manufacturing in China 58%, Vietnam 28%, India 7%, Bangladesh 5%, Australia 1%; no incidents found. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Taking Shape's 2020 modern slavery statement reported that an audit of one Chinese supplier found critical and major breaches, mainly on workplace safety (Taking Shape, 2020). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | YesThe company says the breaches were fixed and confirmed by a re-audit. |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Taking Shape - Shop Ethical! · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Taking Shape scored 10/100 (average 31.5); TS14 Plus Australia Pty Ltd; founded 1985; 160+ stores; garments labelled China or Fiji
Published by Taking Shape or its owner
- Taking Shape Modern Slavery Statement FY2024 · search the archive · China 58%, Vietnam 28%, India 7%, Bangladesh 5%, Australia 1%; 85 suppliers; audit records for all apparel suppliers; legal wages only
- Taking Shape Modern Slavery Statement FY2023 · search the archive · Previous year: China 63%, Vietnam 26%, India 9%, Bangladesh 1%, Australia 1%; 90 suppliers
- Taking Shape Modern Slavery Statement FY2020 · search the archive · Audit of one China supplier found critical and major safety breaches, resolved on re-audit
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Taking Shape ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/taking-shape, 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
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 Taking Shape.